Portimonense will compete in the League Cup Group Stage with the teams of Sporting, Paços de Ferreira and Arouca, all from the I League.
A complicated group for the Algarve team, which plays in the II Liga, as they will find opponents who are in the upper half of the first-tier football table, although they have the advantage of playing two of the three games at home.
The draw for the League Cup Group Stage took place this Wednesday, in Lisbon, and determined not only the groups, but also the schedule of matches.
In the first round, which takes place on December 29th and 30th, Portimonense receives Arouca at the Municipal de Portimão. It will also be at their stadium that the team from Portimão will play against Sporting, on the 2nd round, scheduled for the 19th, 20th and 21st of January. In the last round, to be played on the 26th, 27th and 28th of January, the Algarvians travel to Paços de Ferreira.
At stake is a place in the semi-finals of this competition. To be present in the next phase of the League Cup, Portimonense will have to be in first place in the group.
In addition to group C, where Portimonense aligns, the draw dictated that the following groups: Group A – Porto (I Liga), Marítimo (I), Feirense (II Liga) and Famalicão (II); Group B – Benfica (I), National (I), Moreirense (I) and Oriental (II); and Group C – Braga (I), Belenenses (I), Rio Ave (I) and Leixões (II).
The League Cup rules determine that the four semi-finalists of the previous edition, in this case Benfica, Porto, Braga and Sporting, cannot be in the same group.
Comments