The team overcome FK Bodø/Glimt in extra time

Sporting Clube de Portugal secured a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final in epic fashion, beating Norwegian side FK Bodø/Glimt 5-0 (after extra time) in the second leg of the Round of 16, in an historic comeback. In the quarter-finals, they will face English side Arsenal.

With the team trailing 0-3 from the first half, Rui Borges made several changes to the starting lineup: Georgios Vagiannidis, Ousmane Diomande, João Simões and Luís Guilherme were replaced by Maxi Araújo, Eduardo Quaresma, Hidemasa Morita and Pedro Gonçalves for the tough task of turning the tie around.

The team needed an intense start, and that was exactly what happened. The first big opportunity came in the 3rd minute, when Araújo ran down the left and crossed for Francisco Trincão, in a great position, to head over the bar. 

Shortly after, Geny Catamo surprised the defence with a great cross, and Trincão this time struck wide. The visitors were unable to stop the momentum, and both Gonçalves and Trincão had further efforts denied in the 8th minute.

Sporting CP dominated, and both Iván Fresneda and Luis Suárez -who forced Nikita Haikin to make another save- threatened. In the 13th minute, a great ball from Morten Hjulmand found Araújo at the far post, and the Uruguayan tried to set up Gonçalves, who missed by centimetres.

In one of FK Bodø/Glimt's few approaches, a dangerous counter-attack ended with a shot from Kasper Høgh going just wide in the 16th minute. The response from Sporting CP was another Trincão effort narrowly off target.

Haikin saved a subsequent shot from Gonçalves, then Suárez and Catamo both failed to find the net.

Finally, Sporting CP opened the scoring on 34 minutes, from a set piece: A corner from Trincão was headed in by Gonçalo Inácio, marking his 250th game for the first team in style.

Up until halftime, the home team continued to dominate, and they had another shot on goal through Gonçalves kept out by Haikin. FK Bodø/Glimt came very close to equalising themselves in the 43rd minute, when Odin Bjørtuft met a corner from the right with a header that hit the post.

There was no shortage of excitement in the opening minutes of the second half. From a free-kick, Patrick Berg shot into Rui Silva's hands in the 47th minute, and at the other end, Hidemasa Morita crossed, Suárez headed at the near post, and Catamo, at the far post, put the ball into the side netting.

Rui Silva made another save when Sondre Brunstad Fet tried his luck, and Catamo only failed to score when an opposition defender intervened at the right moment. Shortly after, Gonçalves shot from distance, but Nikita saved.

In the 55th minute, an incomplete clearance by the defence allowed Morten Hjulmand, in a central position, to come very close to making it 2-0, before another defender deflected the ball out for a corner. In the next move, the captain rose high and headed slightly over the bar. 

Finally, Sporting CP got the second goal with a fantastic pass from Catamo to play through Suárez. The striker, unselfishly, passed to Gonçalves, who finished off to make it 2-0.

In the 64th minute, Rui Borges brought on Zeno Debast to replace Eduardo Quaresma and, shortly after, substituted Morita and Gonçalves for Daniel Bragança and Nuno Santos.

Debast tried to mark his return to action with a great goal, only to be denied by Haikin.

In the final quarter of an hour, a VAR review awarded a penalty to Sporting CP. Called upon to convert, Luis Suárez made no mistake, levelling the tie with his spot kick.

Dangerous shots from Suárez and Trincão, and a Nuno Santos effort that hit the post, continued the onslaught. In the 87th minute, Morten Hjulmand also had a look with a header, but the goalkeeper made an easy save.

The game went to extra time, but with all the momentum in Sporting CP's favour.

In the second minute of extra time, history continued to be made. In another great collective move, Nuno Santos found Bragança on the left, who passed to Trincão. In turn, he assisted for Maxi Araújo to make it 4-0.

Sporting CP continued to be the better team and had more possession, but without frequently creating dangerous chances in the opposition's area. FK Bodø/Glimt tried to find a response, but were unable to do so in the first half of extra time.

In the second half, Rui Borges took off Araújo and Trincão, bringing on Ousmane Diomande and Souleymane Faye. Playing higher up and getting more desperate, FK Bodø/Glimt only managed to respond with a header from Andreas Helmersen after a corner kick, which Rui Silva caught. 

Meanwhile, Sporting CP made another change: Luis Suárez came off, and Rafael Nel came on, making his UEFA Champions League debut.

The 20-year-old striker capped off the occasion: Bragança set up Nel to unleash a powerful shot into the back of the net, taking the score to 5-0.

An unforgettable night saw the team advance to the next round of the competition and a meeting with Arsenal, set for April 7th/8th and 14th/15th. Sporting CP will now return to Liga Portugal action, where they will visit FC Alverca at 6pm on Sunday, March 22nd. 

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Iván Fresneda, Eduardo Quaresma (Zeno Debast, 64'), Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo (Ousmane Diomande, 110'), Morten Hjulmand [C], Hidemasa Morita (Daniel Bragança, 68'), Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincão (Souleymane Faye, 110'), Pedro Gonçalves (Nuno Santos, 68') and Luis Suárez (Rafael Nel, 116').