Sales begin on the 5th of January

Tickets for Liga NOS matchday 16, between Vitória Futebol Clube and Sporting Clube de Portugal, will go on sale at the Estádio José Alvalade ticket offices as follows:

TUESDAY (10H TO 20H) | Club Members with a 2015/2016 Gamebox and December 2015 fees paid
WEDNESDAY (10H TO 14H) | Club Members with December 2015 fees paid
WEDNESDAY (FROM 14H) | General public

Kick off is scheduled for 20h15 on Wednesday the 6th of January, in Estádio do Bonfim. Tickets are priced at €10.

Jorge Jesus reflects on his side's win against FC Porto and the title race so far

"Sporting played better than FC Porto today, but before I say anything about the game I have to say that these fans deserve a great team. They showed the strength of this club and fans game from everywhere to be here. The fans deserve the players to be playing at this level", opened Jorge Jesus in a flash interview at the final whistle on Saturday night.

Having masterminded yet another win against one of Portugal's Big 3, Jesus played it cool: "There is no secret to this, it is just hard work. The key to the match was the first goal and the team got it. It looked more likely that it would be 2-0 than 1-1 or 3-0 than 2-1 and the fairest result I think would have been 3-1. I have to say that I liked FC Porto and I think they have some strong players individually. It isn't easy to stop them.

In parallel, Jesus was cautious to warn that there is still a lot of football to play this season and that it is too early to be commenting on the title race: “It was just another three points, just like the ones we lost in Madeira. This result could have an influence in the tie-breaker, but nothing more than that. We have a hard road ahead of us and we will try and defend first place for as long as we can. Nobody can guarantee anything in football, but we will fight to achieve our objectives right up to the last game of the season. You asked me before the game if I thought Sporting were the best team and I said I thought FC Porto where because they were in first. After today, we are in first."

Islam Slimani after his side's 2-0 win against FC Porto

Islam Slimani stole the show against FC Porto this Saturday night with two goals to move Sporting back to the top of Liga NOS.

Speaking with radio journalists at the final whistle, the big Algerian was keen to point out the influence of Jorge Jesus: "It was an important win for us, because now we are two points clear at the top of the league. It was a hard match, but we did what we had to do to win. We have shown the quality of this team match after match and we believe in the work we are doing. The coach has done a good job and he has brought a lot to the team."

Sporting leading Liga NOS after convincing display against FC Porto

There is no disputing the facts: in four matches this season against either Benfica or FC Porto, Sporting has won all four. Just as impressive as the wins is the goal difference in clashes with the other two members of Portugal's 'Big 3': 8-1 in favour of the team from Alvalade. In the two Liga NOS wins (3-0 in Estádio da Luz and 2-0 against FC Porto in Alvalade), Sporting's opponents had no more than one single chance on goal during both matches.

With Matheus making the first official senior start of his career and Bryan Ruiz playing off Slimani up front, Sporting began on an offensive footing and soon began threatening the visitors' goal. After a series of corners, João Mário put low shot wide of the post, before Bryan Ruiz and Matheus also failed to find the target from range.

On-way traffic towards the FC Porto goal continued and in the 27th minute justice was done to the scores when Slimani rose highest to convert from a Jefferson free-kick deep down the left flank.

Five tminues later Adrien tested Casillas with a stinging effort, before FC Porto had their only chance of the evening after, breaking away against the run of play. However, Rui Patrício wasn't about to be unfairly beaten and the Alvalade shotstopper denied Aboubakar one-on-one of what looked to be a certain goal.

After a more or less balanced spell after the break, Sporting again began to dominate. Dropping back and happily letting FC Porto hold down possession and push their lines higher, Jorge Jesus' charges began to create chances from speedy counter-attacks and penetrating balls over the top. The tactic worked wondered and four minutes after hour mark Slimani looked to have scored his second of the evening after doing everything right and keeping his effort down, but the Algerian's powerful header ended bouncing up onto the crossbar. From the follow up Bryan Ruiz drove a half-volley towards goal that Casillas turned around the post, before Adrien smashed a low drive against the woodwork from range.

Despite holding down possession, FC Porto were simply unable to create anything going forward and Sporting's second goal was hardly a surprise, when Slimani hooked on to a good pass from Bryan Ruiz to send Alvalade into delirium and move Sporting back to the top of Liga NOS.

Jorge Jesus shares his thoughts ahead of Saturday's FC Porto showdown

Jorge Jesus is expecting a balanced evening of football when his side hosts FC Porto this Saturday, with the Liga NOS top spot up for grabs.

“The stadium selling out is normal right now for how we are playing and for this kind of match. The fans and the players have been sharing a lot of emotion this season and you need that at a club like Sporting. The fans will show again tomorrow what they can do", opened the Sporting coach in his habitual pre-match press conference.

“FC Porto are a great side with quality players, but Sporting are a quality side as well and it will be like it usually is when we take on a big side. What I want is for our quality to make the difference against FC Porto", added Jesus, continuing: "I don't know what the coach on the other side is thinking, but I have to try and guess. I don't think them being in first now will change much for how FC Porto will organise in attack or defence, because it is a team with a fixed style that you can't just change."

Asked to comment on previous episodes between the two Portuguese giants, as well as his previous run-ins with the FC Porto coach, Jesus preferred to focus on the football: "The most important thing in the match is the players and the collective and individual quality of both sides. The match is here and now and I will acknowledge my colleague like I would any other. I wouldn't say that the fans add more pressure, because the season has its ups and downs anyway and the players are always under that kind of pressure. You can't really say that there is a favorite, because such a thing only exists when there is a big difference between."

Responding on a question on FC Porto's current occupation of 1st place in Liga NOS and how is influences his side, Jesus went on: “In practice it is a little bit harder for the team in second, because when you are in front the team behind you has to make up ground. The team chasing first place is Sporting. We said for several weeks that we wanted to defend first place and now we want to chase it down again. We started this season with a lot of emotion and belief that it would be a better season than the last one. We know you can't just turn up and wins come naturally, but the fact is that we have won a trophy and we are fighting to be top of the league."

Sporting-FC Porto will kick off at 20h45 on Saturday, in Estádio José Alvalade.

Hugo Miguel named for Liga NOS matchday 15

Hugo Miguel, 38, from the Lisbon Football Association, has been named to take charge of Liga NOS matchday 15 between Sporting and FC Porto.

Hernâni Fernandes and Bruno Trindade will act as linesmen.

This season Hugo Miguel has already officiated over Sporting's win over Rio Ave on Liga NOS matchday 4.

Sporting-FC Porto will get underway at 20h45 on Saturday the 2nd of January, in Estádio José Alvalade.

Adrien on Sporting's loss in Madeira on Sunday

The Sporting skipper spoke briefly with the press after his side's loss in Madeira this weekend.

“It wasn't what we wanted and it wasn't what we worked to do. We deserved a lot better than a loss, but we were unlucky with our finishing. When a team finishes a game without conceding they deserve credit, but I think that it was more down to our finishing. Football can be like that, but we did everything we could. Unfortunately you don't always get the results that you deserve", said Adrien at the final whistle.

Jorge Jesus on his side's first domestic defeat of the season

“That is football for you. The first time União had a chance they scored", opened Jorge Jesus in a post-match press conference this Sunday.

Reflecting on his side's first defeat of the season after an impressive run of 13 unbeaten outings, the Alvalade coach added: "It wasn't even from a shot, it was form a header. The story of the game is that one team did what they had to do when they good. Sporting kept them pegged back and they scored from their first cross. The União keeper was also really good and he took two or three goals off us. We were the team that ran and battled, but we didn't score. The draw wouldn't have been good, but the loss is a mot worse. We were not expecting it."

“What can I say to my players? I can't criticise anything. We worked, we played well, we created chances. We just couldn't make the most of our chances. Some of it was due to their goalkeeper and that doesn't happen all the time. We were on top of them for 95 minutes and they scored from their first chance, but that it what makes football different. I have nothing to say about my players or about the referees. They all did what they were supposed to."

Sporting fall to first domestic defeat of the season at the hands of União

24 shots against just four. 13 corners against none. 74% possession. Despite one of Sporting's best showings on paper this season, Jorge Jesus' side were unable to overcome a stubborn União da Madeira this Sunday and slipped to a first Liga NOS defeat of the season after an impressive run of 14 games.

The first minute was a reflection of the rest of the evening, with Sporting holding down possession in the opposition half. Gelson managed to find space in the area, but the youngster's shot ended up high of the mark. Cadiz tried a low drive in the 7th minute, but it was little more than an odd foray forward in what was an encounter completely dominated by the team from Alvalade. Another three golden opportunities game before the break: firstly through Jefferson from a free-kick that pulled a save out of the in-form André Moreira, followed by a Slimani header after Adrien battled back possession and finally from Montero after the Colombian latched on to a cross from Gelson Martins.

The second-half was more of the same, with Sporting bossing proceedings while União bunkered down and seemed happy to wait for the odd counter-attack. Montero came painfully close with a shot across the face of goal in the 48th minute and Bryan Ruiz headed over seven minutes later, before Paulo Oliveira also saw a header finish up just wide of the post in the 58th minute.

Despite the completely one-way action, União took the lead in the 69th minute, when Paulinho found Danilo Dias at the back post with the enviable task of heading in past a stranded Rui Patrício. Sporting cranked up the pressure in response, but a clinical touch in front goal was missing and neither Slimani or Montero were unable to capitalise on their chances against a seemingly unbeatable André Moreira in the União goal.

The result keeps Sporting in first place with 35 points, with FC Porto hosting Académia later this evening.

Sporting squad for Liga NOS matchday 14

Jorge Jesus has included 21 players in his squad for Sunday's trip to Madeira, on Liga NOS matchday 14.

Squad list in full: Rui Patrício, Ezequiel Schelotto, Jefferson, Ewerton, Aquilani, Tanaka, Slimani,  Montero, William, Paulo Oliveira, João Mário, Bryan Ruiz, João Pereira, Marcelo Boeck, Adrien, Azbe Jug, André Martins, Naldo, Esgaio, Gelson Martins and Matheus Pereira

U. Madeira-Sporting will kick-off at 18h15, in Estádio da Madeira.