Markovic on target to move Sporting into the Portuguese Cup 4th round

A much changed Sporting side moved into the next round of the Portuguese Cup this Thursday night with a hard fought win in Famalicão. Beto and Douglas were handed their first starts since moving to Alvalade and it was looking to be an easier night's work than it turned out to be, with Markovic netting after just ten minutes after a pass from Elias.

Although facing much stronger opposition, the hosts were determined to make a game of it and shortly after the opening goal Beto was called into a tough save. In response Elias had a golden chance to extend Sporting's lead, but the Brazilian fired off target after linking up with Alan Ruiz.

Jesus used half-time to make his first change, bringing off Petrovic and introducing William Carvalho to the action. However, not even the presence of the Portuguese international was enough to kill of Famalicão's fighting spirit. Sporting could well have put the result to bed on various occasions, but Elias took too long to pull the trigger on one occasion and chance for Gelson finished just inches wide.

João de Deus's side pay proud tribute to 1964 Cup Winners' Cup

Sporting B were held to a 2-2 draw against MTK Budapest this week, in the inauguration of the Új Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium. Sporting's goals were scored by Ronaldo Tavares (23') and Matheus Pereira (50'), while József Kanta and Poór Patrik netted for the hosts.

The match brought back memories of Sporting's 1964 Cup Winners' Cup victory against the Hungarians and the famous goal scored directly from a corner by Morais.

On the whole it was a slow paced encounter, with the 9º temperatures sapping most of the pace out of both sides. Matheus Pereira put in another one of his typically brilliant performances and at the final whistle both sides could walk away happy with the result.

Sales news for coming fixtures

on Friday the 14th of October, Sporting Clube de Portugal will begin ticket sales at the Estádio José Alvalade ticket offices as follows:

BORUSSIA DORTMUND | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHDAY 4

14TH TO 19TH OF OCTOBER: Club Members with a Gamebox 2016/2017

20TH TO 25TH OF OCTOBER: Club Members

26TH TO 31ST OF OCTOBER: General public

Two types of tickets are available: GREEN ZONE (€44.90) and ORANGE ZONE (€48.10). There are limited numbers of Orange Zone tickets and these tickets are mixed with home fans. A valid Gamebox or Member card must be shown during the first two phases of sales, with September 2016 paid. Each card is valid for 1 ticket and each person may present a maximum of 4 cards. For security reasons, ticket sales will follow an order previously established with UEFA.

Kick-off is scheduled for 19h45 on the 2nd of November.

FC AROUCA | LIGA NOS MATCHDAY 10

Tickers start from €5 for Members and €22  for fans. Family tickets are available from €21 and are valid for 3 people, one of which must be a Club Member. Kick-off is scheduled for the 6th of November at 20h15.

Jorge Jesus on Thursday's Portuguese Cup visit to Famalicão

Sporting will open this season's Portuguese Cup campaign with a visit to Famalicão on Thursday night. Although the team from the north hail from a lower division, they are a team with a strong tradition and good following.

“Famalicão have a long history in Portuguese football. They were in the top division for a few years and they have more fans than some of the clubs in the top division", said Jorge Jesus in an interview with Sporting TV on Wednesday, adding a word on his intentions going into the competition: "It doesn't matter who we play against, what matters is the competition. We will put out a good side tomorrow and we are getting better and better in attack."

Sales information for the Portuguese Cup 3rd round and Liga NOS matchday 8

Sporting Clube de Portugal will begin sales of tickets for Famalicão and Tondela on Wednesday the 12th of October as follows:

FAMALICÃO | PORTUGUESE CUP
Tickets are priced at 5€ and are exclusively on sale for Sporting Clube de Portugal members with September 2016 fees paid. Sales will be from 10:00 to 20:00. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:15 on Thursday, in the Famalicão Municipal Stadium.

TONDELA | LIGA NOS
Tickets start from 5€ for members and 22€ for fans. Family Tickets will be available for 21€ and are valid for 3 people (one of which must be a club member). Kick-off is scheduled for 18:15 on Saturday the 22nd of October.

João de Deus's side take on Desportivo das Aves in postponed Ledman LigaPro matchday 8 fixture

Sporting B slipped to a 2-0 away defeat in Vila das Aves this Sunday afternoon, after two strikes from Luís Barry (63' and 75'). This weekend was actually reserved for the international break, however Sporting B had to catch up with their matchday 8 postponed fixture.

Elias sits down for an interview with O Jogo

Elias spoke in an extensive interview with the newspaper O Jogo this week. Reflecting on his return to the Portuguese capital, the Brazilian proved surprised with the progress visible in Alvalade. "Everyone who works at the club wants to win", said the 31-year old, going on to comment on his battle with Adrien for a place in the team: "He is a player that I really respect and he is a fundamental part of the team both on and off the pitch. I hope to stays with us for a long time."

Jorge Jesus was inevitably the target of a question or two, seeing Elias answer: "He is really different. He is the best coach out there right now. I have had some really good coaches, like Tite with Brazil and now Jesus is the best in my opinion. It is an honour to work with him."

In relation to president Bruno de Carvalho, Elias expressed his admiration: "He is working really hard for the club and for the players and we really appreciate him for that. It loves this club and wants to see us at the top. That kind of person is good for football."

Portugal put six past Andorra in World Cup qualifier

The Portuguese national team sealed a first win in their World Cup qualification campaign this Friday with an emphatic win against Andora (6-0). Ronaldo fired in four, while João Cancelo and André Silva also found the back of the net.

Sporting's Gelson Martins made his first senior international appearance, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute for Pepe.

Fellow Alvalade star Rui Patrício completed the full 90 minutes, while William Carvalho featured in the squad but did not play.

Alan Ruiz affirms Sporting's credentials on every front

Alan Ruiz sat down for an interview with the sports newspaper Record this week.

For the Argentinean, there is little doubt on how high the bar should be set for Sporting this season: "I would bet on Sporting to win the league right now. Sporting tries in every competition and always plays for the win. Not just in the league, but in every competition. Every team we play against wants to win, because we are one of Europe's top clubs."

João de Deus expecting a tough trip to Vila das Aves

Sporting B will take on Desportivo das Aves this weekend, in a postponed Ledman LigaPro matchday 8 encounter.

“We are expecting a hard game. Along with Portimonense, Aves are one of the sides looking at promotion. They play with two forwards and really go on the attack at home. A lot of their players are used to playing in the first division", explained coach João de Deus in an interview with the Sporting Journal this week, adding: "We want to keep tallying up the points so that we get into a better looking position in the league."