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."

Sporting dominate for 90 minutes but fail to break the deadlock

It isn't always the best team that wins. Despite dominating right across the board and a wealth of chances on goal against V. Guimarães, Sporting were unable to go beyond a draw this Monday night.

The match got off to an intense start, with both sides showing a willingness to get forward. On five minutes, Licá made the most of a good move down the left to find his way into the area and test Rui Patrício from a tight angle. Despite the early warning shot, Sporting showed calm and composure on the ball, moving possession around the width of the pitch in an attempt to break the V. Guimarães defence wall. João Mário commanded operations in the middle, while Bruno César and Gelson Martins carried the attack forward down the flanks and Bryan Ruiz and Slimani fought for space deep in enemy territory.

Sporting's speed looked particularly troubling for the evening's hosts and a cross dragged back by Bryan Ruiz found its way through to Coates in the area, but the defender was denied by a last ditch save from Miguel Silva. A minute later, the Guimarães keeper made another crucial stop, this time pushing a Slimani header away for a corner after a cross from Schelotto. Sporting had made their intentions perfectly clear and would well have been ahead after 20 minutes, but for Miguel Silva's heroics.

The battle for midfield raged, but Jorge Jesus' side kept the edge and largely left Rui Patrício untroubled. However, on 35 minutes Bouba Saré made the most of a failure by the linesmen to signal for offside and came close to connecting with a cross, but the Sporting keeper was on his toes and smothered the danger. Five minutes later, Otávio fired a shot inches wide of the right hand post from a free-kick. Sporting responded with another wave of attacks, firstly courtesy of a dash down the right by Gelson Martins that finished up with a shot again defended by Miguel Silva. At half-time the scoreboard remained blank, but frankly Sporting deserved more.

The second-half was much of the same and before long the team from Alvalade were on the attack. Bruno César came painfully close to converting on a cross from Schelotto that found its way across the entire 18-yard box. Jesus responded to the deadlock by throwing Teo into the action in place of Gelson Martins, putting the Colombian just behind Slimani, with Bryan Ruiz pushing out to the left and Bruno César patrolling the right. The alteration almost proved an instant fix, when a minute later Schelotto failed to find the target after a pin-point cross from Bryan Ruiz.

Coates was next to try his luck from a corner whipped in by João Mário, but Miguel Silva once again frustrated the visitors with an outstretched save. Attacks were absolutely raining down on Guimarães and next up was Bryan Ruiz after a pass into space from João Mário, but Miguel Silva rushed off his line to clear away.

On 74 minutes Slimani ghosted off the back of the Guimarães defence and looked to be through on goal, only for Josué to bring down the Algerian for a second bookable offence and resulting red card. Jorge Jesus responded with the introduction of Aquilani for Bruno César and Barcos for Slimani in a last gamble for a late goal. On 82 minutes, William Carvalho had the goal at his mercy after charging forward out of midfield, but the Portuguese international put the resulting shot wide of the post.

As the final whistle sounded, Miguel Silva was warmly applauded for his heroics between the posts, but Sporting certainly did enough to claim the points, had it not been for a lack of a clinical touch in front of goal.

The result keepers Sporting in first, one point ahead of Benfica going into next weekend's Lisbon derby.