The team earn an away victory in Liga Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal picked up the three points on Monday night in their game against GD Chaves, winning 2-3 on the road. A Pedro Gonçalves brace and a goal from Nuno Santos earned the team the victory on Matchday 21 of the Liga Portugal season.

Rotating his side for a game sandwiched between Europa League ties, coach Rúben Amorim made four changes to the starting eleven, with Antonio Adán, Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Héctor Bellerín, Pedro Gonçalves, Manuel Ugarte, Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards, Paulinho and Francisco Trincão taking to the field.

As expected, Sporting CP started well, took over possession and immediately began to threaten. Opposition goalkeeper Rodrigo was called into action just five minutes in, denying Nuno Santos.

That was followed by the opening goal after seven minutes. Paulinho was brought down in the box and Sporting CP were awarded a penalty that Pedro Gonçalves converted.

The home team were not intimidated by the disadvantage and, although Sporting CP had the game under control, GD Chaves also created danger, forcing Antonio Adán to make two saves before the half hour.

Gonçalves had a shot from outside of the area that went wide, then it was Paulinho who had the opportunity to score, striking against the woodwork.

However, it was GD Chaves who scored next, off a quick move in which João Teixeira appeared on the left side of the area and tried his luck -the ball swerving past Adán.

Before the interval, Paulinho recovered the ball, handed it over to Héctor Bellerín, and the Spaniard shot just wide of the far post -where Gonçalves was also close to making contact.

After the restart, Sporting CP immediately had the ball in the net from Paulinho, only for VAR to cancel out the goal for offside. They followed up with two opportunities that were saved: Santos from open play, and Trincão off a free kick.

Soon after, another goal for Paulinho was disallowed, but Sporting CP were getting ever closer. On the hour, Amorim made his first substitution, bringing on Hidemasa Morita in place of Trincão.

The goal arrived seconds after the change, as off a quick move Gonçalves gained space in the middle and fired in to make it 1-2.

That became 1-3 in the 70th minute, off another quick move by Sporting CP. Paulinho was played in by a long ball, broke into the area and had the opportunity to shoot, but instead handed over the chance to Nuno Santos to finish, albeit with a deflection.

Jeremiah St. Juste and Arthur Gomes switched places with Ousmane Diomande and Marcus Edwards, and ten minutes later it was Youssef Chermiti and Mateo Tanlongo who came in for Paulinho and Manuel Ugarte.

Chermiti, a sensation in recent weeks, entered the game well and soon had an opportunity, which Rodrigo saved, and a penalty after a foul on Pedro Gonçalves, but the home team's keeper again kept it out.

Rodrigo made yet another great save in stoppage time, from Nuno Santos, and although GD Chaves would score again late on, Sporting CP held on for the win.

After a deserved triumph, they will now play again on Thursday, in Denmark, against FC Midjtylland in the Europa League.