Sporting CP beat Casa Pia AC 0-2 on the road on Matchday 1

The 2025/26 season got underway with Sporting CP taking all three points from their visit to Rio Maior, besting Casa Pia AC 0-2 in a Friday night fixture that opened the campaign. Francisco Trincão and Morten Hjulmand scored either side of halftime.

The winners of the last two Liga Portugal titles were dominant against a Casa Pia AC team who finished ninth last season, and had been particularly difficult to overcome on home soil. For the task, Rui Borges fielded the same Sporting CP starting XI from the Supertaça, bar one major change: New signing Luís Suárez made his official debut in attack, replacing Conrad Harder. Georgios Vagiannidis and Ricardo Mangas, the squad's newest additions, would feature on the bench.

After the season's opening ceremony, which featured the Liga Portugal trophy, a minute's silence was held in honour of the late FC Porto and Portugal player Jorge Costa.

When the match got underway, Sporting CP quickly took control and played suffocating football for their opponents. Chances soon followed, with increasing danger.

However, first the post denied Hjulmand from his shot from outside the box, and then the crossbar kept out Morita's header. Goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira also played his part, keeping out a Suárez rebound immediately following the captain's attempt, and making a diving save that thwarted Pedro Gonçalves off a beautiful curling strike.

From distance, powerful shots from Trincão and Geny Catamo went over the top. Their persistence was such that a goal would eventually arrive in the first half, albeit only in the 42nd minute, and after a few more missed opportunities: In the box, Maxi Araújo misdirected his header. Sequeira then got the better of Suárez twice, with a save and good positioning to smother the striker's run on goal.

It was then that a quick offensive transition and a perfect understanding between "Pote" and Trincão finally opened the scoring. The pass through to Gonçalves was latched onto, and when he returned the ball to Trincão on the edge of the box, a left-footed shot found its way in to take the scoreline to a well-deserved 0-1.

The second 45 minutes began with a series of setbacks, as Maxi Araújo and Diomande – in the span of just five minutes – were forced off with injuries. Rui Borges opted for Ricardo Mangas (making his debut) and Zeno Debast to come on to replace them. Geovany Quenda was also brought on in place of Geny.

Os Leões quickly turned things around. From a free kick won by Mangas, Trincão sent in a devilish cross, and Hjulmand, at the near post, deflected it into the net, doubling the lead.

Although more comfortable in terms of the score, Sporting CP continued to put the pressure on their opponents, not allowing any defensive blunders and pushing into the box -albeit more sporadically. 'Pote' shot low, square on for Patrick Sequeira to save, whilst a dynamic move from Suárez ended in a hit wide.

Going into the final five minutes, Giorgi Kochorashvili and Harder entered for Morita and 'Pote', and Sporting CP had a look at a third goal at Rio Maior. However, Trincão, off a pass from Mangas, saw his shot blocked, with a follow-up from the Georgian international cleared off the line.

Svensson, for Casa Pia AC, and Luís Suárez, for Sporting CP, had the final chances of the first match of the 2025/26 season, but neither efforts went in.

Thus, while extending their 100% winning record against Casa Pia AC in the league from nine matches, Sporting CP started another season on the right foot.

Next up for the team is a meeting with FC Arouca on Matchday 2, on Sunday, August 17th at 8:30pm.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Iván Fresneda, Ousmane Diomande (Zeno Debast, 57’), Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo (Ricardo Mangas, 52’), Morten Hjulmand [C], Hidemasa Morita (Giorgi Kochorashvili, 84’), Francisco Trincão, Geny Catamo (Geovany Quenda, 57’), Pedro Gonçalves (Conrad Harder, 84’), Luís Suárez