Sporting CP beat SC Farense 0-5 on the road

At the Estádio Algarve, Sporting Clube de Portugal continued their impressive start to the Liga Portugal season, beating SC Farense 0-5 on Matchday 3.

Playing away from home for the second consecutive game, they once again showed their effectiveness in front of goal, with a hat-trick by Viktor Gyökeres, a strike by Marcus Edwards and an own goal also accompanied by a clean sheet.

Picking his side to face an always aggressive and demanding SC Farense team coached by José Mota, Sporting CP boss Rúben Amorim repeated the starting XI from the 1-6 win over CD Nacional. It consisted of Vladan Kovačević, Eduardo Quaresma, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Geovany Quenda, Hidemasa Morita, Daniel Bragança, Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincão, Pedro Gonçalves and Viktor Gyökeres. Captain Morten Hjulmand and defender Jeremiah St. Juste remained out due to injury, while Nuno Santos and Rodrigo Ribeiro returned to the squad.

SC Farense decided to host the match at the Estádio Algarve instead of their own Estádio de São Luís, due to the additional interest in the contest, and were still looking for their first goals and points of the season.

Sporting CP quickly created several dangerous approaches in the first few minutes, the most notable requiring goalkeeper Ricardo Velho to save a shot from Gonçalves. Gyökeres - always ready to attack from deep - had two good opportunities to finish, but both of his hits ended up blocked on the way to goal. On the third attempt, after a quarter of an hour had elapsed, Velho got the better of the Swedish striker, reading his intentions in a one-on-one.

SC Farense's defence had blocked a shot from Quenda in the area, but from there, Gyökeres took over. It all started with Gonçalves, who played a brilliant pass to find Bragança in the area and, although his effortful shot was parried by goalkeeper, it fell to the feet of the forward, who controlled and scored.

And about ten minutes later, a handball by Lucas Áfrico inside the area resulted in a penalty being given, and Gyökeres converted well.

In the meantime, the home team’s only attacking attempt in the first half was smothered by Gonçalo Inácio, getting in the way of Mohamed Belloumi’s acrobatic shot. At the other end, before half time Quenda raced at full speed and finished a counterattack with a shot wide.

To start off the second period, a deflected shot from Gonçalves sent out a warning. Sporting CP continued to control the game, and made changes In the 63rd minute: Geovany Quenda made way for Nuno Santos, who made his first appearance of 2024/25 at the ground where he had been injured in preseason.

A curling shot from Trincão preceded two goals practically in succession: Gyökeres, in unstoppable form, burst into the box to smash home with his left foot, completing his first hat-trick of the season. Just a few minutes later, a free kick by Nuno Santos ended up with a cross that hit Lucas Áfrico and went into the SC Farense player's own goal.

For Sporting CP, Kovačević showed his reflexes to keep out a venomous cross close to goal, and from then on the show continued to be led by the visitors in attack.

Marcus Edwards, on as a sub, capped the scoring with a solo move and strike inside the far post. Gyökeres then had chances to make it 0-6 with his head and feet, but was unable to find the best placement for both shots.

Having collected a full nine points from three matches, Sporting CP now have O Clássico against FC Porto to prepare for, scheduled for August 31st at 8:30pm.