Pair named as Liga NOS' Best Goalkeeper and Best Defender for December

Chosen as December's Best Goalkeeper and Best Defender, respectively, in Liga NOS, Sporting CP's Antonio Adán and Pedro Porro were presented with their awards after training this Saturday.
 
Speaking to the club's official media channel, Adán expressed his gratitude for the recognition, but also emphasised that the team's defensive success is down to teamwork. "I'm very pleased with the votes that I got from the other coaches in the league, choosing me as December's Best Goalkeeper," he said.
 
"This means that the collective work by the whole team has been good. That's why the individual awards come, and it motivates us to continue in this way", added the Spaniard.
 
Compatriot Porro echoed the shot-stopper's statements, commenting that "it is a source of pride to win this award for the second consecutive month". "You can use it to infer that we are doing our job well, both collectively and individually. The team have been one of the best in the league, and we will continue this way so that the results are positive."

Sporting CP beat CD Nacional 0-2 amidst rain and mud in Madeira

A rescheduled game in Madeira for Sporting Clube de Portugal saw the team pick up the three points against CD Nacional, winning 0-2 thanks to goals from Nuno Santos and Jovane Cabral. The match saw the players battling against rain and a muddy pitch, which affected the speed of play and made transitions difficult.

The inclusion of Andraž Šporar in place of Tiago Tomás was the only change in the starting eleven from the side that bested SC Braga.

The first dangerous move came on 8 minutes, when Pedro Porro sent a powerful shot narrowly off target. An unsuccessful attempt by Pedro Gonçalves followed on 20 minutes and, shortly after, a strike by Nuno Santos flew over the crossbar.

CD Nacional responded by testing Antonio Adán, although any goal that occurred from the chance would have been ruled out for offside. At the other end, a quick reaction from Pedro Gonçalves saw him shoot from a loose ball, but it was blocked by home team goalkeeper Daniel Guimarães with his face.

Sporting CP eventually took the lead thanks to Nuno Santos, just before half time: Nuno Mendes crossed from the left, Pedro Gonçalves flicked the ball to the second post and it was perfectly left for Santos, who converted for his fifth goal of the season.

In the second half, CD Nacional got things underway with two shots - twice as many as they had managed in the initial 45 minutes -, but it was not long before Sporting CP were back in complete control. Šporar, Sebastián Coates and Gonçalves threatened, but goalkeeper Guimarães and a lack of precision kept the score at 0-1.

After Gonçalves shot wide on 65 minutes, coach Rúben Amorim switched out Šporar for Tiago Tomás, who almost immediately had a shot saved by Guimarães.

In the final ten minutes, an excellent shot by Pedro Gonçalves from outside the area hit the post, and another substitution was made to introduce the returning Jovane Cabral for the first time since November.

It was Cabral who put the victory beyond all doubt, finding the net in injury time off a mistake from the opposition defence. It was his fourth goal of 2020/2021, and one of 22 shots from Sporting CP compared to just 5 from CD Nacional.

Os Leões will be back in Madeira on Monday, playing CS Marítimo in the Taça de Portugal.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Pedro Porro, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, Nuno Mendes, João Palhinha, João Mário (Matheus Nunes, 76'), Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Santos (Jovane Cabral, 87') and Andraž Šporar (Tiago Tomás, 66').

The team takes on their ninth league game of the season this weekend

Sporting CP look to keep their unbeaten league run going with another victory this weekend, as they take on Famalicão on Saturday night at 6pm local time. Rúben Amorim's side come into the game top of the Liga NOS table, their only dropped points so far having come in the 2-2 home draw against FC Porto back in October.

CURRENT FORM
Last time out, Sporting CP beat Moreirense 2-1 at the Estádio José Alvalade, recovering from an early own goal as the league’s top scorer Pedro Gonçalves equalised and completed the turnaround with a brace.

Famalicão are currently 10th in the standings, with 9 points to their name, and enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Paços de Ferreira on Matchday 8. The home side have had since last Friday to prepare for the visit of Os Leões.

LAST SEASON
Sporting CP were beaten by Famalicão in both of the fixtures played between them last season. The first, at the José Alvalade, began in promising fashion with a goal from Luciano Vietto on 25 minutes, but a second half goal from Rúben Lameiras leveled for the visitors and an unfortunate own goal by Sebastián Coates in the closing moments handed Famalicão the victory.

In the reverse clash, held back in March at the Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho, Coates provided the consolation goal in a 3-1 loss.

A RETURN FOR ‘POTE’
Pedro Gonçalves joined Sporting from Famalicão in the summer, after a season in which he played 33 league games and scored 5 goals for the club.

‘Pote’ is now the Liga NOS’ top marksman, with an astonishing record of 9 goals from 7 appearances so far this term. 

FAMALICÃO’S DEFENSIVE WOES
Gonçalves will be confident of his chances of scoring against his former club, as ‘Fama’ have conceded 16 goals from their opening eight matches in the Primeira Liga.

The Sporting CP coach hailed the attitude of his team

At the conclusion of Sporting CP's 2-1 win over Moreirense FC in Liga NOS, coach Rúben Amorim gave a post-match press conference to analyse the fixture.

"Sporting CP's attitude is always the same. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but we always try to find solutions to score goals. Teams also close up at the back. In the first half we had several opportunities in front of goal that we didn't take, be it missing the last pass or the final touch. The game got a bit difficult because of that. We conceded a goal against the run of play, but we reacted well and were convinced that we were going to score right away. The game was a little tough, but it ended up being a very fair result," he told the media.

"We are at the very beginning of the season and there is a long way ahead of us. We will play at a very difficult ground next week, and then we have the Taça de Portugal and the Taça da Liga. Those are three games that could completely change the season and the vision that people have of this team. We have a lot to improve, as we saw today, but we have already done something well. The fans can never complain about the attitude the team show, because it is the way we are."

Asked whether the absence of Europa League Group Stage is a benefit, Amorim explained that there are both positives and negatives.

"The important thing is to win our games. It is always so difficult and we want to win so much that we have to take advantage of every minute. We took the disappointment and all the criticism when we were eliminated from the Europa League. There is a good and a bad side. We make the most of every minute, because we know it's very important and our games are always very difficult."

As for in-form Pedro Gonçalves, scorer of the brace that decided the match and top marksman in Liga NOS with nine goals, Amorim asked the player to keep up his run next time out in Famalicão.

"Pedro Gonçalves is doing well and is reaping the rewards of the work from his teammates, who understand his movements well. He is in excellent form. He does not seem anxious when shooting and it seems that things are happening naturally. I hope that next week, against a club that he knows well, he can repeat that."

Pedro Gonçalves scores a brace as the team come back from behind

Sporting Clube de Portugal kept Liga NOS' only unbeaten run going on Saturday night, beating Moreirense FC 2-1 at the Estádio José Alvalade. In-form Pedro Gonçalves provided both of the goals for Os Leões.

Gonçalves was one of five players restored to the starting XI after being rested in the Taça de Portugal game against SG Sacavenense, as Rúben Amorim rotated his lineup. Sporting CP began the game showing their will to create danger, but it was Moreirense FC who sprung a surprise in the opening moments, taking the lead through an own goal by Luís Neto.

Thankfully, the response came just five minutes later: Nuno Mendes won the ball back in defence, started a counterattack and played it to Nuno Santos on the left. He would cross in for the league's top scorer, Gonçalves, to capitalise on a scramble to put an effort into the net.

The team had another chance shortly after, with Andraž Šporar having a shot cleared off the line. Sebastián Coates headed a corner just off target, and on 22 minutes Santos sent another cross towards Šporar that was not quite turned in.

Two more opportunities followed: First Porro delivered a precise cross for Šporar, who mishit the header, then Gonçalves set up Santos for an effort that he could not convert.
With the score at 1-1 at half time, Sporting CP sensed that they could make their dominance count in the second half.

Santos produced the first real chance of the second period for Šporar on 59 minutes, which was blocked by a defender. Minutes later, Jovane Cabral came on in place for Nuno Mendes, with Santos dropping deep as a result.

Gonçalves tried his luck with a rocket from outside the area, which smashed against the crossbar, bounced on the line and went out. After that warning, he finally got his second goal of the night: a poor pass was intercepted and he again shot from outside the box, this time scoring to take the game to 2-1 in Sporting CP's favour with quarter of an hour remaining.

Porro could have increased the advantage before the end, but was denied by the visiting goalkeeper. Late substitute Tiago Tomás also had an unsuccessful look, but the two goals proved to be enough to claim the victory and remain leaders of Liga NOS, with 22 points.

Os Leões visit FC Famalicão next Saturday, at 6pm local time.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Pedro Porro, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, Nuno Mendes (Jovane Cabral, 61'), João Palhinha, João Mário (Matheus Nunes, 78'), Pedro Gonçalves (Vitorino Antunes, 84'), Nuno Santos and Andraž Šporar (Tiago Tomás, 78').