# 2021 Taça da Liga final

The 2021 Taça da Liga final was the final match of the 2020–21 Taça da Liga, the fourteenth season of the Taça da Liga. It was played on 23 January 2021 at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa.
The competition was contested exclusively by clubs competing in the two professional divisions of Portuguese football – the top-tier Primeira Liga and the second-tier Liga Portugal 2.
Braga were the holders and two-time winners, they played the decisive match for the 4th time and second consecutive season, having beaten Porto 1–0 in the previous season's final. Meanwhile, Sporting CP played their fifth final in the competition, having last appeared in the 2019 final when they defeated Porto on penalties for their second title. Sporting CP won the final 1–0 over Braga for their third title, as result, became the second team (after Benfica) in the competition's history to win three Taças da Liga.

## Background

Due to calendar limitations derived from the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, this season followed a transitory format where only eight teams enter the competition. The final was also held behind closed doors due to the effects of the pandemic in Portugal. The Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria was chosen as the competition's final-four venue until 2023.

## Route to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Sporting CP | Sporting CP | Round | Braga | Braga |
| Opponent | Result | 2020–21 Taça da Liga | Opponent | Result |
| Mafra (H) | 2–0 | Quarter-finals | Estoril (H) | 3–1 |
| Porto (N) | 2–0 | Semi-finals | Benfica (N) | 2–1 |

## Match
### Details

| Sporting | Braga |
Antonio Adán :
| RB | 52 | Gonçalo Inácio | 89' |
| CB | 4 | Sebastián Coates (c) |
| LB | 3 | Zouhair Feddal |
| RM | 24 | Pedro Porro | 81' |
| CM | 6 | João Palhinha |
| CM | 17 | João Mário | 68' |
| LM | 5 | Nuno Mendes | 76' |
| RF | 28 | Pedro Gonçalves | 90+5' | 90+6' |
| CF | 19 | Tiago Tomás | 59' |
| LF | 10 | Jovane Cabral | 24' | 46' |
| Substitutes: |||
| GK | 81 | Luís Maximiano |
| DF | 13 | Luís Neto | 89' | 90+6' |
| DF | 26 | Cristian Borja | 80' |
| DF | 55 | Antunes |
| CM | 8 | Matheus Nunes | 68' | 88' |
| CM | 68 | Daniel Bragança |
| FW | 11 | Nuno Santos | 46' |
| FW | 20 | Gonzalo Plata | |
| FW | 9 | Andraž Šporar | 59' |
| Manager: |||
| Ruben Amorim 33' ||||
Matheus :
| CB | 3 | Vítor Tormena |
| CB | 16 | David Carmo |
| CB | 5 | Nuno Sequeira | 33' |
| RM | 47 | Ricardo Esgaio |
| CM | 8 | Ali Musrati | 90+4' |
| CM | 88 | André Castro | 62' |
| LM | 90 | Galeno |
| RF | 21 | Ricardo Horta |
| CF | 9 | Abel Ruiz | 46' |
| LF | 27 | Fransérgio (c) | 73' |
| Substitutes: |||
| GK | 12 | Tiago Sá |
| DF | 34 | Raul Silva |
| DF | 36 | Bruno Viana |
| MF | 7 | João Novais | 73' |
| MF | 11 | Lucas Piazon | |
| MF | 15 | André Horta | |
| MF | 45 | Iuri Medeiros | 62' |
| FW | 20 | Paulinho | 46' |
| FW | 95 | Guilherme Schettine | 81' |
| Manager: |||
| Carlos Carvalhal 33' ||||
| Man of the match Pedro Porro (Sporting) Assistant referees: André Campos Pedro Mota Fourth official: Hugo Miguel Video assistant referee: Ricardo Santos Assistant video assistant referee: Manuel Mota | Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions. |