Mbemba nets 2 as 10-man Porto beats Benfica 2-1 in cup final

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This article was published 01/08/2020 (2207 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COIMBRA, Portugal – Defender Chancel Mbemba scored twice to lead 10-man FC Porto to a 2-1 victory over Benfica in the Portuguese Cup final on Saturday.

Porto completed the domestic double with its 17th cup trophy after winning the league two weeks earlier.

Luis Díaz left Porto a man down after getting a second yellow card for a dangerous foul in the 38th minute.

Porto coach Sérgio Conceição was also sent off before halftime with two quick bookings for protesting fouls.

Benfica failed to take advantage of the extra player until Mbemba had already decided the contest between Portugal’s biggest rivals with two goals from set pieces.

The Congolese central defender headed in Porto’s first goal after Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos’s poor clearance of a free kick in the 48th.

Mbemba scored the second goal in the 57th with a powerful header that he sent off the turf and past Vlachodimos.

Benfica substitute Carlos Vinícius added some drama to the final minutes after he converted a penalty kick in the 84th resulting from Diogo Leite’s foul.

Jota almost grabbed the equalizer for Benfica in stoppage time when he fired the ball off the post.

It was Porto’s second win in 10 cup finals against Benfica.

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