SOCCER: EUROPA LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS: Braga 1 Benfica 0: A HEADED goal by midfielder Custodio last night gave Braga a place in the first all-Portuguese Europa League final.
The hosts – who will travel to Dublin for their debut European final on May 18th – started sharply and went ahead on 19 minutes when Custodio gave goalkeeper Roberto no chance by towering above the defence to score with a well-placed header after a Hugo Viana corner.
Braga gave Benfica scant room to deploy their flowing game, and, while the visitors came close to levelling the match – and therefore taking the lead on aggregate – on several occasions, they just couldn’t find a way through.
BRAGA: Artur Moraes, Miguel Garcia, Paulao, Rodriguez, Silvio, Custodio, Hugo Viana, Alan, Mossoro (Kaka 80), Lima (Leandro Salino 73), Meyong (Helder Barbosa 87). Subs not used: Cristiano, Echiejile, Peterson, Anibal. Booked: Silvio, Paulao, Artur Moraes.
BENFICA:Roberto, Maxi Pereira, Luisao, Jardel, Fabio Coentrao, Gaitan, Javi Garcia, Cesar Peixoto (Jara 58), Carlos Martins (Alan Kardec 81), Saviola (Felipe Menezes 87), Cardozo. Subs not used: Moreira, Airton, Roderick, Sidnei. Booked: Cesar Peixoto, Maxi Pereira, Fabio Coentrao, Luisao.
Referee:M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
