Sales begin on Wednesday

Tickets for Liga NOS matchday 26, between Estoril Praia and Sporting Clube de Portugal, will go on sale at the Estádio José Alvalade ticket offices (from 10h to 20h) as follows:

WEDNESDAY | Club Members with a 2015/2016 Gamebox and February 2016 fees paid
THURSDAY | Club Members with February 2016 fees paid
FRIDAY | General public

Kick off is scheduled for 18h30 on Saturday the 12th of Match, in Estádio António Coimbra da Mota. Tickets available in Alvalade are for the North Goal End are priced at €12 each.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota ticket offices as follows:

WEDNESDAY | from 14h30 to 18h30
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY | from 10h to 13h and from 14h30 to 18h30
MATCHDAY | from 10h

Tickets on sale in Estoril are priced at €15 each (for the West or East Lateral Stand) or €25 (for the West Central Stand). All spectators must be at least 3 years of age and require a ticket.

Alvalade defender to face Brazil and Peru in World Cup qualifiers

The Sporting centre-back Sebastián Coates has been included in the Uruguayan national squad for two World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Peru.

The first encounter will take place in Arena Pernambuco on March the 25th, before Uruguay face Peru in home soil on the 29th of March.

Rui Patrício on Saturday's loss to Benfica

Speaking with the press at the final whistle on Saturday night, Rui Patrício put his side's loss down to a lack of effectiveness in front of goal.

"Benfica scored from the only chance they had, but football can be like that. I think we played really well and we had a lot of chances that we didn't make the most of. That was the only difference", commented the Alvalade keeper at the final whistle, before guaranteeing that the league is still far from decided: "There are still a lot of games to play. We will fight to the end and this result honesty doesn't' change anything."

Jorge Jesus comments on Saturday's loss to Benfica

Speaking with the press at the final whistle on Saturday night, Jorge Jesus considered the final result to be far from a fair reflection of what happened on the pitch.

"Benfica left here today without knowing how they won. Even a draw would have been bad for Sporting after what happened out there tonight, but losing is worse. Football can be like this sometimes and all that really matters is who won. I really want to give credit to my players, because I thought they were brilliant and absolutely dominated Benfica in the second-half", opened the Alvalade boss, adding: "Benfica scored, but Rui Patrício didn't have to make a single save all night. Benfica didn't even create a single chance and we managed to pull off some impossible misses.

"Despite the result, Sporting showed that we are a lot stronger. Sometimes even teams who play like small clubs win", Jesus went on to add, before reaffirming that the title race is still on: "We have lost first place before and got it back. The lads know that we are capable going top of the table again and that is what we will try and do."

Sporting miss out to Benfica after missing a wealth of chances

Sporting CP fell to a first Liga NOS home defeat of this season this weekend, missing out 1-0 to Benfica. Once again the evening's encounter proved to be the confirmation of Jorge Jesus' side's difficulty in breaking down teams who are happy to sit back and break up play with constant interruptions.

The opening exchanges were scrappy, particularly in the middle, with neither side willing to stray too far forward and both defensive lines standing firm. In fact, it was a slice of bad luck that sentenced the finally result, when a blocked shot from Samaris somehow landed at the feet of Mitroglou to give the Greek a one-on-one chance against Rui Patrício that the Sporting shotstopper could do little to stop.

While Benfica had seemed content to play on the counter-attack, the visitors' intentions to sit deep and sap away time became all the more clearer after the goal. Denied space down the middle, Sporting resorted to use of the flanks and began piling crosses into the box, but to little success. The only chance that looked likely to find th back of the net was a blistering effort from Jefferson from outside of the box, only stopped by Éderson's crossbar.

Sporting looked a totally different side after the break, pushing higher up the pitch and pegging Benfica back into their defensive third. On 61 minutes Bryan Ruiz failed to finish a great move down the right and Slimani was only able to force one of many corners form the rebound. A few minutes later, Ruiz managed to turn what looked to be a certain tap in from a couple of yards over the cross bar.

Benfica made the most of Sporting's failure to equalise with some frustrating play, using virtually every individual duel between players as a chance to go down and waste a couple of minutes. Bryan Ruiz came close in the dying stages with an audacious chip and João Mário fired a shot side from range.

The result leaves Sporting in second place, two points behind Benfica.

Jorge Jesus shares his thoughts ahead of the Lisbon derby

This might be the fourth derby of the season, but Jorge Jesus is adamant that his team will be just as motivated as ever as the two Lisbon giants clash this Saturday evening.

“It will be a typical derby: difficult and passionate. I hope everything goes well and that Sporting is up to the standard that we have already shown against Benfica. The fact that we have already won three has given us a trophy, three points in the league and a win that unfortunately doesn't mean much, because we were knocked out of the Portuguese Cup. What matters right now are the three points and the lads are feeling just as confident now as they were in the first derby in the Super Cup", affirmed the Alvalade boss, going on to reject the possibility of the title being decided tomorrow: "Either team winning it doesn't resolve anything. There will still be nine more matches to play and a lot of points up for grabs. If we win tomorrow then it is just another three points."

The Sporting coach continues happy with his squad's performance so far this season. "Sometimes you can't do what you set out to do, but what we set out to do was to get Sporting in the fight for the title and today that is a reality", added Jesus, before closing with a comment on Rui Patrício's new contract: "It is a great bit of news for every Sporting fan. Three symbols of the team have already signed this season. The club has a good policy set out and the players who come through from the Academy are really important for Sporting."

Sporting CP statement regarding Rui Patrício's contract renewal

Sporting SAD has reached an agreement with the athlete Rui Patrício for the renewal of his contract until 2022, with a buy-out clause of 45,000,000.00€.

Sporting SAD wishes Rui Patrício the best of professional and personal success.

Speaking for the first time after penning the new deal, the Alvalade shotstopper proved ecstatic with the prospect of an extended stay at Sporting: "Sporting is my second home. I have been here now for longer than I lived at my parents' house! I feel a lof for this club and this club has helped me grow as a player and a personal. I owe everything I am today to Sporting."

Alvalade forward included for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

Alvalade star Islam Slimani will feature for Algeria in two encounters against Ethiopia, as part of his country's Africa Cup of Nations 2017 qualification campaign. The first match will take place in Algeria on the 25th of March, before the return leg in Ethiopia on the 29th of March.

Algeria currently lead qualification group J with six points.

Jorge Jesus at the final whistle on Monday night

The Sporting coach took a moment to speak with the press after his side's draw in Guimarães this Monday night.

“It was a really intense game, but it was also once in which Sporting had enough chances to win. The Guimarães keeper also did his bit. The big chances in the first-half were all ours and we kept Guimarães under control when they attacked. We showed a real defensive and physical capacity tonight. It was one of the best games I have seen my team play, but still we didn't win."

Jesus finshed with the inevitable, namely the coming Lisbon derby: “We have one more point than the team behind usand our next game is in Alvalade, where we want to defend first place. There are still ten games to go and it is the team that has the best run now that will win the league."

William Carvalho at the final whistle after draw in Guimarães

Sporting CP came away from Guimarães with a nil-nil draw this Monday, despite dominating from start to finish.

“It was a well fought game, especially in the midfield. I think we dominated for the 90 minutes and if anyone deserve to win, it was us", said William Carvalho at the final whistle, adding: "We had a lot of chances, but we didn't make the most of them."

The midfield finished with a comment on the coming Lisbon derby: "The next match means three points and that doesn't decide anything. Today we couldn't get the win and the fans might not have liked it, but we worked really hard."