Village Club Alpendorada Topples Estrela, Shaking Up Portugal’s Cup
Few stories travel faster through Portuguese football than a so-called “tomba-gigantes”. When a club from the fourth division removes a top-flight opponent from the Taça de Portugal, the ripple is felt from coffee counters in Amadora to village squares in Trás-os-Montes. On 18 October, FC Alpendorada added its name to that romantic canon by dispatching Estrela da Amadora 3-1, an exit that still stings the I Liga side and delights the tiny community that hugs the Douro.
Shockwaves through the north bank of the Douro
Almost every season the cup produces a jolt, but this one landed with particular force because Estrela arrived as a recently promoted Primeira Liga outfit whose wage bill dwarfs Alpendorada’s by a factor of 20. The modest ground, capable of holding 7,000 spectators at a squeeze, was heaving long before kick-off. By full time the locals were chanting “já ninguém nos tira esta noite” – nobody can take this night from us – while mobile phones buzzed with congratulations from across the district of Marco de Canaveses. Television analysts quickly filed it under the pantheon of biggest modern upsets, placing it alongside Varzim’s ejection of Sporting in 2022 and Gondomar’s ambush of Benfica back in 2003.
Inside the ninety minutes
Estrela appeared to have imposed order when Rodrigo Pinho buried a penalty after 6 minutes. Instead, the early goal emboldened the underdogs. Striker Pedro Pauleta – no relation to the former Seleção legend – equalised on 43, finishing a sweeping move that began with a daring dribble from full-back Joel Silva. Seven minutes into the second half Pauleta struck again, capitalising on a miscued clearance from Estrela centre-back Miguel Lopes. The goal that sealed folklore arrived on 69: Mário Borges collected a loose ball outside the box and arrowed a left-footer beyond Bruno Brígido. Alpendorada had registered 3 shots on target, 3 goals, while Estrela rattled up 65% possession and little else.
A night to remember in Alpendorada
Founded in 1960 and still run largely by volunteers, Alpendorada have been yo-yoing between district divisions and the Campeonato de Portugal. Coach Nuno Barbosa, nicknamed o Homem do Leme for steering the club back into national football last year, built a side heavy on local talent and returning emigrants. The operating budget for the entire senior squad is roughly €350,000, not far above what Estrela pay two first-team regulars combined. Yet the infrastructure betrays ambition: a refurbished municipal ground, a newly laid hybrid pitch and a youth academy that partners with schools across the Vale do Douro Sul. The win over Estrela guarantees at least €50,000 in prize money and a fourth-round home tie that could finance a long-planned roof for the main stand.
Fallout in Amadora
Estrela’s coach João Nuno did not mince words, calling the performance a “collective embarrassment”. He acknowledged Alpendorada’s superior desire and lamented his own team’s “lack of humility”. Club president Paulo Lopo voiced irritation but reiterated “total confidence” in the technical staff, citing a spate of injuries that left Estrela without four starters. Supporters, many of whom travelled north expecting a comfortable evening, vented on social media about what they deemed the side’s “pre-season attitudes.” Season-ticket holder groups are demanding a response in Sunday’s league match against Boavista, fearing that the psychological blow could bleed into the relegation battle.
The wider Cup landscape
Estrela’s fall was only 1 of 5 top-flight casualties in a 3-day span that reinforced the competition’s unpredictability. Rio Ave sank against Sintrense, Gil Vicente bowed out to Académico de Viseu, Moreirense stumbled at Fafe and Alverca lost a penalty lottery versus União de Leiria. Historians point out that in 1998/99 all three grandes were dispatched before the quarter-final draw; some pundits now whisper about a repeat. The Portuguese Football Federation views these surprises as validation of the cup’s current format, which seeds bigger clubs away from home to boost attendances in smaller towns and, by extension, grassroots coffers.
What happens next
For Alpendorada the immediate focus shifts to Monday’s fourth-round draw in Cidade do Futebol. A plum tie against Benfica or Porto could bring television trucks and a payday north of €250,000. For Estrela, the exit strips away a potential European pathway and sharpens the spotlight on league form – they sit 15th with only 7 points from nine matches. Internally, directors insist there will be no knee-jerk dismissals, but the margin for error is evaporating. In the meantime, the children of Alpendorada have a new bedtime story: the night their village club dwarfed the capital’s latest first-division dream and proved once more that in the Taça, reputation counts for nothing once the whistle blows.