A stellar display gives the team all three points at home

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat SC Braga 5-0 at home on Sunday on Matchday 21 in Liga Portugal.

There were 39,851 fans in the stands, the vast majority of whom were Sporting CP supporters, and the game was preceded by a minute of silence in honor of João Oliveira Pinto.

For the contest, Rúben Amorim brought Hidemasa Morita back into the XI for his first start since returning from the Asian Cup. He joined a lineup consisting of Antonio Adán, Eduardo Quaresma, Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo, Morten Hjulmand, Nuno Santos, Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres and Pedro Gonçalves.

After two early attempts, first from the left and then from the right, Sporting CP got their opening goal through Francisco Trincão: The winger intercepted a pass from Victor Gomez on the edge of the box and shot low past goalkeeper Matheus.

SC Braga responded soon after, but both Eduardo Quaresma and Sebastián Coates intercepted the breakthrough admirably. Sporting CP were attentive and consistent in defence, and clinical in attack, with Geny Catamo almost making it 2-0 as his shot went just over the Braga goal.

Even so, it didn't take much longer for the green and white to score again: after giving it to Francisco Trincão and Pedro Gonçalves failing to get the shot, after falling, Eduardo Quaresma appeared in the area, recovered and shot to make it 2-0 in a still very early stage of the game. Great play by central Leonino crowned with doubling the green and white advantage.

From then on, playing with the comfort of a two-goal lead after an intense start, Sporting CP started to manage the game more, but were always in control. As a result, they continued to reach the SC Braga area several times and, before the half-hour, won a dangerous free kick that Trincão shot over the top.

Only near the break, off a dead ball, would the away team manage to get close to goal. However, Zalazar's shot from the right did not threaten Adán. The Sporting CP goalkeeper also saw Álvaro Djaló's shot go wide of the mark.

The second half started without changes for either team, but began slightly differently to the first due to the low pace. Sporting CP continued to be the better side, but SC Braga also managed to show themselves more and force Antonio Adán to be more attentive.

In the 62nd minute, after Nuno Santos had shot inches wide and Amorim had brought Daniel Bragança on for Hidemasa Morita, Adán made a stop to deny Álvaro Djaló an almost certain goal. The Braga winger then had another opportunity, without success, and in response, Sporting CP made it 3-0.

Whilst in the first half Viktor Gyökeres had been more successful with crosses than shots, in the second stanza he got his almost inevitable goal: Receiving from Trincão, he beat a defender and, on the fall, shot with his right foot past Matheus.

Pedro Gonçalves then managed to pass to Bragança, and the newly introduced midfielder struck to make it 4-0.

Pedro Gonçalves then managed to pass to Bragança, and the newly introduced midfielder struck to make it 4-0.

Sporting CP still had more than 15 minutes remaining, and thus Amorim made changes again soon after with a double substitution: Quaresma and Gonçalves made way for Matheus Reis and Marcus Edwards, respectively. Before the end, Paulinho and Ricardo Esgaio came on for Gyökeres and Catamo, before the scoring was rounded off.

In a move that included a possible handball inside the area, the ball reached Nuno Santos and the winger made it 5-0 five minutes from the final whistle.

With yet another impressive triumph, Sporting CP gained three more points and returned to the summit of the Liga Portugal table. They will play again on Thursday in Switzerland, against BSC Young Boys, in the first leg of the playoff for the Round of 16 in the Europa League. The next league match is scheduled for February 19th at Moreirense FC.