In the quarterfinal match of the Portuguese League Cup, Benfica confidently defeated Gil Vicente, securing their spot in the semifinals of the tournament. The meeting took place with the active participation of two Ukrainian legionnaires of the Lisbon club — midfielder Heorhii Sudakov and goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing Portuguese sports television, the match ended in Benfica's favor with a landslide score, with Sudakov's spectacular goal and Trubin conceding a long-range shot being the key highlights.
Chronology of Goals and Match Flow
The first goal of the match was scored in the 36th minute by Diogo Lukebakio, opening the scoring for the Lisbon side. Just five minutes later, Benfica's lead was doubled by Heorhii Sudakov, who scored one of the most memorable goals of the current League Cup campaign. It was after this goal that the hosts definitively turned the tide of the game and brought the matter to a landslide result, leaving Gil Vicente with no real chances of continuing the fight in the tournament.
How Sudakov Scored a "Wonder Goal"
The Ukrainian midfielder's goal turned out to be truly spectacular and multi-staged. The Benfica attack was launched by Echeverri operating on the left flank. He passed the ball to Palhinha, who crossed into the center of the penalty area. After a deflection off a defender, the ball bounced to Sudakov, who sent it with a single touch precisely into the top corner of the goal. Such an execution style — without a backswing, from the first touch, on the move — made the goal one of the main events of the match and provoked a wave of approval from the fans in the stands.
Trubin and the 30-Meter Shot
No less notable episode of the meeting was the moment in which Anatolii Trubin was left with no chance. The Benfica goalkeeper conceded after a powerful shot from roughly a 30-meter distance — the kind that even experienced goalkeepers find extremely difficult to save. Despite this episode, Trubin generally played the match at his usual level, and his team managed to compensate for the conceded goal due to their attacking potential upfront.
The Ukrainian Footprint in European Cup Tournaments
Sudakov's performance in Portugal became part of a broader picture: in the same stretch of matches, another Ukrainian legionnaire, Tymur Tuterov, also scored a goal, but in the English League Cup. Thus, on the same matchday, two Ukrainian footballers playing in top European leagues recorded goal involvements in cup competitions, which underscores the consistently high level of the Ukrainian diaspora in European football.
Significance of the Victory for Benfica
Reaching the League Cup semifinals allows Benfica to keep the race for the trophy on the domestic front parallel to their performances in the league and European tournaments. For Sudakov, this match became another confirmation of his status as one of the key players in the Lisbon side's midfield, and for Trubin — yet another test in a tight calendar when the goalkeeper has to deal with shots from any distance. Ahead of the team is the semifinal stage, where opponents will be significantly stronger, and the quarterfinal result sets an optimistic tone before the next phase of the tournament.
