Rafa struck deep into stoppage time to secure Benfica a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP, lifting Benfica into second place in the Primeira Liga and delivering a serious setback to Sporting’s title challenge, after a derby packed with drama, twists and crucial VAR intervention in Lisbon.

The decisive moment arrived moments after Rafael Nel believed Sporting had completed a late turnaround. Nel broke clear and finished past Anatoliy Trubin in the 91st minute, but an offside call cut celebrations short. Benfica then countered at speed, with Rafa sliding in to force the ball over the line and seal the away win.

Earlier, Sporting had taken control from kick-off, forcing Benfica back. Geny Catamo drew a dramatic early save when Trubin diverted a rising strike onto the crossbar, then the goalkeeper reacted again to push away Catamo’s long-range hit. At the opposite end, Rui Silva tipped Nicolas Otamendi’s powerful header wide before a key refereeing decision.

Fredrik Aursnes tripped Trincao inside the box after 19 minutes, handing Sporting a penalty. Luis Suarez stepped up but Trubin guessed correctly, blocking the low effort. Benfica then earned a spot-kick of their own eight minutes later when Hidemasa Morita handled, and Andreas Schjelderup drove his penalty home to put Benfica 1-0 ahead.

Sporting pushed hard after falling behind, with Pote striking the post as pressure grew. Morita, who conceded Benfica’s penalty, later made amends. The midfielder met Zeno Debast’s precise cross with a clever glancing header in the 72nd minute, levelling the derby at 1-1 and setting up the frantic finale featuring Nel’s disallowed strike and Rafa’s winner.

Data underlined Jose Mourinho’s impact on this rivalry. “Data Debrief: Mourinho finds his winning formula” matched the evidence on the pitch. Jose Mourinho remains unbeaten in eight Primeira Liga matches against Sporting, recording five wins and three draws, and this fixture marked Jose Mourinho’s first league trip to Sporting as Benfica coach.

Benfica extended their league unbeaten run to 30 matches, with 21 wins and nine draws, achieving such a streak from the start of a season for the first time since 1977-78. The visitors also created clearer openings according to expected goals data, despite Sporting’s greater shot volume and two efforts that struck the frame of the goal.

The result strengthens Benfica’s position in the Primeira Liga title race and keeps momentum behind Jose Mourinho’s long unbeaten sequence, while Sporting face increased pressure after missing a penalty, seeing Rafael Nel’s late goal ruled out and conceding decisively to Rafa in stoppage time of a fierce Lisbon derby.