The coach is relishing Liga NOS action against Moreirense FC

Ahead this Saturday's match against Moreirense FC, Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Rúben Amorim promised that, after more than twenty days without Liga NOS action, his side are ready to defend their top spot in the table.

“The team are in good shape. They've been working in the best way and we already provided a good response against GS Sacavenense. Now we return to league competition after a very long break, but we are looking forward to playing and we are prepared for Moreirense FC”, he told the media in his pre-match press conference.

Facing a side currently 11th in the table, Amorim says that Moreirense FC are “a team that were already well oriented”, but admitted that their incorporation of a new coach may provide a different challenge.

"Now César Peixoto has been appointed, which creates some uncertainty about the way they will play. Until now they have been playing 4-3-3, but we know that the new coach has used other formations. We try to prepare for everything, we are doing well and we are going to play with the three points in mind”.

When asked about Pedro Gonçalves' availability for this Saturday's match, Amorim said that “He still had some discomfort in the last few training sessions, but he showed the coaching staff that he wants to play and is ready for it. We will see which players are chosen, but 'Pote' is one of the players in the squad".

Sporting CP are currently the standout leaders in the Liga NOS table with 19 points, 4 more than SC Braga and SL Benfica.

“The players are doing well and know that they only need to win to maintain the lead, but whatever happens, at the end of this journey we will continue to lead. Now, if we win we are guaranteed to stay in the lead for two weeks and that is where we want to stay, but the focus is on how we want to do this; on how we want to play and maintain our momentum. We are still at the beginning of the season, so we face each game with maximum normalit”, promised Amorim.

They are also the only undefeated team in the league, and top scorers with 19 goals - as well as only having conceded 4 times. Amorim believes this is due to “the team's unity and the quality of the players".

“They are really good players and have grown a lot. The great strength of this team is the unity between everyone, and how they want to show that they are capable of fighting for victory every week".

Fourth Round tie to be held in mid-December

Sporting Clube de Portugal will face FC Paços de Ferreira in the Fourth Round of the Taça de Portugal. The exact date of the contest is yet to be confirmed, with the ties being held across December 12th and 13th.

The cup campaign opened in style for Sporting CP, with a 1-7 victory over SG Sacavenense. Now they face a fellow top flight side, whom they beat back 0-2 away in September in Liga NOS thanks to goals from Jovane Cabral and Sebastian Coates.

The last Taça de Portugal encounter between the teams is the only time they have met in the competition. In 2010/2011, also in the Fourth Round, Sporting took a 1-0 home win through Yannick Djaló strike.

In total, Sporting CP and FC Paços de Ferreira have played one against another on 47 occasions (43 in Liga NOS, three in the Taça da Liga and once in the Taça de Portugal). Os Leões hold a record of 31 wins, seven draws and nine losses.

The Sporting CP's assistant was pleased with a comprehensive win in the cup

Following the 1-7 cup victory over SG Sacavenense, Sporting CP assistant coach Emanuel Ferro analysed the performance in his post-match press conference.

"What we liked most was the serious and committed way we approached the game. We showed respect for the game, for our opponents and for the work that we do every day. We were aggressive and committed to the idea we had," he told journalists after the Taça de Portugal Third Round encounter, also praising the response from players who have featured less frequently this term.

"We wanted to prepare for this game seriously, and that has been our job in recent weeks. Those who played were those who had the best performance in training, which is our focus at all times. Our results have not just been down to the players, but the rather collective, the squad, the structure. Some players play more than others, but everyone is part of our plans."

One player coming in was Pedro Marques, who scored two goals to open his account for the club. Ferro explained that the young striker benefited from Sporting CP's "offensive capability."

"Pedro is undertaking his journey in the B team, where he has scored goals. Today he had the opportunity to play for us. He occupies a position close to the opposition goal. The team showed great offensive ability, and he took advantage of that."

"We keep an eye on the players we have on the B team and in the Under-23s. It is important to allow players to take advantage of their characteristics. In Pedro's case, he scores goals. It is not just about his work, however, but rather that of the collective."

Talking about the use of Matheus Nunes on the right wing during the second half, he commented that "Matheus has already played in that position at times. Nuno Mendes came back from national team duty with a knock, but he had recovered. Pedro Porro had played for Spain, which affected our decision. It is essential to realise that this team works as a whole. The players are ready to assume different positions: This is what makes a team."

Sporting CP claim a 1-7 Taça de Portugal Third Round win

A 1-7 victory over SG Sacavanense at the Estádio Nacional opened Sporting CP’s Taça de Portugal campaign in style on Monday night. A halftime lead of 0-3 put the game firmly in their hands, and goals by Sebastián Coates (x2), Pedro Marques (x2), Nuno Santos, Jovane Cabral and Gonçalo Inácio made it an impressive showing in the third round.

Amidst rotations and the absence of Pedro Gonçalves through injury, Sporting CP gave first minutes of the season to Luís Maximiano and Cristián Borja, whilst Vitorino Antunes and Gonçalo Inácio made their starting debuts.

Just three minutes into a cold night, Jovane Cabral set up Nuno Santos to open the scoring -his fourth goal of the season.

Ten minutes later, the combination was repeated, as Cabral served another pass to Santos. This time around, the winger’s shot smashed against the post.

João Mário would also force a save from goalkeeper Tiago Mota, as Sporting CP looked for a second goal. In the 26th minute, they found it, with João Mário involved as he laid a free kick up for Santos. The resulting cross into the box was met by captain Sebastián Coates, who headed home.

Five minutes on, referee Hélder Malheiro awarded a penalty in favour of Sporting CP after Andraž Šporar was fouled, with Cabral chosen as taker. The young talent dispatched the spot kick for his third strike of the campaign.

A fourth goal before halftime would not count, as a Nuno Santos effort was disallowed for offside.

For the second half, Daniel Bragança was brought on to replace Antunes in the first change of the game.  From the get-go, Sporting CP were hungry to add to their lead, and got it early on: The first goal coming from another Coates header.

SG Sacavenense got what proved to be a consolation goal through Iaquinta, taking the score to 1-4, but there was no change in the dynamic of the contest. In the space of a few minutes, Cabral, Santos, João Mário and Bruno Tabata all enjoyed chances.

Whilst a host of further chances followed, another notable moment came with the introduction of João Palhinha, who had represented SG Sacavenense at youth level and was honoured before kickoff.

A final flurry saw another second half substitute, 22-year-old striker Pedro Marques, score his first two goals for the club -in only his second game, having debuted in 2018/19. The second was off an assist from Tabata’s cross, for which he was in the right place at the right time.

The last move of the night provided the final goal, as B team regular Gonçalo Inácio headed in a Tabata free kick.

With a 1-7 win to their name in the Third Round, Sporting CP move on in the Taça de Portugal. Next up for them is a Liga NOS game against Moreirense FC this weekend at the Estádio José Alvalade.

Sporting CP: Luís Maximiano [GR], Cristián Borja, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Vitorino Antunes (Daniel Bragança, 46'), Matheus Nunes, João Mário, Jovane Cabral (Bruno Tabata, 59'), Nuno Santos (João Palhinha, 72') and Andraž Šporar (Pedro Marques, 72').

The SCP assistant looks ahead to the opening cup game against SG Sacavenense

After the international break that meant a pause in the domestic calendar, Sporting CP return to action on Monday in a new competition. The Taça de Portugal campaign for 2020/21 opens for the team at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor, where they play SG Sacavenense in the third round.

Assistant coach Emanuel Ferro gave a press conference the day before the contest, and acknowledged that the goal is to win the cup this year. He also made it clear that the team will not be taking victory as a formality just because the opponents play in the Campeonato de Portugal.

“We are approaching the competition with great ambition. We have to have great respect for our opponents in each round, regardless of the division in which they compete," he told the media. "We know that sometimes upsets happen, and we want to come into this game with the same ambition, the same rigor and the same desire to do better. We will respect SG Sacavenense as opponents who are ready to make life more difficult for us. We will be up to the challenge. We have the ambition to get to the final and win the Taça de Portugal," he stated, although he acknowledged that there may be changes in the starting XI.

“Each game has a story and this one comes after an international break. We have prepared with the aim of being in the best possible shape and fielding a team capable of overcoming the challenge. There may be some changes in personnel," revealed the assistant coach, who ruled out Pedro Gonçalves playing any part in the contest due to an injury sustained in training this Sunday.

"We are still evaluating his conditions, but we don't think it is anything serious," he said.

Ferro concluded by commenting that the team "will face this competition with great responsibility". "We have to erase any idea of this being easy from our minds, because the idea is to play our best game and impose our ideas. We will respect the opponents, as we know that they have the ambition to demonstrate their passion and get the most from this game. We know that we are at a different level to them, but this is a competition in which passion for the game can make a difference to SG Sacavenense's performance. We have to be prepared for that," he concluded

Players from the youth setup join the first team in the opening session

The Sporting Clube de Portugal first team held a training session this Monday morning at the Academia Sporting in Alcochete, joined by several youth team players due to the absentees of other members due to national team commitments.

The session, overseen by coach Rúben Amorim, ended with joint work alongside the B team. Only Sebastián Coates (who received treatment and undertook gym work) and Bruno Tabata (who participated in a series of solo drills on the pitch), were unable to join in.

Sporting CP train again this Tuesday at 10am local time, in a session behind closed doors.

The midfielder talks about his return to Alvalade so far

João Mário returns to Sporting Clube de Portugal this season. This Thursday, in conversation with the media, he explained his satisfaction with his 'homecoming,' saying that he is “a completely different João Mário” from the player who left a few years ago.

Sporting CP have also changed, and the team that he found upon his return is different, but the midfielder does not like to make comparisons because the context is not the same either.

“We have a very pleasant atmosphere and it's a breath of fresh air for everybody, from the president, to the coach and the squad. I am very happy to encounter this situation at Sporting CP. This is a very young and humble side," he explained.

“I see a lot of quality and a willingness to do things well," revealed the midfielder.

“The key to success is ambition, hard work and the sense of responsibility that we have. The fact that we play for a big club is already a stimulus and a big responsibility, and this is a spectacular group that have taken the responsibility onboard".

The Portuguese asked for calm about Sporting CP's current position at the top of the Liga NOS table.

“We are working very well, but we are only thinking about going game by game, because we are still at an early stage of the season and it is not worth thinking differently. What we can promise is a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment to the club”.

João Mário also talked about the absence of supporters from the stands, saying that “Both the younger players and the older ones amongst us are used to playing with fans in attendance. I don't believe that any of us would prefer to play without fans, and I also don't believe that any Sporting CP team plays better without fans than with them".

Asked about Rúben Amorim, he was full of praise for the work done by the young coach so far.

“I didn't come across the coach as a player and I didn't know him well, but I've been enjoying working with him a lot. He is a coach who demands a lot of respect and competitiveness from the team, and that's good. I identify with him a lot because he has a very modern mentality".

The Portuguese also spoke about the national team, and his desire to return to Fernando Santos' plans.

“Portugal have one of the best teams in the world and it is never easy to get a call-up, but I want to continue working so that, in March, with more minutes under my belt, I can fight for a place,” he said, adding that: “It's a group of players that I know well and in which I would really like to be. I knew that being at Sporting CP, playing here and having a positive year -as it has been so far- would take me closer to returning to the national team. That also had an influence on my returning home".

The award was given for September/October

Pedro Gonçalves has been chosen as Liga NOS' Midfielder of the Month for September/October by the coaches of teams participating in the competition.

The Sporting Clube de Portugal player, who in the four games played during that period scored three goals, collected 46.67 percent of the votes.

Gonçalves, who joined Sporting CP from Famalicão back in August, has carried his scoring form into November, with consecutive braces against Tondela and Vitória SC. The 22-year-old has found the net in the last four games, for a total of 7 this season.

The team lead Liga NOS after their latest win and remain unbeaten

Sporting CP remain top of the Liga NOS table after Matchday 7 of the season, thanks to a 0-4 win away from home at Vitória SC. A comprehensive win means they continue as the early pacesetters in the Portuguese top tier, with an impressive goal haul.

Rúben Amorim made just one change to the side that had beaten CD Tondela 4-0 last time out, bringing in Nuno Santos in place of Tiago Tomás. Sporting CP's starting XI consisted of Adán, Neto, Coates, Feddal, Porro, João Mário, João Palhinha, Nuno Mendes, Pedro Gonçalves, Šporar and Nuno Santos.

The decision to bring in Nuno Santos paid off early, with a goal for him after just 11 minutes. He was set up to score by Pedro Gonçalves, getting the team off the mark after they had previously come close with a João Mário shot against the crossbar.

Vitória SC would attempt to respond, and off a Quaresma set piece Suliman almost scored with a header, but Adán would make the save.

Whilst Sporting CP continued to threaten, it was only just before the interval that they doubled their lead. On 44 minutes, a move between Šporar and Porro ended with an assist for the in-form Pedro Gonçalves.

After the break, Vitória had a goal by André André ruled out for offside by both referee Hugo Miguel and the VAR, and Sporting CP recovered from the scare for a stellar second half. Gonçalves scored his second of the game - and his seventh of the season - with a strike on 55 minutes.

With his team 0-3 up, Rúben Amorim made changes to the team, starting by putting Matheus Nunes on in place of João Mário and adding Jovane Cabral and Tiago Tomás to replace Nuno Santos and Šporar. The substitutions paid off, as Jovane Cabral was soon fed the ball by Matheus Nunes to round off the scoring.

Gonçalves came close to a hat-trick, but would be denied by Bruno Varela in the final clear opportunity of the contest. A hefty 0-4 scoreline at the final whistle keeps Sporting CP top, with an international break up next in which to rest and prepare for the next stage of the season.

Sporting CP face Vitória SC on Saturday (8:30pm)

Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Rúben Amorim looked ahead to the league leaders' Saturday league game against Vitória SC in his pre-match press conference.

“We have to break down everything that revolves around being in first place. Simplifying things, we have to keep the lead in Liga NOS by winning the game. We only have to win, because by winning we will maintain the position. Our goal is always to maintain or improve, but as we cannot improve our position at this point - only our points, then that is what it's about. It's another game, and we will have to win and treat things normally - it's the best way to go about things”, he said.

“Vitória SC were very strong offensively last season, but had some gaps in defence. It seems that this has changed now; they have a new coach, whose quality we already know from his time at CD Santa Clara. They are a very strong team, and the side that have conceded the fewest goals so far, as well as having individual players in attack like Ricardo Quaresma or Marcus Edwards who can make a difference. They are also still at the beginning of a process, but they are an excellent team; they have a lot of points and they strive for big ambitions. It will be a difficult game at a ground that is always tough to visit".

Finally, the coach revealed what the team will need to do to take the three points.

“We have studied the opposition and seen where there may be some weak points, but after that it depends on the individuals. (…) We have players of great quality, either in the starting eleven or who can come on during the game. We hope that the Sporting CP players will be inspired. If they are not, we will take them out and bring in others. This is how we will try to win, as we have done throughout the season".