Coates on extending his stay in Alvalade

Sebastián Coates was a largely unknown name for many Sporting fans when arriving at Alvalade this January, but the backing given by fellow Uruguayan and former teammate at Liverpool, Luís Suárez, has certainly rung true: "A player like Sebastián brings lot of quality to a team. I am certain he will be a great signing." Since arriving in the Portuguese capital, Sabastián truly has bossed the Sporting defence in an intimidating double-team with Rúben Semedo.

"All players dream of playing for a club that is fighting for titles, with ambitious objectives, and that made the difference for me", said Coates in an interview with the Sporting website after signing his loan extension, before adding a word on his odd forays forward: "Personally, my role is to defend, but If I can help in attack then I will."

Jorge Jesus' focus on defence has actually taken the Uruguayan by surprise, considering that goals are need to turn in wins. However, the final result can of course be decided by good defending. "The coach worries a lot about how we defend. Of course goals are needed to win, but he really worries about getting us all defending. Not every coach does that and it makes a big difference", said the defensive giant, finishing: "This is a great club with fans who are always pushing the players. I want to do my best for this shirt for us to get the results that we all want."

Alvalade president sits down with the Sporting president ahead of league showdown

You have to go back 42 years for the last time that Sporting and Benfica took the title race down to the last match of the season. It was in 1974, when millions waited for the final whistle. History isn't on Sporting's side, with the league leaders going into the decisive fixture tending to hold out and take the trophy, however Bruno de Carvalho sees things a little differently.

“Going into the last match of the season, we are two points behind first place. Of course it isn't the place we would prefer to be in and of course we would like to be in first. However, we are completely focused and we know anything could happen. That is what makes football such a beautiful game. While it is mathematically possible, anything can happen", commented the Alvalade president in an interview with the Sporting Journal this week, adding: "What I see is a Sporting team focused on our match and that believes that we can bring home a title that we have been missing for so long now. We will do everything we can to do that."

Sporting's hopes of silverware after the dust settles this weekend does however not just depend on what happens in Estádio Municipal de Braga. Meanwhile in Lisbon, Benfica will host Nacional, with Sporting needing the team from Madeira to at least steal a point.

“Looking at Benfica-Nacional, well from what I have seen and heard it seems like Nacional doesn't count for anything. It seems like Nacional doesn't care. That if what I have felt when listening to commentators associated with Benfica, but honestly I don't believe it", affirmed Carvalho, continuing: "Nacional are a good side and I don't think they want to be the side show for the league title. I know how hard Rui Alves has been working to put Nacional on the map and they are fighting for places further up the league now. Of course Benfica are motivated, because winning gives them the league, but Nacional are motivated as well."

The coach reflects on the cup exit

After Sporting CP's elimination in the semi-final of the Taça da Liga, Rui Borges gave a press conference to analyse the match against Vitória SC.

Reaction to the game and the setbacks
"It's difficult. It's something that seems like a study in adversity. Today, for the first time, I feel like that, and I believe the team feel it too: However optimistic we are, it hurts to see so many people out injured. It's not an excuse, however, as in a game where we could have made it 2-0, the opposition ended up believing in themselves in stoppage time and were lucky. That's all."

More pressure
"The pressure is a daily thing at Sporting CP, regardless of whether or not we achieve our objectives and results. The pressure is there to be a better team and to win. More than the results, I believe that everything that has happened affects the players. We, as the coaching staff, have to find a way to lift them up. We have to move on and focus on what's left to play for this season: the entire second half of the campaign is still to come, and we have to do better than in the first, because only then can we achieve our objectives."

The wave of injuries
"It's not the muscle injuries that have been keeping players out. As optimistic as I am and as much as I don't dwell on it, my greatest sadness is leaving here today without having two players available for the next game. It gets to a point where it's impossible not to feel it. But we don't have that many muscle injuries. They are mostly trauma injuries, which are things that happen and we have to push through."

Going into the transfer market
"There's accumulated fatigue, and today you noticed it in the collective energy we had. So many injuries should be a case study. It's unbelievable; I don't know what else can happen to us. We had to make another two substitutions due to injuries. I repeat that it's not an excuse, but it's really difficult not to have a moment when we feel hindered by it. Today I leave here really sad, and even more so because Edu [Quaresma]'s injury seems a bit more serious.

Sporting CP live off our academy, and if we have to rely on those players, we will. We can't go into the transfer market as a knee-jerk reaction, otherwise in two months we'll have forty players in the squad. We have to be cautious and assess if there's any specific need, but we'll always rely on the youngsters."

The late turnaround
"We're going to try to fight for everything we still can: The Taça de Portugal and the league. There's still a long way to go, many points to play for, and we have to have an even better second half of the season than the first. Whoever is in the lead is having an extraordinary season. We are focused on what we want. We really want to compete in the Taça de Portugal final, just as we wanted to compete in this one, but we have to give credit to the opponents, who always believed.

We lost some rebounds, some loose balls, and it's noticeable that collectively we don't have that much energy. Here and there, we weren't as competent in some moves. It's natural that the fans aren't happy, because this club always wants to be in with the chance of a trophy and today we didn't manage it. Both they and we are sad."

No lack of attitude
"There's no lack of attitude at all. We could have made it 2-0 and we didn't, just like against Gil Vicente FC. We just have to understand how to better control the final phase of the games, even with this accumulated fatigue."

Tactical changes after Fotis Ioannidis' injury
"Each player's individual ability is different. We put Francisco Trincão inside, as a left-footer and we put a right-footer playing wide, which isn't something we usually do, but Alisson gives us one-on-one opportunities in the channel. Perhaps we lacked the attacking depth that Fotis [Ioannidis] gives us, because Trincão is a supporting player, but in tactical terms nothing changed, only what each one brings to the team."

The team suffer a stoppage-time turnaround against Vitória SC

Sporting Clube de Portugal lost 1-2 to Vitória SC on Tuesday, eliminating them from the Taça da Liga. In the game at the Dr. Magalhães Pessoa stadium in Leiria, they opened the scoring early but conceded two goals in stoppage time.

With Daniel Bragança back in the squad and new arrival Luís Guilherme making his debut, Rui Borges fielded a starting XI with only one change from the last match, and with youngster Flávio Gonçalves getting his first start for the senior side.

The initial pace of the match was lukewarm, and the first ten minutes passed without any major incidents: On four minutes, Flávio Gonçalves made a run down the wing and, on eight minutes, Vitória SC's Oumar Camara was played in ahead of Rui Silva, but neither team managed to capitalise on their moves.

However, the scoring was opened before the quarter-hour. Luis Suárez found the net when Francisco Trincão sent the ball over the Vitória defense and played the Colombian through. Squaring up to goalkeeper Charles Silva, he shot first-time for his fifth goal in three games.

The opposition relied on speed on the wings, and sought to respond immediately. On 19 minutes, Gonçalo Nogueira had an effort blocked by Matheus Reis. On 21 minutes, another warning came from Miguel Nóbrega. And, on 23 minutes, Sporting CP suffered a setback: Fotis Ioannidis went down injured and was eventually replaced by Alisson Santos.

For Vitória SC, Diogo Sousa's strike went just wide, before a pair of quick Sporting CP moves saw them win several corners in quick succession: From the first, Flávio Gonçalves had a shot was deflected out. On the second attempt, Eduardo Quaresma rose high but headed over the crossbar.

At 35 minutes, Luis Suárez nearly scored a second with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, only to be denied by Charles Silva. Alisson Santos, who Sporting CP signed from UD Leiria and was thus used to the cup semi-final venue, appeared on the right side of the six-yard box to receive the rebound and smashed the ball, but the goalkeeper made a monumental save.

Later, in stoppage time, it was Rui Silva's turn to shine. Rodrigo Abascal saw the Sporting CP goalkeeper out of position and tried to chip him from behind the halfway line, but the Portuguese international showed quick reflexes to scramble back.

After the interval, Sporting CP came back out eager to go for the second goal. In the 47th minute, inside the penalty area, Trincão responded connected with a cross from Alisson Santos and only failed to score due to the poor condition of the pitch.

At the other end, Vitória SC continued to show danger in transitions, and Nélson Oliveira had a good chance in the 49th minute that he ended up sending well over the bar.

In the 51st minute, Iván Fresneda served up a chance for João Simões, and the young midfielder turned and forced another good save from Charles Silva – who was important again three minutes later, stopping an attempt by Luis Suárez.

In the 67th minute, there was another blow delt to Rui Borges. After a heavy collision, Eduardo Quaresma needed to be taken off. The Sporting coach used the opportunity to make a double substitution, bringing on Rômulo Jr. and Hidemasa Morita.

Amidst a stop-start period of play, in the 84th minute Alisson Santos unleashed a piledriver from inside the area, forcing Charles Silva to make another intervention.

In the 89th minute, Trincão tried to kill the game off inside the area, sending a defender to the floor and teeing up Hidemasa Morita. The Japanese only failed to score because of a block from Charles Silva.

Beyond the 90 minutes, Rui Borges made another double substitution, bringing on Luís Guilherme, who joined Giorgi Kochorashvili for the minimum 11 minutes of added time given by the referee.

Then the game turned on its head. Alioune Ndoye equalised for Vitória SC. In the 92nd minute, after a well-executed move on the right, the striker appeared in the six-yard box to finish past Rui Silva.

Both teams pressed for the goal that would secure their place in the final and avoid a penalty shootout. The opponents had a direct free kick from Matija Mitrovic graze the post, then got their second goal from another Alioune Ndoye opportunity, in a smash-and-grab ending to the game.

The defeat means that Sporting CP thus said goodbye to the possibility of competing for their first trophy of 2026.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GR], Matheus Reis, Francisco Trincão (Luís Guilherme, 90’), Maxi Araújo, Iván Fresneda, Morten Hjulmand, João Simões (Giorgi Kochorashvili, 90’), Flávio Gonçalves (Hidemasa Morita, 67’), Eduardo Quaresma (Rômulo Jr., 67’), Fotis Ioannidis (Alisson Santos, 24’) e Luis Suárez. Treinador: Rui Borges. Disciplina: cartão amarelo para Iván Fresneda (43’) e Giorgi Kochorashvili (90+9’).

The coach reacts to the 1-1 draw against Gil Vicente FC

Following Sporting CP's 1-1 draw in Barcelos, coach Rui Borges gave his analysis of the match against Gil Vicente FC.

The result
"It all ends up being subjective, about the 'ifs', but we could have made it 0-2 to kill the game off and prevent Gil Vicente FC from growing in confidence. We started the second half very well, and in the first half we controlled play. Gil Vicente FC tried transitions and set pieces, where they created more danger, and we managed to break their press, but we lacked some quality. We scored from an attack that we should have tried more often, and then, in the second half, we started very well, but from the 20th minute onwards we let the game open up and Gil Vicente FC launched counter-attacks, which they are dangerous from."

The performance
"We had 64% possession and we had quality in the initial stages of the build-up, but we lacked more quality in the final third. Even more so in the first half, because in the second half we started very well and were very strong. Afterwards, we should have worn down Gil Vicente FC more, but we lost possession and allowed them to start counter-attacks, but the danger they provided was even greater from set pieces. We won't always finish our chances well, but the team were proactive."

Solutions to counter the way the opponent closed down the central areas
"The important thing was to break their initial press and establish ourselves in the opposition midfield, to force them to stay further away from our goal. We could have varied things more with longer balls instead of low passes which went through many players. That was lacking more in the first half -more than speed. The first half was less dynamic, the second half was better, but within what was asked of us, the team had a good game. We were penalised by what happened in the final part of the game."

The many players out
"It's not an excuse. We could have made it 0-2 and then we would be talking about something else, but we didn't manage to do that. We let a team who are having a great season believe in their chances until the end, at home. The sending-off affected the game and made the opposition believe even more. I'm not going to lament the players who were missing. I want everyone available, of course, and it was important, but the team fought well and had quality. There's no point in thinking about who's not here. I'm already thinking about the game against Vitória SC in the Taça da Liga, because I don't have Inácio due to his sending off and we don't have defenders available."

The effect of the draw on the top of the table
"Last year we had an eight-point advantage and dropped down to second place. There's a long way to go and we're only focused on what we can control and do."

Points lost late on against SC Braga and Gil Vicente FC
"These are two specific games. Here we were down to ten men and Gil Vicente FC, in those following minutes, grew in strength and deserved to get the draw, while we were still organising ourselves. With SC Braga it was a penalty, a move in the area. We ended up being penalised, but that's the nature of the game."

Gil Vicente FC score late to share the spoils

In their first game of 2026, Sporting CP drew 1-1 with Gil Vicente FC in Liga Portugal, as Luís Suárez' first half goal was cancelled out by a late equaliser from the home side.

At the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, they faced a Gil Vicente FC team that occupied a surprising fourth place in the league, on 28 points and coming into the game off the back of four consecutive draws. Rui Borges fielded largely the same lineup as had beaten Rio Ave FC 4-0, bringing back Iván Fresneda after suspension and including Matheus Reis in place of the injured Ricardo Mangas.

Whilst Sporting CP quickly took control, monopolising possession, the first sign of danger came from the opposition, as a surprise shot from Gustavo Varela forced Rui Silva to stretch and tip the ball over for a corner.

At the other end, Fotis Ioannidis sent an effort over the bar, before Gil Vicente settled into the game with an organisation and intensity which made it difficult for Sporting CP to break through the fourth-best defence in the league.

Goalscoring opportunities only arose very close to the end of the first half, with Gil Vicente's Tidjany Touré troubling Rui Silva after a free kick, followed by the opening strike of the game. From near the halfway line, Eduardo Quaresma created space for Luis Suárez to go through on goal, and he slid a shot through goalkeeper Andrew Ventura's legs to make it 15 league goals for the season for him.

Sporting CP went into the second half in the lead, but also received bad news, as captain Morten Hjulmand picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign, and will therefore be unavailable for the next game.

The second half was much more eventful, and began in absolutely frantic fashion. Andrew Ventura was kept busy with two well-aimed shots from Maxi Araújo and Francisco Trincão, and also denied Luis Suárez with his foot. The Colombian then shot low across the face of goal, with his effort going just wide of the post.

Gil Vicente FC had another header from Touré met by Rui Silva, as they continued to put a steady stream of balls into the box.

As the final ten minutes approached, Sporting CP were reduced to ten men after Gonçalo Inácio was sent off. The referee considered that the centre back was the last man and had grabbed Varela illegally, showing him a straight red card.

Rui Borges, who had moments before brought on Hidemasa Morita and Alisson Santos, had to make another substitution, and opted for B team player Rômulo Jr. to make his debut for the first team.

From the resulting free kick, a deflected shot went just over the crossbar. Then came the equaliser for the home team, in the 87th minute. After numerous attempted crosses, Gil Vicente FC's tactic paid off, with Carlos Eduardo heading in to level.

The damage could have been even greater shortly after, were it not for Rui Silva's decisive save from former Sporting CP winger Joelson Fernandes.

Whilst there was a final opportunity off a header from Hjulmand following a corner, the score remained 1-1 at full time.

Next up is a trip to Leiria to compete in the Taça da Liga Final Four. Sporting CP will face Vitória SC in the semi-final, scheduled for Tuesday, January 6th.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GR], Iván Fresneda, Eduardo Quaresma, Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Reis (Alisson Santos, 78’), Morten Hjulmand [C], João Simões (Hidemasa Morita, 78’), Maxi Araújo, Francisco Trincão, Fotis Ioannidis (Rômulo Jr, 84’), Luis Suárez

The coach talks about the first game of 2026

2026 begins with Sporting CP back in action on Friday, facing Gil Vicente FC in the opening match of Liga Portugal Matchday 17.

Coach Rui Borges previewed the match in a press conference before the away trip.

Wishes for 2026
“I ask for good health for myself and my family, it's the only thing I always ask for. As for the rest, happiness comes from the little things. If we have our loved ones on our side and they are well, everything is fine. As for what we want for May, that requires work and, with good health, we will do everything to get it.”

The opponents and their approach
“They are a team who are having an extraordinary season. They broke their club's points record and are very organised at all times during games. They have some relatively identifiable dynamics, but they are very intense, especially at home. They vary in terms of pressing, which is sometimes higher and at other times uses a medium block waiting for the right moment to press, so we believe that the game will vary a little in that regard. I believe they will maintain a medium block. With the ball they are ambitious and have strong players in 1 vs.1 situations. They have attackers with very good characteristics, dynamic midfielders and a physically strong defensive line as well, so they are a balanced team and it's a difficult game."

The possible departure of Pablo, Gil Vicente FC's top scorer
“For us, the coaching staff, it doesn't change anything. Pablo has just returned to action and Varela has been playing, so it could be him who is playing. They are different players, but have their own qualities. They are a team who know very well what they have to do, and we are more focused on their collective performance. We'll have to be very focused."

Injuries
"Salvador Blopa is also out due to injury."

A need to go into the transfer market
"No, my need is to recover those who can't contribute just yet, and those who are away at the African Cup of Nations. If everyone is available, I'm happy with what I have. This way, we have more solutions and resources for our way of playing. If we add someone, it will always be from a perspective looking to the future, and not because of current absences. I'm focused on the entire squad being motivated; everyone is important, everyone will have opportunities and they have to deliver, and that's what has been happening."

His three wishes at a sporting level
"Very honestly, I don't know how to answer that. For now, it's to continue at Sporting CP, because I'm very happy here. We want to be part of Sporting CP's history and fight for every competition we're involved in. We know we won't always win, but that doesn't mean we'll stop being a great team. My wish is for good health to do what I love most, where I am now."

Comparisons between Viktor Gyökeres and Luis Suárez
“They are different and bring different things to the team. Viktor made history at Sporting CP and in Portuguese football, and I believe Luis will also make his mark on the club and in our league. I'm lucky to have been able to work with both of them -and also with Fotis. Luis and Fotis bring many things to the collective and to the dynamics that we wanted -and that are more in line with our coaching staff's outlook.”

The best team in Portugal
“For me, the best team is always mine. My players are always the best, even if they were in 15th or 16th place. In terms of points, the best team currently is FC Porto, because they are in first place. I never take away merit from those who are ahead of us, and it is necessary to respect that, but I always look at my team as the best.”

Precautions due to the intense run of games approaching
“I haven't asked for any precautions. The players know the responsibility they have; they are professional players and they know what they can and cannot do. They know that tomorrow we have an important game ahead of us and that a demanding month is coming, in which we'll be playing every three days. It will be a demanding month and a half in terms of games, with some absences.”

SL Benfica's role in the title race
“I think they are contenders. Last season, we didn't have a ten-point lead, but we were eight points ahead of second place and they recovered the gap. There are many games left, there are different patches of form for the teams and there are still many points to play for. In football, I've seen a lot happen. The margin for error is smaller, FC Porto are having a great first half to the season, and we have to do our part and wait for the season to unfold.”

The coach summarises the final game of the calendar year

Sporting CP coach Rui Borges analysed the 4-0 victory over Rio Ave FC in his post-match press conference.

The team's offensive output
“I hope I can motivate them to be even better, and not be content with what we have achieved so far in the offensive facet. Above all, we have to maintain this ambition to always be better. I also value the fact that this was another game in which we didn't concede. May 2026 be even better than 2025, which was a fantastic year.”

The football displayed by Sporting CP deserving a better league position
“Deserving is subjective. FC Porto are the best team because they are in first place, and you can never take that merit away from them. I appreciate the words of the Rio Ave FC coach [who considered that Sporting CP play the best football in Portugal], it's a sign of respect and recognition of our quality. But of course we won't always be at our best. Today we were more 'asleep' in the first half and the second half was more at our level. It's part of the game and it's natural, because you're up against another team with their own qualities.”

Using the experience learned from last season to deal with multiple absences
“I’ve always been like this, I don’t complain and I’m grateful every day for being able to be here doing what I love most. I look at my day-to-day life very positively. Last year we had ten players out at the same time, now it's eight. Fotis and Maxi played whilst sick and they didn’t train before the game, Edu woke up with symptoms and he felt it in the first half -but then he had a second half like he was playing for the national team. I trust and believe in everyone. This is a new season, a different squad, and within our ideas we find solutions, and they respond.”

Luis Suárez’s performance
“He had a great start to the season, and you don’t need to just look at today’s hat-trick to see that. From the beginning, the connection he has with the team is evident. He is fulfilling the expectations we had when we signed him. I have no doubt that he will have an era-defining time here. He understood what he needs to do to help the team and then the team help him.”

Maxi Araújo's response to playing higher up the field
“He's been responding well; not just in this game. I think he has four goals and an assist. For his national team he plays as a winger, which is different, but he plays. He's adapted very well to the team's dynamics and offers us fantastic things, and that's why he scores goals. He provides an attacking depth, for example, that 'Pote' doesn't do as often, He's a player with extraordinary commitment and energy and embodies Sporting CP's values, both in terms of his quality and attitude. Nothing surprises me about him.”

SL Benfica's draw in Braga
“I want us to be first. I don't want to be third. So I look at the first and I know that, now, we're two points behind and we have to do our part to get there. I don't look at third place, I look at first place. The second half of the season has many games in it, a lot can still happen, but we have to do our part.”

Eduardo Quaresma's chances of going to the World Cup
“The national team coach has to decide, but clearly, based on what he's been doing, he's national team player quality. He's taken advantage of Diomande and Zeno [Debast]'s absence, biding his time, but we believe in him a lot and he's been having great games. I'm happy for him and hope he continues like this. He's grown a lot, and even in his day-to-day work, he's more mature and rigorous.”

A January packed with games
“The schedule is what it is. January will be even tougher than December. We're going to play in the Taça da Liga and the players want to play in another final. They just want to play, and for me it's more difficult because we haven't been able to rest some of them as much as we'd like -but we have to deal with that. I look at things one game at a time, but I think the month of January won't dictate anything in terms of the outcome of the league. There are still many games to play.”

Sporting CP becoming the team he has managed for the most games
“It’s always special. I’m at a great club, where I was Liga Portugal champion, won the Taça de Portugal, and where I’m very happy.”

Commitment to young players from the academy
“Everyone is prepared to respond. Flávio gives us very unique things, Blopa too, and they are players who have been with us more when we've had absences, but there are many more on the B team who can be called up. The B team are having a great season and they have to remain humble to get more opportunities. We believe that in the future they will be important at Sporting CP.”

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

The coach looks at the meeting with Rio Ave FC

To close out 2025, Sporting CP play at the Estádio José Alvalade against Rio Ave FC this Sunday in Liga Portugal action. On the eve of the match, coach Rui Borges held a press conference to preview the contest.

The dangers posed by Rio Ave FC as visitors
“Regarding Rio Ave FC, and whether they are more vulnerable without Clayton, I give as an example the game away to Benfica where they drew: Neither Clayton nor André Luiz were starters, and they are the two players who are most talked about at this stage of the season and have been the most impactful. This speaks volumes about Rio Ave FC, a team that will create some difficulties for us. Away from home, they only lost in Moreira de Cónegos, and drew at Luz and in Famalicão. This shows their competitiveness when playing away. If we think we're going to score a goal just by waiting, then we're wrong. We have to be serious and rigorous in our approach, as we were with Vitória SC."

Options for the match
“Maxi Araújo is doubtful because he's feeling ill. Debast and Dani are still in the process of reaching their best level. At the right time they will be solutions for us, but not right now. Hjulmand, who is close to serving a suspension due to accumulated yellow cards, will play. There's no need to manage the approach based on cards, because the most important game is this one against Rio Ave FC, which is the next one. When one player is unavailable, another will play and they will respond. It has been like that up to now, and will continue to be so.”

The motivation to win three titles in a row
“My players already have enough fuel for motivation. Their greatest ambition, as was evident in some of their interviews during these last few days, is to achieve something very important that will mark the history of Sporting CP: The 'Tricampeonato.' It is the greatest motivation we have. We want to win the league again and be part of the club's history. It's natural that everyone wants to beat a winning team, and our group are the two-time champions. It's natural that there is this noise created around the champions, and our group feels it, like any other team would. Is it motivation? I believe that at some point, yes, it becomes part of it, because we keep hearing and reading things. In my teamtalks I don't use it much; I use more the fact that they are good, that they are the best."

The January transfer window
“If someone joins, it will be because everything is done in a well-structured and thoughtful way, always with a perspective for the future, and not because we have injuries or players at the African Cup of Nations. It’s natural that there’s more talk about the winger position because of Quenda’s injury and Geny’s absence, but the adaptations have been good and have provided solutions. I’m not worried. We’ll see what the market can offer us. It will be down to whether we have the capacity, think it’s the best time and it's someone who will immediately add something to the group. All these factors are important.”

President Frederico Varandas’ statements after the victory in Guimarães
“It was the president’s opinion, and I also already said what I had to say about that game [against CD Santa Clara]. The president told me right away on the plane, and I only saw the footage then. It’s always a matter of criteria; I’ve seen them be given and also not be given."

His happiest and most challenging days at Sporting CP
“I haven’t had any difficult days, only happy days. Even when I didn’t win or we lost a trophy, I was happy to be there competing and to be at Sporting CP. I’m very positive. It’s difficult to say just one happiest day. The day of the presentation is memorable for us, the coaching staff, and also the two days where we won trophies, because the title is the dream of any coach -and winning the cup, especially because my parents were in the stadium. I would say those three days.”

João Simões
“The biggest challenge is down to him. He is a very mature boy and this is also recognised by his colleagues, but he has a lot to do to grow. He is very focused, he knows he will make mistakes, but he is ready to make mistakes again and learn. He will have a bright future.”