An expected storm in Madeira provides an extra challenge against CD Nacional

Sporting Clube de Portugal are back in Liga NOS action this Thursday, playing CD Nacional in Madeira on Matchday 13. Coach Rúben Amorim is expecting a difficult game -not least because of the expected conditions of the pitch.

"We take things game by game. The best players for the task will play this game, and when this game ends we will start preparing the next one. What can be expected is a Sporting CP side just like we have had all season so far: A team with an excellent attitude, who know the opposition well and who know the limitations they have," he said in his pre-match press conference.

"It will be a difficult game against an organised team with a quality coach. In addition, there may be a storm in Madeira tomorrow, which could make the game as difficult as against Belenenses SAD. We are preparing for a different surface and for wind, since we already know the stadium."

Asked about the winter transfer market, Amorim reiterated his trust in his current squad.

"I intend to use the players I have and I am very satisfied with them. They are practically all ready for the game against CD Nacional and for the following games, which is the most important thing," he emphasised.

As for the lead in the league table and the games ahead, Amorim said that "we will have problems if the coaching staff and the players are distracted by our rivals' fixtures. The important thing is that our team are wide awake tomorrow. It will be necessary considering the adverse conditions we could face."

"In the space of a week we have two games in the league and one in the Cup. We want to win every game. We cannot prepare to lose," he stated.

"Tomorrow we play CD Nacional, who are a very organized team with several variables. They play in different ways and can play with different players. They have a way of attacking that fits our way of defending. We have to be prepared for the game to be a little different due to the weather conditions. They are strong on dead balls. We are prepared for a game of maximum difficulty, but we have worked for that and we want to win the game. If the conditions are fit for us to play, Sporting CP will be competitive and we will fight for the victory."

The game at the Estádio de Madeira kicks off at 6:30pm local time.

The Sporting CP coach looked back on the triumph over SC Braga

After the final whistle in the victory over SC Braga, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the Liga NOS Matchday 12 contest.

"We knew it was going to be a very difficult game. SC Braga are a team that, when defending, transition well to attack. We started the game well and we had it under control, with more of the ball. Then SC Braga had the opportunity for Ricardo [Horta], in which Adán made a great save. From there, we lost our way a little bit", he explained.

"Then, in the second half, there was a goal disallowed for offside in which the defensive line did very well. We scored, we defended and Matheus Nunes did a very good job when he came on, as well as Šporar and the others. We were effective, and we are a very united team. We are prepared for everything and we ended up winning deservedly."

Amorim would further praise Adán, saying that "He is a great goalkeeper, who Hugo Viana managed to convince to come to a great club when he had other offers.”

"I am fully aware that we have a lot to improve,” he went on to say. “But I have to congratulate the players, who are doing an excellent job and give everything for the team, which is their obligation. It’s difficult, but we are on the right path because we are united."

Amorim also commented on the transfer market, explaining that it is not the right time to talk about potential targets and ensuring that, if players are brought in, it will be with a very clear objective.

"After a game like this, it is not a good thing to say that we need this player or that player. I am very satisfied with the group that I have. If there are changes, it will be with players for the Sporting CP project that I hope they will stay for many years," he said.

New year begins with victory over SC Braga (2-0)

Sporting Clube de Portugal kicked off 2021 in style with a 2-0 win over SC Braga at the Estádio José Alvalade. Both goals in the Liga NOS Matchday 12 encounter came in the second half, scored by Pedro Gonçalves and Matheus Nunes.

Rúben Amorim brought back Zouhair Feddal and Nuno Santos to his starting XI, replacing Gonçalo Inácio and Bruno Tabata -who had featured against Belenenses SAD. Sporting CP started the game with their usual high press, and in the third minute Nuno Santos was left almost completely alone on the attack. However, Ricardo Esgaio would dispossess him just before he could get a shot off.

Sporting CP had a penalty kick controversially waved away by referee Fábio Veríssimo, when Feddal was pushed by Rolando. 

Off a great cross by Pedro Porro from the right, Nuno Santos was just inches from providing the finish. Off the second ball, Feddal delivered a powerful shot off target. SC Braga responded with an attempt by Ricardo Horta Antonio Adán saved.

A second penalty kick was not given, this time for a handball by Fransérgio, before the 30 minute mark, as the decisions failed to go Sporting CP’s way.

The visitors grew in confidence when Ricardo Horta tested Adán again, and Al Musrati would go on to hit the post, but Sporting continued to threaten and had another penalty kick denied before the break: Raul Silva was adjudged not to have fouled Tiago Tomás in the Braga area.

After the halftime break, SC Braga’s Paulinho’s goal was disallowed for offside after a check of VAR, in the away team’s closest chance.

A few moments later Pedro Porro sent a free-kick into the hands of goalkeeper Matheus, but it would not be long before the deadlock was broken: A cross from Nuno Mendes on the left was met by Nuno Santos on the right, the latter perfectly positioned to set up Liga NOS’ top scorer Pedro Gonçalves for his 11th strike of the season.

Rúben Amorim decided to make changes with the score at 1-0, taking off Tiago Tomás and Nuno Santos for Andraž Šporar and Bruno Tabata. SC Braga came back with another chance for Horta, which Adán proved to be a match for.

The game settled down, and Sporting CP sealed the win on 78 minutes thanks to a Šporar counterattack. The shot by the Slovenian was saved, and second half substitute Matheus Nunes – slammed in the rebound for his first goal for the club.

The 2-0 result from a tricky tie keeps Sporting CP top of the table. Their next Liga NOS game is against CD Nacional away, on Matchday 13.
 
Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Pedro Porro, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, Nuno Mendes, João Palhinha, João Mário, Pedro Gonçalves (Matheus Nunes, 71 '), Nuno Santos (Bruno Tabata, 57 ') and Tiago Tomás (Andraž Šporar, 57').

The Sporting CP coach is undaunted by the fixture against SC Braga

Sporting Clube de Portugal play their first game of 2021 this Saturday, meeting SC Braga in a 6pm local time kickoff that is one of the biggest matches of the Liga NOS matchday. Speaking ahead of the contest, coach Rúben Amorim talked about what he expects to encounter.

"SC Braga have an excellent squad, a good coach and are a club who are used to these games, with experienced players who have a special connection between themselves. However,  we are prepared for what is another game in the league season, that is worth three more points," he told the media.

"I think it will be a good game, but even if it isn't, the most important thing is that Sporting CP win."

"I hope that our team are more inspired than that of SC Braga, and win the game," said the coach. "Other teams study us and we have days in which we are more inspired than others."

“We have to look at the results, look at the good and the bad points, and prepare the team for the other games. We have to take things game by game," continued Amorim. "I'm always expecting a great game from my team, because that's what they show during the week. We will have to wait and see how it goes tomorrow. The team will be well prepared and united, just as they have to be, but quality in football depends on everyone.”

"When teams have great moments, it is due to individuals, but also the collective strength of the squad. We are able to beat any team. We have to be at our best -and if we do that, we are capable of beating any team."

Asked about Pedro Gonçalves and Nuno Santos, he commented that: "Pedro Gonçalves has been doing very well. He made an abnormally good start to the season, and with that raised the bar for himself. Nuno Santos has also done an incredible job, like everyone else, but for the last game he was left out because we have other players -like Tabata, who came in and did very well."

The win over Belenenses SAD was analysed after the final whistle

Following Sporting Clube de Portugal’s 1-2 win at Belenenses SAD, coach Rúben Amorim expressed his satisfaction with a hard-fought three points.

"It was a very difficult game. We knew it was going to be like this. Belenenses SAD adapted better to the pitch, whilst we had some trouble doing that. Belenenses SAD launched the ball upfield and played from there, and that's what we should have done too", he told the media in his post-match press conference.

"The players have been working since we arrived here to go out to play, but we should have done things the other way round. They gave it everything; what was missing was the coach better preparing our play for these conditions. This team is very difficult to beat."

Asked about the team’s chances of winning the title, Amorim spoke in the same way that he has since the beginning of the season.

"We’ve only played 11 games. We still haven't finished the first third of the campaign. It's too early to say anything, and these games remind us of that. Teams always want to show what they can do, and take points against the first placed team in the table. We have to adapt and we are doing so. We may not have always had a great game, but we have been united and ended up winning,” he said.

"If you go into the dressing room, you will not see a euphoric team. You will see a team that realise that each game is a war. We have to grow as a team and these games help us to do that."

The winter transfer window opens soon, and the Sporting CP coach will be hoping to keep the team together. However, he acknowledges that there are “no guarantees.”

"At Sporting CP everything is very well thought out and we have a strategy, but in football -and especially after the pandemic- we cannot guarantee anything. Whoever is at Sporting CP will do the shirt justice and give their all. That is their obligation: To give their all like we did today on a very difficult pitch."

January will also be a tough month on the field, with a packed schedule that the team need to navigate.

"We are prepared for it. I look at the game Gonçalo Inácio and other players had today, and I realise that they need these games. We will have some growing pains, but we will work on these a lot. I believe in these players and I am very satisfied. We need all of them and everyone will play," he assured.

Sporting CP best Belenenses SAD 1-2 away

First half goals from Tiago Tomás and João Mário earned Sporting CP a 1-2 victory against a spirited Belenense SAD side at the Estádio Nacional this Sunday, enabling the team to end 2020 top of the Liga NOS table.

Coach Rúben Amorim made two changes to the starting lineup from the match against SC Farense, bringing in Gonçalo Inácio in place of the injured Zouhair Feddal and fielding Bruno Tabata instead of Nuno Santos. 

Tabata was involved in the opening goal, just 5 minutes into the game, as he ran a counterattack and served up a ball from the right for Tiago Tomás, who met it with his left foot for a low drive into the net.

The lead would not last for long, as Belenenses SAD equalised through a Miguel Cardoso shot deflected off Gonçalo Inácio, wrong-footing Antonio Adán in the Sporting CP goal.

Adán would exact revenge of sorts just past the 15 minute mark, as -having been penalised for a foul inside the box- he saved Cardoso's penalty kick to prevent a turnaround from the home side.

The high pace continued and, on 23 minutes, it was Sporting CP's turn to shoot from the spot: Tomás was felled inside the penalty area and referee Rui Costa awarded the penalty. João Mário converted in calm fashion, putting the team back in front with what was his first goal since returning back at the start of the season.

Before the break, Pedro Porro and Nuno Mendes tested Kritciuk with shots, Tomás almost capitalised on a goalkeeping error, and Adán made another pair of tremendous saves. However, the score remained 1-2 to Sporting CP at halftime.

The second half saw intensity but limited chances, with high pressing from both teams concentrating the play in the midfield. Belenenses SAD threatened with two shots that were met with saves by Adán.

Inácio came close to a goal in the 61st minute following a corner kick, and Porro enjoyed one of the best individual moves of the game, brilliantly dribbling past an opposition player and shooting hard and wide.

Amorim made a change to introduce Nuno Santos in place of Pedro Gonçalves, but Belenenses SAD continued to try everything in their power to get back level. That task became more difficult when, 13 minutes from time, Tomás Ribeiro was sent off for a second yellow card. 

Antunes and Matheus Nunes replaced Nuno Mendes and João Palhinha, respectively, followed by Andraž Šporar coming on for Tomás to have a ten-minute runout.

Sporting CP would experience a scare when a late goal for Belenenses SAD was ruled out for offside, but would hold on for the latest victory of the 2020/21 season. 

Next up is a game at home to SC Braga on January 2nd.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Pedro Porro, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes (Antunes, 78 '), João Palhinha (Matheus Nunes, 78'), João Mário, Bruno Tabata, Pedro Gonçalves (Nuno Santos, 67 ') and Tiago Tomás (Andraž Šporar, 84').

The Sporting CP coach responded to controversy in O Clássico

Following the 2-2 draw for Sporting CP against FC Porto, coach Rúben Amorim - who was sent off in the final moments of the first half - spoke in his post-match press conference, offering his thoughts on the game and criticising referee Luís Godinho's decisions.

The result
"It was clear that Sporting CP were the better team, besides for a few minutes in the first half. We should have won this game. We missed a few chances one-on-one with the goalkeeper. At times we had some clear spaces that we weren’t able to make the most of, and that’s just down to inexperience. We have a team of lions here. We drew against FC Porto, but we dropped two points."

His sending off
"There was a lot of ‘dual criteria.’ I accept the blame because I shouldn't have said what I said, but I hear the same things being said every week, and even shortly before I had heard worse from elsewhere. I was disgusted with the difference in criteria. I accept my punishment, but what I didn’t like was the double standard."

"My staff know what to do, so my sending off didn’t have any influence on the game."

The reversed penalty decision
"The referee had an influence on the result. For me, it is an obvious penalty. We have been unlucky with VAR. Last year, there was an incident in Moreira de Cónegos in which Sebastian Coates was pulled down and nothing was given. Now, a player is in the air with an opposition player’s arm on his back. For me, it's a penalty. Obviously I was annoyed because it was a big moment for the team. It was an important moment in the game."

Sérgio Conceição’s comments that Sporting CP should be happier with the draw
"It is better for everyone to look at the game itself, and not at what is said about it. I am very proud of my players. Congratulations to them. We missed out on two points, but I felt that the group were disappointed about that in the dressing room - which is a good sign."

Changes of position during the game
"It was planned. You could see by the result and the way we got into the FC Porto area that everyone knew what to do. We changed positions in training and the players were not lost. Quite the contrary."

The pressure of being a coach
"We have to win the next game, because we are at a club with the highest demands. I feel great pressure because that is how our profession is. I chose to coach Sporting CP and I have to be prepared for that."

Santos and Vietto score against FC Porto as the points are shared

Sporting Clube de Portugal drew 2-2 with FC Porto in 'O Clássico' on Saturday night at the Estadio José Alvalade, thanks to goals either side of half time by Nuno Santos and Luciano Vietto. The main talking point of the game, however, would be a decision reversed by referee Luis Godinho that possibly denied the team victory.

The players took to the pitch wearing a replica of Rui Jordão's jersey from the 1979/1980 season, for one of Liga NOS' showcase games. It was FC Porto who created the first dangerous opportunity, in the opening minute, but Antonio Adán would make a good save. Os Leões would have their first chance shortly thereafter, when João Palhinha and Jovane Cabral combined well and Matheus Nunes was unable to convert the one-on-one.

The goal was not long in coming, however. On 9 minutes, a poor clearance of a Pedro Porro cross allowed the ball to fall to Nuno Santos, who struck first time with his left foot to give goalkeeper Marchesín no chance and make it 1-0.

FC Porto would level through Uribe on 25 minutes, as the game sprung into life. Pedro Goncalves and Nuno Santos both enjoyed chances, with the former hitting the ball just wide of goal.

Despite Sporting CP's frequent attacks, it would be the visitors who pulled ahead in the last minute of regular time in the first half, with Corona taking the score to 1-2.

Controversy abounded in stoppage time, when Pedro Gonçalves was knocked down by Zaidu in the area and referee Luís Godinho awarded a penalty, showing a second yellow card to the FC Porto defender. However, after consulting VAR, he reversed the decision -to the dismay of Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim, who was sent off for his protests.

The pace of the game dropped in the second half, as did the number of chances on goal. Nuno Mendes and Pedro Gonçalves were the first to attempt an equaliser, but their shots were both off target. On the defensive side of things, Adán would safely save a free kick on 64 minutes.

Pedro Porro was inches away from levelling the score 15 minutes from time, shooting agonisingly close across the face of goal.

The Clássico saw a return to action for João Mário, who came on for Matheus Nunes to play his first game since coming back to Sporting CP in the summer transfer market.

Sporting CP were the only team to try to score again, and got their reward on 88 minutes. A ball found its way to Gonçalves, who in turn set up Andraž Šporar perfectly. The striker, who had come on in place of Porro, forced a save from Marchesín, but Luciano Vietto -another second half substitute - was on hand to convert the rebound.

With the score at 2-2, Vietto had a late header and João Mário a dangerous free kick in stoppage time, but in the end the points would be shared in Alvalade.

Sporting CP will visit CD Santa Clara on the next matchday of the Liga NOS season.

Sporting CP: António Adán [GK], Pedro Porro (Andraž Šporar, 77 '), Luís Neto (Gonzalo Plata, 62'), Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes (João Mário, 77 ') , Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Santos (Tiago Tomás, 62 ') and Jovane Cabral (Luciano Vietto, 56').

Sporting CP start the season with victory away to Paços de Ferreira

Sporting Clube de Portugal got their Liga NOS campaign off to a winning start on Sunday evening, beating FC Paços de Ferreira 0-2 away from home through goals from Jovane Cabral and Sebastián Coates. The match was the first for the team in league competition this season, after the postponement of the fixture against Gil Vicente FC.

The team came into the game off the back of a victory in Europe against Aberdeen on Thursday, and an unchanged lineup was named for the starting XI. Three minutes in, the goalscorer against the Scottish side nearly found the net again, as Nuno Mendes crossed in for him and he missed the target.

A Douglas Tanque's shot wide served as a warning for Sporting CP, who responded with an effort from Pedro Porro that required a save from the Paços de Ferreira goalkeeper. Zouhair Feddal and Tiago Tomás also enjoyed opportunities in the following minute, thwarted at the last by the home team's shot stopper.

The almost inevitable opening finally came in the 23rd minute, when the referee whistled for handball by Douglas Tanque and awarded Sporting CP a penalty. Jovane Cabral stepped up and struck it hard into the back of the net, making it 0-1.

Cabral would unfortunately be taken off injured on 31 minutes, replaced by the debuting Nuno Santos.

A Paços de Ferreira increase in risk-taking allowed them to advance further forward, but the best of the chances before the break was for Sporting CP: Tiago Tomás was played through by Luciano Vietto, but hit his subsequent shot wide.

Upon the restart things settled down, with a slowing of the pace and reduction in chances. It wasn't until the hour mark that Sporting CP enjoyed another clear opportunity, which was Pedro Porro's free kick that goalkeeper Jordi forced away.

The definitive second goal finally arrived on 63 minutes, as Nuno Mendes crossed into the area and Feddal headed towards the back post. There, Sebastián Coates appeared to tuck the ball into the net and take the score to 0-2.

The introduction of Daniel Bragança in place of Vietto after 65 minutes produced moments of magic, and additional substitutions late on gave Antunes his official debut for the club.

Sporting CP would take a comfortable victory in their season curtain raiser. Now the focus returns to the Europa League, and a game on Thursday against Austrian side LASK at the Estádio José Alvalade.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Pedro Porro (Antunes, 79'), Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, Nuno Mendes, Matheus Nunes, Wendel, Tiago Tomás (Andraž Šporar, 79'), Luciano Vietto (Daniel Bragança, 65') and Jovane Cabral (Nuno Santos, 31').