The striker contributes a hat-trick and assist in a 4-0 win over Rio Ave FC

Closing out 2025 in the best possible way, Sporting CP took a resounding 4-0 win at the Estádio José Alvalade against Rio Ave FC in Liga Portugal. Luis Suárez scored his first hat-trick for Sporting and also provided an assist for Maxi Araújo's goal.

Some 47,032 spectators turned out to see the team's fourth consecutive victory and their eighth win on the bounce at home – the best record in the entire calendar year. The reigning Liga Portugal champions have 41 points, and continue their pursuit of leaders FC Porto.

Rio Ave FC came into the game in good form away from home, having earned 11 of their 17 points on their travels. Sporting CP coach Rui Borges made only one change to the starting lineup that had won away at Vitória SC: Georgios Vagiannidis took over at right-back in the absence of the suspended Iván Fresneda.

Sporting CP didn't take long to attack the mid-to-low block set up by the opposition, managed by Greek coach Sotiris Sylaidopoulos. In the very first minute, Luis Suárez turned in the area and shot wide, and ten minutes later, a cross-shot from Maxi Araújo forced Cezary Miszta to make his first save.

However, it took longer for Sporting to truly settle in, with their opponents always on the lookout for counter-attacks and very organised defensively. Before the half-hour mark, two more opportunities arose: Suárez, with a beautiful header, sent the ball just outside the post, and then a save by Miszta denied Ricardo Mangas a goal.

Finally, a perfectly executed set piece opened the doors in the 33rd minute. From a Maxi corner, João Simões rose to make the first flick off the ball at the near post and, at the back stick, Suárez popped up to make the decisive finish, giving Sporting CP the lead going into halftime.

For the restart, Sporting CP brought the same desire to dominate with the ball, but encountered the same difficulties in finding space inside. That was, until a chipped pass from Luis Suárez flew over the Rio Ave defence and Maxi Araújo had the composure to round Miszta and make it 2-0. It was the Uruguayan's fourth goal in his last four appearances.

It was from here that another offensive avalanche got underway. Suárez had a dangerous shot intercepted and Miszta was quick to close the path to the goal in front of Ioannidis.

On 60 minutes, Francisco Trincão sent corner kick to the far post and Suárez headed it in perfectly. Then, just a minute later, Suárez collected the rebound from Trincão's shot and tapped it in to complete his first hat-trick in the green and white. He has 18 goals so far in his debut season for Sporting CP, with 14 in the league alone, taking him joint top of the goalscoring charts along with Vangelis Pavlidis of SL Benfica.

Sporting CP smelled blood and attacked mercilessly, and immediately Rui Borges made several substitutions to manage the game. Gonçalo Inácio, Hjulmand, Simões, and Maxi were replaced by Matheus Reis, Giorgi Kochorashvili, Hidemasa Morita, and Alisson Santos, and later, Flávio Gonçalves came on for Ioannidis.

Until the end, the most significant approaches continued to be from Sporting CP. The game ended 4-0 at Alvalade, where the defending champions haven't conceded a goal for exactly two months.

Rui Borges' side, who have now gone 12 consecutive league games without defeat, have a trip to Barcelos to face Gil Vicente FC to open the new year. The game takes place on Friday, January 2nd, at 6:45pm.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Georgios Vagiannidis, Eduardo Quaresma, Gonçalo Inácio (Matheus Reis, 68’), Ricardo Mangas, Morten Hjulmand [C] (Giorgi Kochorashvili, 64’), João Simões (Hidemasa Morita, 64’), Maxi Araújo (Alisson Santos, 64’), Francisco Trincão, Fotis Ioannidis (Flávio Gonçalves, 77’), Luis Suárez