Despite controlling the contest, the team lose 1-0 to SC Braga in the semifinal

Sporting Clube de Portugal's Taça da Liga campaign came to an end with a 1-0 defeat against SC Braga in the semifinals, sending them home from Leiria unable to defend the trophy.

The Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa was sold out for the Final Four game, with the overwhelming majority in the stands being Sportinguistas. Rúben Amorim made changes to his starting lineup from the game against Vizela: Antonio Adán and Paulinho were rotated out, as Franco Israel and Marcus Edwards came in.

Sporting CP were looking for their ninth consecutive victory in all competitions and fourth consecutive presence in the Taça da Liga final, and demonstrated this throughout the first half, laying siege to an unresponsive SC Braga. That was despite the opposition being the first to shoot, after two minutes, when Ricardo Horta's effort was easily saved by Franco Israel.

From then on, it was one-way traffic. Little by little, Sporting increasingly controlled possession and dangerous chances. On 11 minutes, the first of them came about: A move on the left saw Pedro Gonçalves play to Francisco Trincão to shoot, with Matheus saving. Soon after, and surprising everyone in the process, Gonçalves decided to strike from very far out, only being denied by the woodwork.

Trincão threatened again in the 23rd minute, with Matheus intervening, and both Gonçalves and Nuno Santos narrowly missed the target midway through the first half. SC Braga managed a timid response in the 34th minute, when Zalazar shot wide from distance, but Sporting CP were very strong at both ends. On the offensive, Sebastián Coates gave Matheus problems and, from the resulting corner, Nuno Santos smashed a shot against the bar.

Going into the break, Eduardo Quaresma had an excellent solo move end with a strike wide, and off a tidy counterattack, Nuno Santos sent a trivela against the upright.

Bad luck prevented Sporting CP from reaching the break in front after an opening 45 minutes that featured 11 shots and 62% possession.

The pace dropped slightly in the second half, but Sporting CP continued to be the only team continually looking for a goal.

In the 54th minute, from one of the first moves in which he had space in the entire match, Viktor Gyökeres was sent through by Marcus Edwards and put his left-footed shot wide. Soon after, from another counterattack, the Swede tried to return the favour to the Englishman, but a defender cut it out.

Gonçalves combined with Francisco Trincão and another strike found its way wide, then Nuno Santos applied too much power to his own chance.

The opportunities seemed endless, but the ball didn't seem to want to go in and SC Braga, in their first chance of real danger, put the ball into the net. Zalazar crossed and Abel Ruiz headed in to make it 1-0.

Amorim decided to send on Matheus Reis and Paulinho to replace Sebastián Coates and Ricardo Esgaio, but it was SC Braga who threatened in the 69th minute, when Zalazar took advantage of a Sporting CP error to shoot straight into Matheus Reis.

With 15 minutes remaining, Franco Israel made two tremendous saves: first from Víctor Gómez's shot and, off the rebound, from Ricardo Horta.

Trincão and Gonçalves both had unsuccessful efforts before the end, as a harsh 1-0 scoreline eliminated Sporting CP from the competition.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Eduardo Quaresma, Sebastián Coates [C] (Matheus Reis, 68'), Gonçalo Inácio, Ricardo Esgaio (Paulinho, 68'), Morten Hjulmand, Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards (Daniel Bragança, 76'), Francisco Trincão and Viktor Gyökeres.