This Saturday’s Sp. Braga-Vizela was important for everyone. The first could reach third place, “shaking” the pressure from Vitória and “suffocating” FC Porto, forcing the Porto players to win on Sunday to return to the podium. The Vizelenses are, in each game, fighting for their lives, running in last place, eight points from the salvation zone.
Rui Duarte’s team won 2-1, after bringing Zalazar off the bench, who revolutionized the game: he scored Braga’s two and “offered” Vizela’s. If it was a goal, it was Zalazar’s creation, regardless of the goal.
In the first half, Sp. Braga dominated the game, but did not circulate the ball quickly enough to make Vizela’s dense block “dance”. Horta, as the second striker, did not appear in finishing zones and the players further back also did not place balls between the lines.
This left the most basic routes through crossings, as the creative Bruma and Djaló rarely had space to attack one-on-one.
Zalazar’s appearance on the sideline, to enter the second half, was hardly surprising news. More “perfume” was needed in creation areas, more speed to circulate, more technique for vertical passes, a midfielder with more access to the area. And Zalazar could bring all of this.
At least, in theory. In practice, the midfielder’s technical “perfume” began to result in a loss of the ball in the defensive zone, at 51′, which left Vizela in a position to finish – there was a goal from Essende.
Let’s go back a few lines and remember Zalazar’s predicates. In the 53rd minute, a loss of the ball by Vizela on a goal kick found Zalazar in the area, who easily finished off Banza’s ball recovery.
With Zalazar, Sp. Braga seemed closer to winning the game, even without many scoring opportunities, but also closer to losing it, such was the space around Moutinho.
Between one thing and another, the first prevailed, as it was once again the greatest arrival in Zalazar’s area that allowed the midfielder to finish, in the 85th minute, a good play between Moutinho and Horta.