Goal Teo Gutiérrez goal gives Sporting five point lead at the top of I Liga
Sporting held firm against a stubborn Estoril this Saturday evening, claiming a well-earned three points courtesy of a penalty converted on by Teófilo Gutiérrez at the start of the second-half.
With Gelson in for the suspended Adrien and the deployment of João Mário down the middle of the park, it was was obvious from early on that Estoril had come to Alvalade looking for an upset. In fact the visitors could have taken the lead after just 40 seconds, when Dieguinho took a first crack at Rui Patrício. Sporting held down the majority of possession, but space was scarce in the final third and closed defensive ranks starved the encounter of creativity, while Estoril looked happy to attack on the break down the flanks. On 18 minutes, after Slimani had come close with a header, Bruno César pulled a superb diving save out of Patrício.
Sporting livened up around the half-hour mark, pegging Estoril back and securing play in the opposition half. However, the forward lines were finding it difficult to create a clean chance on goal and a blank scoreboard at half-time was largely fair.
The interval proved just the trick for Jorge Jesus' side, with the Sporting coach's fine-tuning unlocking Estoril at the back. Chance after chance followed, including a 50th minute golden opportunity that Bryan Ruiz was unable to convert on after a cross from João Pereira. Just seconds earlier Mano looked to have cut out a cross with his arm, but the referee waved away the appeals for a spot kick.
The goal finally game in the 55th minute, when some collective play found Teófilo Gutiérrez just off to the side of the six-yard box, only for the Colombian to be brought down for a penalty that he himself calmly slotted in. The goal blew a whole in the heart of the Estoril defence and more chances naturally followed. Gelson forced a stop out of Kieszek in the 57th minute and nine minutes later Jefferson came painfully close to doubling the lead. Sporting could well have killed the game off with a series of opportunities as the clock ticked down and Bruno César fired a shot over in the 88th minute for the visitors, while there was still time for both Matheus Pereira and Bruno Paulista to make their I Liga debuts.
The result sees Sporting move five points clear at the top of I Liga.
