Games will be played in February and March

Sporting CP will face Manchester City in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The draw for the first knockout stage of the competition, which took place in Nyon on Monday, had initially pitted the reigning Portuguese champions against Italian side Juventus, but was subsequently retaken after an administrative mistake was discovered.

The new draw produced a new fixture for Sporting CP, who now meet the Premier League champions and current league leaders. Manchester City were losing finalists in last year's edition of the Champions League.

The first leg of this tie will be played in February, with the return leg in March.

The Sporting CP coach promises a revamped starting XI against Ajax

With a place in the Last 16 of the Champions League already secured, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim admitted in his pre-match press conference that he will use the game against AFC Ajax to field some less frequently used players.

“We are not going to change the way we play, but we are going to play with a few different players," he told the media.

"One of Gonçalo Esteves and Flávio Nazinho will start tomorrow, and João Virgínia will also be in there, because we have a decision to make at the end of the year and we have to watch him play right now,” said the coach.

“Our objective is much bigger than records and consecutive victories. We want to prepare our players for the Round of 16, bring everyone to the same level and give some young players the opportunity to start. We have a long-term project and we make use of every minute available. We know we have to honor the shirt that we wear, but there are certain moments that give us the opportunity to go further with the growth of everyone in our squad," he stressed.

“We are Sporting CP and the pressure on us is the same as always. The result in Alvalade affected us, but that also gave us strength,” he recalled.

“The only way for us to win the competitions we take part in is to prepare everyone and trust in everyone. I think we are going to have a great game tomorrow," he added.

"We have to win and should always be thinking about the future. Players who don't have that many minutes are hungry to play and deserve to play. Sometimes it's easy to say that the group is very united, but that's only because we believe in everyone a lot, and we're giving everyone the opportunity. When I say 'the opportunity,' I'm not taking responsibility away from them. Tomorrow the Sporting CP team will play to win."

The midfielder promises maximum focus against Ajax

Daniel Bragança addressed the media before a training session at the Johan Cruijff Arena, held on the eve of Sporting CP's game against Ajax.

The midfielder made clear his side's ambition for the match, saying that: “It will be a very difficult game because we are up against great teams in our group. There are no easy games in the Champions League, but we will do everything to win."

“We are a great club, and we represent Sporting CP. So we look at each game with the mentality of winning. Tomorrow will be no exception, and that is what we are going to try to do: Win, enjoy ourselves, evolve and grow in this competition," he stressed.

The young talent also spoke about what he considers he has to do to be a more regular starter: “Work harder and take every opportunity to be at my best level. Then it's up to the coach, and to us to prove, every day, that we are prepared to give our best."

The Sporting CP coach talks to the media ahead of the game against Beşiktaş JK

Sporting Clube de Portugal welcome Turkish side Beşiktaş JK this Wednesday on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League group stage, and coach Rúben Amorim spoke ahead of the game in a pre-match press conference.

Speaking about the preparation for the contest, he explained that he had shown his team a video of the entire first meeting with this week's opposition.

"The players realised that for 15 minutes we had almost none of the ball, and Beşiktaş JK could have scored. The game suited our characteristics. We are good at defending and transitions. We told the players to look at the game itself, and not the result. There is no illusion. It will be a very difficult game, in which we will have to be better than we were in Turkey -especially with the ball."

Amorim then appealed for the presence and support of Sporting CP fans at the Estadio José Alvalade, recalling that the team were received in Istanbul amidst a hostile atmosphere.

"The team need their help, as we are inexperienced. There was an adverse atmosphere in Turkey, which spurred the opposition on at the beginning. We want to do the same to them. It is never too much to create a connection between the team and the fans. I expect a great atmosphere. It's the Champions League and we can fight to reach the knockout stage, so we need everyone with us," he stressed.

The coach also insisted that there was no favourite to win the game.

"The same way we won in Turkey, Beşiktaş JK can win here. We want to win. We played well in Turkey and we can play better. We know Beşiktaş JK well, and they know us too."

Sporting CP have been scoring several goals from set-pieces as of late, and Amorim congratulated his assistants Adélio Cândido, Carlos Fernandes and Emanuel Ferro for their contribution to that.

"The merit belongs to the coaching staff who specialise in dead balls. I want to emphasise the amount of chances that we have. We haven't scored many goals from open play and we've got them from set pieces. I'm happy because it emphasises the work of the people here, who have a lot of talent and are hard workers," he said.

After revealing that Tiago Tomás will be the only absentee through injury for Wednesday's match, Amorim expressed his belief in his side moving through to the next stage of the UEFA Champions League.

"I believe that, since we lost 1-5 to AFC Ajax, we have to win this game to continue in the fight for qualification. I believe we can go through to the next stage. We are winning, and when we win, everything helps. What I feel is that we all know where we want to go, which gives us stability. Stability depends on results, and what we have to do is win tomorrow's game to stay on the right path."

"It will be a very difficult game. They will have different players, like their strikers. It will be different and that's what we have told the players. It is a mistake to think that the game in Turkey was easy. We will have to suffer to win. We want to have more of the ball, more chances and try to avoid the many chances that Beşiktaş JK had," he concluded.

Sporting CP lose 1-0 in Champions League action

Sporting Clube de Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Borussia Dortmund on the second matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage. The team battled for a satisfying result throughout, but left Signal Iduna Park without any points to their name.

The Liga Portugal champions made two changes from the game against CS Marítimo, with Matheus Reis and Tiago Tomás part of the starting XI in place of Rúben Vinagre and Nuno Santos (both on the bench, as well as young talents João Goulart, José Marsà and Gonçalo Esteves).

The match began without any great scoring opportunities in the first few minutes. Borussia Dortmund had more of the ball, but Sporting CP performed well, especially defensively, and scared the opposition through a swerving cross from Pedro Porro.

In the 19th minute, Sebastián Coates made a mistake and the ball fell to Hazard, who set up Reus for a shot that Adán easily saved. At the other end, Zouhair Feddal found Paulinho and he tried to tee up Tiago Tomás with an overly heavy touch. Soon after, Paulinho regained possession and tried to finish, but missed the target.

After half an hour of play, Sporting CP came very close to getting the goal when, off a corner kick, Sebastián Coates shot acrobatically over the top. In defence, organised movement led to several offside calls against Borussia Dortmund.

Despite this, in the 37th minute Donyell Malen sent the ball into the net, opening the scoring and meaning that Sporting CP went into halftime losing 1-0.

The second half had less action, but was equally competitive for most of the 45 minutes. Tiago Tomás crossed and Paulinho, with his head, forced Kobel to intervene. In response, a Reus shot was easily saved by Adán.

Rúben Amorim made a first change in the 58th minute, putting Nuno Santos on in place of Tiago Tomás, but the chances of a goal did not abound for either team. One of the few was an attempt cut out by Coates, in the 65th minute, preventing the Germans from making it 2-0.

Jovane Cabral came on in the 74th minute (replacing Pablo Sarabia) and, in the 83rd minute, it was the turn of Ricardo Esgaio, Bruno Tabata and Daniel Bragança to replace, respectively, Pedro Porro, Matheus Reis and João Palhinha.

Before the end, Coates kept up the intensity with a header just wide, but Borussia Dortmund would hold on to deny Sporting CP the points.

Sporting CP will be back in action on Saturday, away to FC Arouca's in the Liga Portugal.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, Pedro Porro (Ricardo Esgaio, 83'), João Palhinha (Daniel Bragança, 83'), Matheus Nunes, Matheus Reis (Bruno Tabata, 83'), Pablo Sarabia (Jovane Cabral, 74'), Tiago Tomás (Nuno Santos, 58') and Paulinho.