The2009 Taça da Liga final was afootball match betweenBenfica andSporting CP which was held on the 21 March 2009 atEstádio do Algarve,Faro. It was the final match of the2008–09 Taça da Liga, the 2nd season of theTaça da Liga, afootball competition for the 32 teams in thePrimeira Liga and theLiga de Honra. Benfica were appearing in their first final, while Sporting were appearing in the final for the second time; having lost theprevious season's final toVitória de Setúbal.^{[citation needed]}

After a goalless and uneventful first half, Sporting scored the first goal of the game throughBruno Pereirinha in the 48th minute. Benfica equalized in the 75th minute through Spanish wingerJosé Antonio Reyes who converted from the penalty spot. After ninety minutes where the game remained tied, the final was to be settled on penalties. AfterQuim savedHélder Postiga's penalty,Carlos Martins stepped up to the penalty spot and scored the decisive penalty to clinch Benfica's first Taça da Liga.^[2][3] This was Benfica's first trophy in four years since winning their 31stPrimeira Liga in the2004–05 season.

Sporting CP were appearing in their second final after losing theprevious edition's final toVitória de Setúbal. Benfica were appearing in their very first Taça da Liga final. This final marked the first time that two teams of theBig three would face each other, in a Taça da Liga final.

The last meeting between these two sides prior to the final was a league match, which took place on the 21 February. Sporting defeated Benfica 3–2 at theEstádio José Alvalade.^{[citation needed]} The last meeting between these two sides in a cup competition saw Sporting defeat Benfica, 5–3 in the semi-final of the2007–08 Taça de Portugal.^{[citation needed]}

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Both clubs entered the 2009 Taça da Liga Final with players missing due to injury. Sporting CP were missingmidfielderMarat Izmailov due totendinitis in his right knee, as well as left backLeandro Grimi, who was undergoing an operation to his left knee.^[4] Benfica entered the final missing goalkeeperMarcelo Moretto,Quique Sánchez Flores' first-choice goalkeeper in the2008–09 Taça da Liga. Moretto missed the final due to undergoingarthroscopic surgery to his right knee after he sustained an injury during a Benfica training session.^[5] Both sides going into the match, saw players who were doubtful for the final. Sporting'sHélder Postiga was a doubt for the final.^[6] Benfica'sRuben Amorim was also a doubt for the final after sustaining an injury in a league match, whileCarlos Martins andDavid Suazo were also doubts. These three players would train apart from the rest of the squad in order to be match fit for the final during the week building up to the match.^[7]

Paulo Bento's squad selection for the final saw the presence ofHélder Postiga andLeandro Romagnoli who were doubtful going into the game.^[8] Paulo Bento's starting eleven saw him start with veteran goalkeeperTiago ahead ofRui Patrício. Due to Leandro Grimi's injury,Pedro Silva would replace him in the left back position. Quique Sánchez Flores' squad selection for the final saw the inclusion of Carlos Martins, David Suazo and Ruben Amorim who were doubtful prior to the game.^[9] Sánchez Flores' starting eleven saw him start Amorim and Suazo. Veteran goalkeeperQuim was selected ahead ofJosé Moreira. Sánchez Flores also selectedMiguel Vítor ahead of first-team regularSidnei in the starting lineup.

Benfica dominated possession early on and created several chances. The first major chance of the game saw a Benfica counterattack, sawPablo Aimar brake into Sporting's final third and thread a ball to an unmarkedNuno Gomes who couldn't slot the ball pastTiago. Sporting's most dangerous chance of the first half, sawSimon Vukčević lob the ball over the Benfica defense where he found an unmarkedLiédson, who went past Benfica's goalkeeper and fired into the goal at an acute angle but saw his shot blocked on the goal line byDavid Luiz. The first half would end goalless.

Following the break, Sporting started the second half stronger and scored the first goal of the game. Clever interplay between Simon Vukčević andMarco Caneira down the left hand side saw Caneira cross the ball into the box where Liédson's header hit the crossbar and on the follow-up,Bruno Pereirinha slotted the ball past Quim. Following Sporting's goal, its lead could have been doubled but for Quim's save afterFábio Rochemback's corner foundÂnderson Polga. Benfica came close to an equalizer following Sporting's most dominant period of the game afterJosé Antonio Reyes' free kick foundLuisão whose header hit the crossbar.

Fifteen minutes from the end,Ángel Di María's run would result in Benfica being awarded a penalty afterPedro Silva handled the ball in the box when trying to challenge Di María. Replays showed that the ball hit Silva on the chest. Sporting's Pedro Silva would receive a second yellow card, which resulted in Sporting being a man down. José Antonio Reyes would convert the penalty and slot the ball past Tiago. The game ended in a tie after ninety minutes and was to be settled on penalties. In the penalty shootout after each side had taken three penalties each, Sporting were 2–1 up. The next two penalties which each side took proved to be vital to who would win the cup. Sporting'sDerlei andHélder Postiga missed their penalties, whileDavid Luiz andCarlos Martins converted the penalties to clinch Benfica's first Taça da Liga.

21 March 2009

19:45BST

Sporting CP	1–1	Benfica
Pereirinha 48'	[citation needed]	Reyes 75' (pen.)
Penalties
Romagnoli Rochemback Moutinho Derlei Postiga	2–3	Aimar Cardozo Katsouranis David Luiz Martins

Estádio do Algarve,Faro

Attendance: 28,182^[1]

Referee:Lucílio Baptista^[1]

Sporting

Benfica

Sporting: GK 16 Tiago RB 12 Marco Caneira CB 3 Daniel Carriço CB 4 Ânderson Polga  62' LB 5 Pedro Silva  23'  73' DM 26 Fábio Rochemback LM 10 Simon Vukčević  76' OM 28 João Moutinho (c)  72' RM 25 Bruno Pereirinha  90' CF 11 Derlei CF 31 Liédson  90' Substitutes: GK 1 Rui Patrício DF 13 Tonel RB 78 Abel  76' MD 6 Adrien Silva OM 30 Leandro Romagnoli  90' FW 20 Yannick Djaló FW 23 Hélder Postiga  90' Manager: Paulo Bento

Benfica: GK 12 Quim RB 13 Maxi Pereira  39' CB 4 Luisão CB 28 Miguel Vítor  68' LB 23 David Luiz DM 8 Kostas Katsouranis RM 15 Ruben Amorim  79' OM 10 Pablo Aimar LM 6 José Antonio Reyes  40'  88' FW 30 David Suazo FW 21 Nuno Gomes (c)  64' Substitutes: GK 1 José Moreira LB 25 Jorge Ribeiro DF 27 Sidnei MF 26 Hassan Yebda OM 24 Carlos Martins  79' RM 20 Ángel Di María  64' FW 7 Óscar Cardozo  88' Manager: Quique Sánchez Flores

• Derby de Lisboa
• 2008–09 S.L. Benfica season
• 2009 Taça de Portugal final

• Taça da Liga finals
• 2008–09 in Portuguese football
• Sporting CP matches
• S.L. Benfica matches
• Derby de Lisboa matches
• March 2009 sports events in Portugal
• Sport in Faro District

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