Sporting dominate in Estádio do Dragão to take Liga NOS down to the wire
Sporting CP claimed a first league win in Estádio do Dragão since 2007 this Saturday, with a ruthless performance that saw Slimani strike twice and Bruno César come off the bench to secure a 3-1 win.
Jorge Jesus' side made a solid start to the encounter, pressuring when in defence and holding down long spells of possession in the FC Porto half. Chances naturally followed and João Mário could have put Sporting ahead after just five minutes, when the rebound from William fell kindly for the Portuguese international. However, the midfielder was unable to keep his shot down with the goal at his mercy. FC Porto really struggled to get forward in the opening exchanges, but a deep pass in the 7th minute found José Angel high up the pitch down the left, ending up in a cross that Herrera turned onto the post from inside the area.
Sporting looked well organised right off the board, while FC Porto looked over-reliant on Danilo in the early build up and Herrara for his movement and ability with the ball at his feet when playing between the Alvalade defensive lines. Probing play from both sides followed, but Sporting were the more mature side and comfortably went about bossing proceedings.
Some well supported play in the 17th minute saw Adrien pick out Bryan Ruiz in a break away from his marker, however Danilo was able to scramble away for a corner. Another chance followed courtesy of the skillful Costa Rican, with his pass finding Slimani for a header that Casillas comfortably gathered. In response, Aboubakar rallied his side down the other end and fired a shot dangerously close to Rui Patrício's net.
Chances certainly weren't lacking, but the game was missing a goal. Who better to oblige than Slimani, created of course by João Mário's creativity. In the 23rd minute, the Portuguese international broke away down the right wing and drove a pass across in that the big Algerian comfortably tapped in. Nine minutes later, another deadly move on the right flank, this time with Schelotto the instigator, saw Casillas called into action. Despite the one-way action, it was FC Porto who were next to trigger the scoreboard, when Brahimi was allegedly brought down by Coates in the area for a penalty that Héctor Herrena finished on to restore the deadlock.
The goal did unsteady Sporting for a spell, not so much in defence, but more in terms of the dominance that had persisted up until the equaliser. However, it wasn't long before Jesus' side were back in control and again creating chances. Bryan Ruiz found a yard of space down the wing and whipped a ball in for Slimani and of course the Sporting forward obliged with a pin-point header to put his side back into the lead.
The half-time break did little to alter the action and a minute after the restart Slimani saw a shot blocked by Casillas, when it would perhaps have been better for the Algerian to have instead set up Teo Gutiérrez. In reply, Maxi Pereira made the most of some confusion in the Sporting area to pull a stop out of Patrício from point-blank range. A couple of minute later, Sérgio Oliveira guided a free-kick onto the cross bar in what was one of FC Porto's last forays forward.
Reading FC Porto's difficulty in coming out from the back, Sporting pushed up and a third goal did honestly only look like a matter of time. On 57 minutes Coates headed inches wide following a corner, before Adrien also fired off target a minute later. With twently minutes left on the clock, Casillas again managed to keep his side in touching distance with a fabulous save from a Slimani header at the far post.
The introduction of André André in the FC Porto midfield did give a bit of balance, but the hosts only really looked dangerous from set-pieces. It was from once such dead ball that FC Porto had their best chance of the half, when Herrara curved a shot over the wall and pulled an instinctive parry out of Patrício. José Peseiro brought on André Silva to accompany Aboubakar in the FC Porto attack, but it was Jorge Jesus' substitution that proved a masterclass in how to read the game. Just minutes after coming off the bench, Bruno César burst away through the middle and drove a low shot for a goal that Iker Casillas could have done better to keep out.
The result keeps Sporting within two points of Benfica, with two games to play.
