Duarte Gomez analyzes the refereeing in the Braga and Benfica match

Excellent refereeing (without resorting to VAR) by Luis Godinho

Luis Godinho officiated the match between Braga and Benfica on Sunday. Artur Soares Dias was using VAR. Godinho did an excellent job, in a match that is always difficult to manage. Notable for the initial phase, which had approximately 70% useful time and only 6 absences reported. very good!

The only drawback (certainly not your responsibility): The game started five minutes late. At this level it is unacceptable.

Below is a technical analysis of the most important moves relevant to the match:

two’ – Morato could and should have avoided such unsportsmanlike contact at an early stage in the match. The red central defender had control of the play and the ball was close to the field. The right arm did not have to extend towards Alvaro Diallo’s face. Yellow is well displayed.

3′ – A quick counterattack, as Cocu sent the ball to Tinggstedt to score the first goal of the match. The assistant referee saw it clearly: the Danish striker started from a legal position.

12′ – The goal was well disallowed against Benfica, after an excellent intervention from the assistant referee: at the time of Di Maria’s pass, Rafa was ahead of the penultimate opponent. Well marked offside.

14′ – In Rome, he sent a cross from the right side, which hit Joao Neves’ hand. The red midfielder was very close to the opponent and had his arms wrapped close to his body, in an obvious defensive position, to protect him from potential impact. A legal and well-analyzed offer in the Benfica area.

27′ – New correct decision from Godinho: Staci caught Tingstedt, preventing him from entering his area in a promising way. The violation was well punished with a yellow card.

28′ – Otamendi almost deflected the ball into the goal (by Matheus), as he was in his natural position when Di Maria took the free kick from the right.

44′ – Ricardo Horta blocked a shot from Alvaro Diallo and almost scored a goal against the opponent. The attacker was in a legal position. The assistant referee performed well.

54′ – Di Maria deflected a cross from Bromma into a corner kick. The goal kick was poor, perhaps because the assistant referee was late in determining the ideal spot for the evaluation.

55′ – Morato asked him for a second yellow card, but for no reason. The central defender committed a foul in midfield (on Joao Moutinho), but the move was not subject to disciplinary action.

64′ – Musa pulled Rome’s arm, throwing his opponent off balance erratically. The move should have been punished with a free kick for SC Braga.

68′ – The goal was disallowed well against Braga: at the time of Joao Moutinho’s pass, Ricardo Horta was slightly ahead of Antonio Silva, the penultimate defender there. Technology confirmed distance: 11cm. Another excellent decision from assistant referee Pedro Mota.

75′ – Godinho’s only obvious mistake: Before the contact between Peter Moses and Jose Fonte, the Croatian striker stepped on the right foot of the centre-back, arriving too late for the tackle. It was the Benfica player, not the Braga defender, who should have received the yellow card for a careless offence.

81′ – Roma simulated a mistake that Morato never committed. A Braga player falling into the red zone should have been punished by a warning. It’s fair to say it’s very difficult to have that perception, on the pitch and in that position. More importantly, the referee was right not to point to a penalty kick.

89′ – Tropin received a yellow color for deliberately delaying the resumption of the match. These types of cards are harmless at this stage of the game, but the truth is that it is almost at these moments that players resort to these practices.

90+4′ Vitor Carvalho was warned for not agreeing with the referee’s decision.

90+5′ – Yellow color appears for Otamendi, for delaying the resumption of the game (or for protests). The pictures are not clear.

90+7′ Vitor Carvalho only touched the ball, and did not commit a foul on Gonzalo Guedes. Excellent analysis from Godinho on the move that took place in the Braga area.

Rating – 8