Coates on extending his stay in Alvalade

Sebastián Coates was a largely unknown name for many Sporting fans when arriving at Alvalade this January, but the backing given by fellow Uruguayan and former teammate at Liverpool, Luís Suárez, has certainly rung true: "A player like Sebastián brings lot of quality to a team. I am certain he will be a great signing." Since arriving in the Portuguese capital, Sabastián truly has bossed the Sporting defence in an intimidating double-team with Rúben Semedo.

"All players dream of playing for a club that is fighting for titles, with ambitious objectives, and that made the difference for me", said Coates in an interview with the Sporting website after signing his loan extension, before adding a word on his odd forays forward: "Personally, my role is to defend, but If I can help in attack then I will."

Jorge Jesus' focus on defence has actually taken the Uruguayan by surprise, considering that goals are need to turn in wins. However, the final result can of course be decided by good defending. "The coach worries a lot about how we defend. Of course goals are needed to win, but he really worries about getting us all defending. Not every coach does that and it makes a big difference", said the defensive giant, finishing: "This is a great club with fans who are always pushing the players. I want to do my best for this shirt for us to get the results that we all want."

Alvalade president sits down with the Sporting president ahead of league showdown

You have to go back 42 years for the last time that Sporting and Benfica took the title race down to the last match of the season. It was in 1974, when millions waited for the final whistle. History isn't on Sporting's side, with the league leaders going into the decisive fixture tending to hold out and take the trophy, however Bruno de Carvalho sees things a little differently.

“Going into the last match of the season, we are two points behind first place. Of course it isn't the place we would prefer to be in and of course we would like to be in first. However, we are completely focused and we know anything could happen. That is what makes football such a beautiful game. While it is mathematically possible, anything can happen", commented the Alvalade president in an interview with the Sporting Journal this week, adding: "What I see is a Sporting team focused on our match and that believes that we can bring home a title that we have been missing for so long now. We will do everything we can to do that."

Sporting's hopes of silverware after the dust settles this weekend does however not just depend on what happens in Estádio Municipal de Braga. Meanwhile in Lisbon, Benfica will host Nacional, with Sporting needing the team from Madeira to at least steal a point.

“Looking at Benfica-Nacional, well from what I have seen and heard it seems like Nacional doesn't count for anything. It seems like Nacional doesn't care. That if what I have felt when listening to commentators associated with Benfica, but honestly I don't believe it", affirmed Carvalho, continuing: "Nacional are a good side and I don't think they want to be the side show for the league title. I know how hard Rui Alves has been working to put Nacional on the map and they are fighting for places further up the league now. Of course Benfica are motivated, because winning gives them the league, but Nacional are motivated as well."

Bruno Fernandes, with a penalty, and Montero, with a free kick, gave the Lions the 3 points against Maritimo

The first 12 minutes of the sixth round of the NOS League, which opposed Sporting CP and Marítimo, were played exclusively in one half of the pitch of the José Alvalade Stadium: the defensive midfield of the islanders. This was due to the good start of José Peseiro's pupils, who showed their opponent's the intention to play in the first zone of construction, with high pressure. From thiscame the first yellow card of the match, raised to Zainadine, for having been unable to control the ball in conditions, leaving it to the mercy of Fredy Montero.

It was clear that coach Claudio Braga was worried about stopping the lions' from playing on the wings, but the 'capping' on one side 'uncovered' the other as Sporting CP found space between the lines. In fact, that was the gateway for the first goal. Jovane's high cross gave Raphinha a chance to take the lead, but he sufered a penalty. Called to take the lead, Bruno Fernandes finished with class (12 ').

Petrovic and Gudelj, who, this evening, Jose Peseiro attributed the role of 'thinkers', had little ball from the 1-0 onwards as Sporting CP backed up the lines and sought mostly rapid transitions. This is a chapter in which Raphinha was in prominence, in association with Bruno Fernandes and Fredy Montero. At minute 35 ', Raphinha took the corner the short way, at the right side of the attack, which would give the 2-0. 'El Avioncito', at the face of the goal, put an end to the rebounds and celebrated the first goal of the 2018/19 season. Just over half-time, Acuna took away Maritimo's first goal with a great stop right in front of the goal.

There was less show in what was left of the game. Marítimo knew how to save the ball better, however, lacked criteria in the last third of the terrain - even in the spaces granted by Sporting CP. The attempts of Rodrigo Pinho and Correa, mid-distance, were the best replicas of the visitors. Peseiro even launched Misic, Diaby and Carlos Mané, who returned to the competition after 15 months away due to injury. 35.238 spectators cheered.

The three points added allowed the team to reach a total of 13 in the league table, the same of Sp. Braga (with one match short), thus becoming one point away from Benfica and two from the leader FC Porto. Next Sunday, Sporting CP travels to the Algarve to face Portimonense (8pm).

League Cup holders debuted in the league with a win

Still going through a growth phase, all wins are worth gold. After returning from the national team, Sporting CP beat Marítimo in the opening day of the League Cup (3-1) and began defending the trophy convincingly. The goals of Raphinha and Bruno Fernandes (to double) were worth three points, but not only. After an early season with suffered triumphs, winning with reassurance is to take a solid step to strengthen the new game model.



With few changes to the team and a strong competitive attitude from the beginning, the lions noticeably faced this match as if it were the championship. Moreover, Jose Peseiro did not shy away from the usual choices. Bruno Gaspar earned his first start as well as Jovane, who has had a direct impact on the team's results. Still, it was Raphinha again claiming to be the main unbalance to the opposite team during the first half. After just two minutes, he almost opened the scoring after a cross from Jefferson, which was the announcement of an exhibition full of positive actions. Sporting CP was able to find spaces between the lines of Marítimo (Jovane and Raphinha searched for inland areas frequently), but missed many attack with crosses to which no one answered. Marítimo, with a defensive position that did not show security, gained another life when the ball reached the men in the front. Barrera and Correa, on the flanks, and Danny, above all, tried to annoy the green and white defense, but with no great success. With Battaglia more positional at the head of the defense, Acuña was ahead on the pitch and the first goal was a recovery from the Argentine in the offensive midfield - Montero, with the usual calm, isolated Raphinha 1-0. Later, near the break, the roles were reversed and the Brazilian discovered the Colombian in the vicinity of the area. Bad reception, wasted bid.



The lions entered the second half passing the ball slowly, without approaching Charles's goal. Everything changed from one moment to the next: on the left, Jefferson found Jovane in the area and the kid - once again - won a penalty. Bruno Fernandes quietly put the 2-0 on the scoreboard. Cláudio Braga's group, which had already threatened, reached the attack and restored the minimum difference soon after. Danny (at 35 years old, maintains the usual technical quality and game vision) released Correa and the Argentine did not pardon in the face of Salin. It was a busy phase in Alvalade, as the 3-1 would soon appear. Montero made his second assist - so often discreet, almost always useful in the collective operation - offering the double to Bruno Fernandes. In the final stretch of the match, José Peseiro wanted to add pressure in the central zone, throwing Wendel (for Bruno Fernandes, who dropped to the left) and Gudelj. With few minutes playing with the lion on his chest, the last green and white reinforcement appeared as a judicious average and with ease to unfold the attack - otherwise, Montero could have scored after the Serbian pass, but shot over the goal by Charles. With the time passing, Marítimo stopped attacking and who was close to another goal was Sporting CP, namely by Bruno Fernandes. Already in extra time, Lucas Áfrico violently fouled Wendel and received an immediate red. An avoidable bid, when everyone was preparing for the end. If there were any doubts that one of the objectives of Sporting CP was to defend the title in the League Cup, Alvalade's night killed them completely.

Goal of the young winger at the 88th minute guarantees another three points

Forget the myth of the minute 88. Forget the previous jersey 77 and put your eyes on the new pearl of the Academy that has appeared in the main team, with the same number, the same training methods, the same position.

The main football team of Sporting Clube de Portugal received and won, this Saturday night, Feirense (1-0), on the fourth game of Liga NOS. A goal from Jovane Cabral gave the team the first place, before the stop for National Team commitments.

Naturally, it was more difficult for the Santa Maria da Feira firecrackers, who only managed to truly scare the lions in the last breath of the first half, when Cris got a needle hole to put the ball in Edinho who, with a small turnaround, kicked it off the beam in front of a helpless Salin.

Sporting CP, for its part, started in the sixth minute to try to solve the issue, when central Briseño missed the interception, giving Fredy Montero a good opportunity to score, facing the goalkeeper Caio Secco, but Edson Farias managed to cover for his team mate. 

With Acuña initially forming a double defense with Rodrigo Battaglia - Nani and Raphinha were in the wings, with Bruno Fernandes on the back of the Colombian who, once again, had to wear the skin of Bas Dost. The game invariably passed by the feet of the team captain, who was not always able to find the best solutions given that he was constantly marked. 

The half time brought nothing new. Feirense was the first to create danger (58 '), with Machado forcing Salin to defend with his fists.

Nothing new? No. A substitution, Peseiro's first at the meeting, was enough to change. Not everything, but enough to ensure the three points, something that seemed to be difficult to happen. Jefferson left the game to give young Jovane Cabral a chance. Acuña went to left defender, Bruno Fernandes came down on the field to Battaglia’s side, getting Raphinha and Jovane on the wings with Nani on Montero's back. Five minutes into the field and Nani immediately gave the kid the first opportunity (71 '), with a shot to the goalkeeper.

Time was passing and impatience grew. The ball went up the field, to Raphinha on the right, with the entrance of Ristovski - between Nascimento and Vítor Bruno - the perfect movement to stir the particles in the box, with a cross pass that found in the feet of Jovane Cabral an explosion of joy in Alvalade. The team held on to the leadership of Liga NOS, in front of 38,688 spectators.

The Lions were drawn in Group E and are set to play against Arsenal, Qarabag and Poltava

The Europa League draw dictated, held this Friday in Monaco, dictated that Sporting Clube de Portugal falls into Group E, together with Arsenal, England (pot 1); Qarabag, Azerbaijan (pot 3); and Poltava, Ukraine (pot 4). In a total of 48 clubs, the Lions - the only Portuguese team in the competition - will fight for a place in the final that will take place on the 29th of May 2019 at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Dates:

1st Match –20th September

SPORTING CP-Qarabag

2nd Match –4th October

Vorskla Poltava-SPORTING CP

3rd Match –25th October

SPORTING CP-Arsenal

4th Match –8th November

Arsenal-SPORTING CP 

5th Match –29th November

Qarabag-SPORTING CP

6th Match – 13th December

SPORTING CP-Vorskla Poltava

In spite of the conceded goal, Peseiro, the head coach praised his team's character

After the tie in the derby of the third round, and taking into account the characteristics of the match, José Peseiro acknowledged that the 1-1 result turned out to be positive. "According to what happened, the draw was a good result for us. We could have played with low lines, save intensity and we did not. We wanted to push high and so we ran a lot. Closer to the end of the match, Benfica was better than us and we did not have any intensity. We paid the bill at the end of the game, "he explained.

Still about the physical wear felt at the final stretch, Jose Peseiro said that the teams are with different competitive indices. "Benfica are on the sixth official match and we are going on the third. This is to justify the fact that we did not balance the game in the last minutes as we balanced in the first half. We lacked condition due to several factors. One was that we did not start the season with some of these players and another was that we had fewer official games, "he said.

Although we are in an early stage of the season, the coach acknowledged that the team's goal is to reach the end first. "It's very difficult for anyone to be at Sporting CP and not think they have to win titles. More difficult is to conquer them. We know the value of the other teams and we are here to fight. We made a point. Now it's up to us to rest well and think about winning the next game, "he said.

The stance of the lions and supporters was not forgotten by José Peseiro. "I want to congratulate our supporters who were here and congratulate my players, who acted in a self-sacrificing way and showed a lot of character in the pursuit of the goals," he concluded.

Sporting CP was winning but the reds managed to tie the game

Salin gave it all but could not defend the header of João Félix, near the end, which established the final result in the Lisbon derby (1-1). A penalty from Nani, in the 63rd minute, gave hope to the lions, who leave the match with the same points as the rival (both with seven points).

In a derby full of events - which does not mean that it was especially well played - the figure of the Lion goalkeeper emerged as the most decisive on the field (and who could have expected this?). During the first half, Benfica only created opportunities in set pieces, with Rúben Dias and Cervi close to scoring, were it not for the opposition of the green and white goalkeeper. José Peseiro prepared the team to move up in the field, with Montero and Bruno Fernandes to fit in the middle and one of the midfielders to be on top of Fejsa. The strategy proved effective, forcing the group of Rui Vitoria to look for Grimaldo and André Almeida to overcome the pressure. Even without the initiative, Sporting CP was always a team present in the offensive midfield, taking advantage of the opponent's ball losses to accelerate. Acuña, who played alongside Battaglia, showed that he could be useful in that area of the field and had some moments of association with Bruno Fernandes or Nani, as well as Montero - excellent in using hid body to impose on the central field and continue moving forward. Raphinha, another novelty in the team, was the solution used to attack the blank space, especially in the back of Grimaldo. At half-time, the idea was that José Peseiro had managed to surprise Rui Vitória.

Benfica entered the second half and decided to put the lions in their midfield, always using the aisles to create advantages. At this stage, Peseiro's class was still glowing to get to the attack, not running many risks and opting for direct play. With less than half an hour to go, a play often repeated at Benfica's stadium gave rise to one of the bids of the match - Bruno Fernandes gained space to cross on the right and Rúben Dias comitted a foul inside the box on Fredy Montero. Nani, in return to the derby of the Portuguese football derbies, tricked Odysseas and put the green and white in advantage. Rui Vitória sent Seferovic and 'boy' João Félix to react to the goal conceded and, from here on, only played in the midfield of Sporting CP. The strategy imposed in the first half, which led to long journeys by the middle and forwards, was felt in the final stretch of the game, with lions showing less ability to win duels. Faced with the dynamics of the reds attack, Jose Peseiro brought Petrovic in to support the worn-out Battaglia and Acuña, unable to erase 'all the fires'. At the side, Ristovski and Jefferson were punished by the opponents aisles and the equalizer confirmed the trend. Rafa crossed to the front of the Brazilian side and João Félix headed in the back of the Macedonian. The least deserved to get the ball to the nets was Salin, who made a series of monumental defenses to hold the team. The point that the lions bring to Alvalade is everyone's, but it is more of the Frenchman who became unlikely hero of the derby.

Who said it was Abdoulay Diaby who arrived to Alvalade from Brugges

Abdoulay Diaby is already on the loose in Alvalade and was presented alongside Sousa Cintra, President of Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD.

"I am very happy to be here. Sporting CP is a great club and as soon as I learned of the possibility of coming here I did not hesitate", he began by saying at a press conference at Estádio José Alvalade. The 27-year-old from Mali came to José Peseiro's team to give a completely new side to the team. A bet on depth and speed, the forward who came from Club Brugge was given a 60 million euro termination clause and took on the interest he sees in the country as his next challenge.

"I know that Portuguese football has great clubs, which are always present in European competitions. The league level is good and I think it might be interesting for me. And the coming to Lisbon too (laughs)", he said. The left-hander, when asked if he would 'marry' well with Bas Dost, promptly replied: "We are very different players and we can complement each other. Besides the goals, which are very important for a striker, I can add other things. The season is long and I hope to contribute, "he explained.

Before signing for the lions, Diaby spoke to Mathieu, who encouraged his arrival. "He told me to come, that he would like it very much. The team plays quality football, the club's conditions are fantastic and the team is good", he finished.

Sousa Cintra took the floor and praised his latest athlete. "I am very pleased that he has arrived and I think Sporting fans will be very happy, it will be very important. He is the fastest player in Portuguese football, probably. He has a great ability, which gives depth to the attack, him and Bas Dost make a perfect match for more goals. He's used to being a champion. It will bring great contribution to the ambitions of Sporting CP, "he clarified.

Lisbon's Derbi will be held next Saturday, at 7pm.

Still recovering from the match against Vitória de Setúbal, but already with full focus on Benfica, José Peseiro led another session of work at the Sporting Academy, with Bas Dost - with a muscle problem in the right thigh - still to perform treatment, after having been substituted on the last match.

The good news of this mornings session was Abdoulay Diaby, the stiker who arrived from Club Brugge to make the lions even stronger. Also Miguel Luís and Bruno César, totally recovered and without limitations, fulfilling all the orders of José Peseiro, who is tuning the strategy for the derby.

This morning there was also a vote for the best World 11, promoted by FIFPro and FIFA, and the players of Sporting CP chose their favorites from the previous season. Also with respect to 17/18, Sebastián Coates received the prize of the Union of the Players for having integrated the team of the year and Bruno Fernandes received the distinction for being the best young player of the month of April.