This Sunday, Benfica failed to qualify for the final of the women’s European Cup, drawing (30-30) against the Slovak team of Michalovce, who went to Luz with a 2-goal advantage (30-28) from the first leg.
With a negative first half (17-20), Benfica managed to react in extra time and take the lead (25-23), but without achieving a comfortable advantage.
The Slovaks did not throw in the towel and equalized (25-25), followed by a game of stop and response.
The Luz team once again took the lead (26-25) and controlled the pace, without the outsiders letting the opponent escape on the scoreboard.
This was followed by advantages of 1 goal (28-27) and 2 goals (29-27) and open goal failures, which gave confidence to the Slovakia team, but with everything open for the final minutes.
A series of errors by the Reds, even with numerical superiority, gave qualification to the more experienced team, which knew how to control the final moments.
For Benfica, highlights include Alexandra Shunu, with 7 goals and 88% effectiveness, and Ana Silva with 6 (55%).
Goalkeeper Ana Ursu, with 14 saves (41%) also deserved more.
By Alexandre Reis
