Os Leões draw 1-1 at home with SC Braga

Sporting Clube de Portugal drew 1-1 in their Monday night fixture at home to SC Braga in Liga Portugal. Viktor Gyökeres scored the opening goal for Os Leões with a free kick in the first half.

At a sold-out Estádio José Alvalade, Rui Borges made three changes from the starting lineup fielded against Rio Ave FC, leaving Jeremiah St. Juste, Iván Fresneda and Maxi Araújo on the bench to bring in Gonçalo Inácio, Geovany Quenda and Matheus Reis.

Sporting CP were the better side and put the ball in the net from one of their first attacks, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Gyökeres was denied by just a three-centimetre margin.

Geny Catamo then fired a shot over the bar and Gyökeres had an effort saved by Lukáš Horníček. Amine El Ouazzani timidly responded for SC Braga with a strike of his own, but Rui Silva made a calm save.

Gyökeres did get his goal, and it took just 15 minutes or him to open the scoring. He had the opportunity from a direct free kick, and decided to smash the ball low, out of the reach of the goalkeeper and inside the post. It was another phenomenal goal, and the 44th of the season for the Swedish hitman -his 31st in the league.

In response, SC Braga advanced their lines and began to get closer to the Sporting CP area, although without creating any danger. From distance, Uroš Račić tried his luck with one of his side's rare attacks of note, but his shot went wide.

It was Sporting CP who came closest to scoring again before the break, in the 37th minute: A ball stolen by Gyökeres led to him advancing into the area and releasing off his foot for a miraculous save by Lukáš Horníček using his head.

Before the interval, Rodrigo Zalazar hit a powerful shot that was well saved by Rui Silva, taking the game into half time with the score at 1-0.

SC Braga returned from the break with the idea of shooting from distance, and had attempts such as Zalazar's shot wide in the 52nd minute. Sporting CP managed to react shortly after, when Quenda, following a clever move by Catamo, drew a another save from Horníček. Off the rebound, Gyökeres missed the target.

In the 63rd minute, Zeno Debast swerved a free kick into the side netting and, shortly after, SC Braga had one of their best chances: A free kick from the right ended up with the ball in the middle of the area, causing confusion and danger, but none of the visiting side's players finished the opportunity.

On the counterattack, Sporting CP once again went forward, and Gyökeres, set up by Catamo, shot over the bar.

In 73rd minute, Rui Borges made his first two substitutions - Maxi Araújo and Eduardo Felicíssimo came on, with Geny Catamo and Zeno Debast withdrawn.

Another good chance went Sporting CP's way, as Quenda recovered possession and passed to Francisco Trincão, whose attack was blocked by Horníček.

SC Braga's goalkeeper saved his team further when he denied Araújo, who had appeared from the left and shot across goal.

Horníček needed to stop from Trincão with ten minutes to go, and the Portuguese international dragged wide in another opportunity moments later.

Amidst this onslaught, SC Braga equalised in the 87th minute, thanks to a header from Afonso Patrão.

Before the end, Conrad Harder came on to replace Matheus Reis and SC Braga's João Moutinho was sent off for a second yellow card, but the result did not change further.

Os Leões will play again next Saturday, heading to the Azores to face CD Santa Clara.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Eduardo Quaresma, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo inácio, Geovany Quenda, Morten Hjulmand [C], Zeno Debast (Eduardo Felicíssimo, 73'), Matheus Reis (Conrad Harder, 90'), Francisco Trincão, Geny Catamo (Maxi Araújo, 73') and Viktor Gyökeres.