A first-half strike from in-form Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis proved decisive as Benfica edged out Braga 1-0 at the Estádio da Luz to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup. The Eagles, under the management of Bruno Lage, dominated large periods of the game and will now face fourth-tier side Tirsense in the last four.

Benfica set the tempo early on, pressing Braga high and dictating play with fluid attacking movements. Their persistence paid off in the 27th minute when a misplaced pass from Braga’s Paulo Oliveira was pounced upon by Casper Tengstedt. The forward swiftly laid it off to Orkun Kökçü, who in turn found Pavlidis. The Greek international unleashed a powerful shot from just inside the box, leaving goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek with no chance.

Despite their defensive frailties, Braga did well to limit the damage, largely thanks to Hornicek’s heroics between the posts. The Czech shot-stopper made a series of impressive saves, denying further strikes from Kerem Aktürkoglu and Tengstedt to keep his side in the game. However, Carlos Carvalhal’s men struggled to create clear-cut chances, with Benfica’s backline effectively neutralizing their attacking threats.

The second half saw a more composed Braga side, but they lacked the cutting edge to break down a resolute Benfica defense. While the visitors saw more of the ball after the break, goalkeeper Samuel Soares remained largely untroubled as the Eagles managed the game professionally to see out the narrow victory.

Bruno Lage’s men have now won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions and will take confidence from this result as they prepare for next week’s crucial Champions League clash against Barcelona. Meanwhile, FC Tirsense, who made history by becoming the first fourth-tier side to reach the semi-finals, now face the daunting challenge of going up against one of Portugal’s biggest clubs.

Benfica will head into the semi-final as overwhelming favorites, but for now, their focus shifts to maintaining their strong domestic and European form as the business end of the season approaches.

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