Borges: "The victory was a more than fair result"

Rui Borges gave a press conference after the 1-3 win for Sporting CP over Casa Pia AC.

The result
“The victory was a more than fair result. The first half was evenly balanced, but we reached a 0-2 lead with the game under control. Afterwards it took us a while to adapt our pressure, due to the midfielders being wary of going forward. There was a lack of pressure and we needed to connect with the game more. Then we conceded to make it 1-2 in a move in which we had things under control, which cannot happen; there was a lack of focus. With that, we let the opponents believe, when they weren't doing anything to do so. That's why they entered the second half with a different energy, believing a different result was possible. After that, the game was more competitive, and Rui Silva made a good save after off a set piece, but we were growing and improving, and the substitutions helped with that too. Morita and Geny started well, from then on we had more opportunities and we began to control things."

Hidemasa Morita's introduction
“His and Geny's gave us another level of offensive power. We have to see that the game always has two teams involved; two competent teams. As much as we are the stronger side, we have to demonstrate this on the pitch. Casa Pia AC hadn't lost at home since August and, in my opinion, we were very competent. Apart from their goal, in a completely controlled move, the game was back and forth, but Sporting CP always controlled things. In the second half there was more competitiveness, we didn't have as much of the ball as we wanted, but the introduction of Morita and Geny was very important to calm the game down more and have more possession."

The fight for the title
“I only focus on what we can control, on Sporting CP. It's normal for us to look and see that SL Benfica are close, and can move level on points, but we have to focus and be rigorous. We are in first place, there are nine games to go and we know they will be very difficult for everyone: Sporting CP, SL Benfica, FC Porto and SC Braga. But, more than thinking about our opponents, we have to focus on ourselves. The team are growing and we have our fans who today, once again, made us feel like we were playing at home. They were fantastic and, for me, that’s what’s important: Feeling like we’re all focused and connected even if sometimes things don’t go the way we want.”

The importance of Viktor Gyökeres
“We don't shy away from the importance he has, for everything he gives to the team, for what he transmits to his teammates and also to the opposition. He is a phenomenal player. He has it all: Technique, strength and speed. He's amazing, and I said that before working with him. He is, without a doubt, one of the best of all time in our league. His importance is obvious and demonstrates his ability to score goals.”

Goals from set pieces becoming more frequent
“Nothing has changed. We just weren't scoring goals, but we had chances. That's football. Sometimes it's a question of being able to finish chances. We won't always be able to do this, but the drought people talk about is not correct. It’s a matter of hitting the target."

The absence of Franco Israel on the bench and Morten Hjulmand's inclusiong in the lineup
“Franco had a problem. I believe it is nothing serious and that he will be available for the next game. As for Morten, he missed a few days of training and he's not at full strength yet, but he's very important for the team, he's our captain. So it had more to do with his leadership and what he stands for. We have a young team and sometimes we need help from the captains on the pitch. Furthermore, it's what he gives us. I have always said, with all due respect to others, that he and Gyökeres are the best players in the league."

Sporting CP continue top of the Liga Portugal table

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Casa Pia AC 1-3 at the Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior, on Matchday 25 of the Liga Portugal season.

The teams first and sixth in the table faced each other for the 21st time, with the most notable news from the starting XI the return of captain Morten Hjulmand.

With no further changes compared to the last game, Rui Borges went with a lineup of Rui Silva, Ricardo Esgaio, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Iván Fresneda, Zeno Debast, Morten Hjulamnd, Matheus Reis, Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres and Geovany Quenda.

As expected, Casa Pia AC went at Sporting CP in the opening minutes, but soon the roles were reversed -with Gyökeres gaining prominence. The Swede's runs on both the right and left provided the initial opportunities of the game: In the first, Debast shot wide, and in the second Trincão had his effort cut out by Tchamba.

On the third chance, Gyökeres himself was the target, but was unable to finish off a good move by Quenda.

Sporting CP took the lead off a short corner on the right, Quenda placing the ball into the area and Inácio heading it inside the far post.

They came close to making it 0-2 soon after, as Fresneda set up Quenda, but the shot went wide of goal.

The pace of the match then slowed down, but both teams continued to enjoy looks on goal. A shot by Fresneda went straight at the Casa Pia AC goalkeeper in one such move.

Not even five minutes later, Sporting CP did double their lead. Hjulmand put Gyökeres through, and the Swede entered the area on the right, squared up to the defence and sent his shot between two opponents and under the goalkeeper.

The home team responded with approaches on goal and clawed the scoreline back to 1-2: Esgaio tried to intercept a ball from Miguel Sousa and put it past Rui Silva into the net.

After the interval, Rui Silva was required to make saves from José Fonte and Rafael Brito. Sporting CP, who were having some difficulty gaining possession, only managed to respond later, with Gyökeres entering the area from the right and shooting under pressure for a Sequeira stop.

After the hour mark, the first two substitutions for Sporting CP saw Hjulmand and Quenda coming off and Hidemasa Morita – back after injury – and Geny Catamo replacing them.

With more of the ball and a sturdier midfield, they built up play to create further attacks. The third goal arrived in the 75th minute, when Trincão was brought down in the box by Tchamba. Referee Hélder Malheiro consulted VAR, awarded the spot kick, and Gyökeres stepped up to convert.

With the score at 1-3, Sporting CP became more comfortable. There were opportunities for Gyökeres to complete his hat trick, and he came close when Tchamba cleared off the line when he had rounded the goalkeeper. His follow-up strike took a deflection and ended up with Trincão, who shot wide.

In the end, the three points went back to Alvalade, keeping Sporting CP top of the table with a game in hand. Next Saturday, they play FC Famalicão at home.

The coach previews the meeting with Casa Pia AC

Sporting Clube de Portugal go to the Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior this Sunday to face Casa Pia AC in Liga Portugal action. Coach Rui Borges previewed the match in his press conference.

The team's form
“The team are doing well and have shown that they are growing in terms of physical strength and confidence. We are doing better, the team feel better individually and collectively, and I believe we will only improve”.

Analysis of Casa Pia AC
“They've had a great season. They are a very committed, cohesive and defensively compact team. Despite having lost some players in the January transfer window, they remain a very fast and strong team with quick attacks. They play with a low-mid block and in Alvalade used a line of six, but I believe that tomorrow they won't use that formation, because they have confidence and, therefore, must maintain their usual dynamics. They are a confident team, who will cause us problems and who haven't lost at home since August. This clearly demonstrates the difficulties we face, in addition to the weather conditions. We'll see what the pitch looks like. Regardless of these difficulties, we have to be the better side and win”.

The club's 100% record against Casa Pia AC
“I don't look at it much, either negatively or positively. I look at the moment of form itself. We have got two wins, which gives us more confidence. The atmosphere is fantastic, but above all we have to maintain the intensity, competitiveness, dedication and rigor that we had in the game against GD Estoril Praia, and then combine collective and individual quality”.

Possible returns for Hjulmand and Morita
“They are two players who could be available for the game. As I said before, they are dependent on how they feel. They are improving, but I believe they could be a solution for minutes in tomorrow’s game”.

The adaptation of Biel Teixeira
“There is a lack of opportunities to play, but at the right time he will get his. On a daily basis we look at what we can work on better in relation to his adaptation to the team and our league. He looks very motivated to be representing a big club and to learn as well. It makes me happy to see him wanting to improve”.

Zeno Debast's best position
“I look at Zeno for his characteristics, because technically he is very well evolved. At 21 years old he is growing too. For a centre back, he's not very aggressive. He's fast and has technical quality, but he has to grow in terms of duels and the use of his body. In both defence and midfield, I think he has enormous potential. I even think that as a midfielder he has been more aggressive than as a defender. Call me crazy, but in the future he could be a great midfielder. I really like talking to the player and understanding his feelings, because that's the only way the team improve. At this moment, he has managed to respond”.

Lessons for the final stretch of the season
“The president has already clarified everything regarding the transfer market. I'm calm about the squad I have. We will reach the end and we will be champions. In our minds there is only one thing: Being able to be Two-time Champions. I don't even think about the transfer market. We have to be capable, with the team we have, of becoming champions. That’s our thinking”.

Taking care with Viktor Gyökeres
“In terms of managing his fitness, not even we can put the brakes on him sometimes. He is very focused and very committed to his job and everything we ask him to do. He has showed extraordinary commitment, his ambition is enormous and that's good for a young team like ours. He has had extraordinary seasons at Sporting CP and of course there will be great teams around the world who want him. He seems committed and ambitious for the end of the season”.

Tactical variations and full-backs on the flanks
“It’s very subjective. In terms of our initial structure, in the last game we returned to a line of three and I went more for the comfort of the characteristics of the players we had available, without straying from our gameplan. When I arrived we played 4-4-2 to defend, but we often built with three at the back. They are natural things. Rúben [Amorim] sometimes played with two wingers, but that will also be affected by the players we have available. We won 3-1 with Matheus [Reis] and Iván [Fresneda] on the wings, and each one gives their own things to the team, but we created several opportunities and the team are still competitive. I’m especially happy that players are starting to come back so we can be stronger and have more solutions”.

The coach reviews the 3-1 win over GD Estoril Praia

After Sporting CP's return to winning ways in the league, coach Rui Borges spoke in a press conference to reflect on the team's performance.

Eduardo Felicíssimo's debut
"I want to highlight the courage, ambition and desire of the entire team. Six months ago, Eduardo Felicíssimo was starting in the Under-17 European Championship and now he is fighting to be a league champion with Sporting CP. He had a very balanced, consistent game and handled the yellow card very well. I asked him just to be happy and make a lot of mistakes - because players only truly make mistakes if they hide. He and the other youngsters are kids who have a dream and who have had opportunities."

The team's performance
"We had a very good 96 minutes, with fantastic commitment. We were clearly the better side for much of the time. We could have won by three or four goals, but in the last ten minutes we let GD Estoril Praia believe and get back into the match. A lack of maturity still leads us to make some mistakes, although that is natural if you look at the players on the pitch."

The importance of the victory
"It's worth three points. After sixteen games in charge, I've only lost two, both in the UEFA Champions League. Getting two wins in a row doesn't matter to me. We focus a lot on our daily work. We've shown ambition, despite all the setbacks. The team are happy, united, competitive and want to be two-time champions. We maintain the position we want and we'll continue on our path."

Biel's availability
"He's a solution, like everyone else, but we have to understand if the game requires his characteristics. He is focused, happy and will have his moments. He can play in the same area of the pitch as Trincão or Quenda, but in this match, Geny gave us more speed and Harder came on to offer us more energy. I'm happy to see Biel happy, willing to understand the demands of playing here and willing to learn."

Viktor Gyökeres' performance
"He is doing well physically, and in the second half he showed his ability. The idea was to exploit the one-on-ones and Gyökeres is very strong in that. He has enormous ability."

Zeno Debast's adaptation
"He filled the pitch. He played a great game in a position that isn't his own. I loved his performance and I want to highlight him, despite not liking to single players out, because he's playing an adapted role. He's grown a lot."

The substitutions
"Given the response the team were giving, I didn't feel the need to change anything any earlier. I could have taken off Eduardo Felicíssimo, but he was doing very well; it was just that he picked up a yellow card. Henrique Arreiol also came on and did very well. Substitutions are there to be made, but if I don't need to do it, I won't do it. That's our reading of it as a coaching staff."

Matheus Reis
"He went off with a knock to his arm, but mainly it was due to tiredness. It's normal, as he hasn't played as wide before, he covered longer distances and had more metres to press. He reached his limit, but fortunately he didn't go off with an injury."

A message to the fans
"The team will grow. The fans understand the difficulties and support us. They are fantastic from the beginning to the end of the games. They know that we need them and their affection - for everyone, not just the kids. I challenge them, on Sunday in Rio Maior, to show up with this same positive energy that they have always given us."

Sporting CP beat GD Estoril Praia at home

Sporting Clube de Portugal took a 3-1 home win over GD Estoril Praia on Liga Portugal Matchday 24, through an early goal from Gonçalo Inácio and two strikes from Viktor Gyökeres.

Still unable to field the same starting XI for consecutive games since taking over, Rui Borges brought in Eduardo Felicíssimo to replace Alexandre Brito. The young Leão, a starter for the first time, had already played six minutes against AVS Futebol SAD on the last matchday.

Gyökeres, in place of Conrad Harder, and Ousmane Diomande, for Maxi Araújo, also returned to the initial lineup. The Swede was on a mission: To score against the only team in the Portuguese league who had not conceded to him.

Before the opening whistle, captain Gonçalo Inácio was applauded by the more than 36,000 Sporting CP fans present at the Estádio José Alvalade, as he received a shirt and a plaque commemorating his 200 games for the club from president Frederico Varandas.

It was fitting, then, that he had an instant impact on the game. In the fifth minute, off a free kick taken from the left by Zeno Debast, Inácio headed home to make it 1-0.

On fifteen minutes, after an excellent cross from Matheus Reis, Francisco Trincão could have increased the lead, but was denied by Felix Bacher's intervention.

Three minutes later, after a clever team move, Trincão shot powerfully from outside the area with an effort that was just off target.

The opportunities then began to accumulate. First, Diomande headed over the top. Then Gyökeres had his first effort denied by goalkeeper Joel Robles. Trincão sent an effort over the bar to end the flurry.

GD Estoril Praia, a side unbeaten since December, tried to react but without much success. The exception came in the 26th minute, when Matheus Reis had to clear a swerving cross coming from the left flank for a corner.

At the other end, Gyökeres had two good chances in as many minutes kept out by Robles. But it would not be long before he opened his account for the night.

In the 35th minute, the striker, played through by Debast, he sauntered towards the area to score a trademark goal and make it 2-0.

GD Estoril Praia had three attempts before the end of the first half, with Wagner Pina, Yanis Begraoui and João Carvalho all either being denied by Rui Silva or shooting off target.

The second half was a slow burner, and Rui Borges made his first change just before the hour: Matheus Reis went off injured, and Geny Catamo came in to return after a month out.

Debast, who had provided two assists, nearly got a goal of his own, but his effort off a corner came back off the post.

On 78 minutes, Rui Borges freshened things up with the introduction of Conrad Harder, Henrique Arreiol and José Silva – making his debut for the Sporting CP first team.

GD Estoril Praia managed to pull a goal back in the 84th minute, through Gonçalo Costa, then the visitors pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

However, in stoppage time, it was Sporting CP who reestablished their advantage. Harder recovered the ball near the middle of the park, picking out Gyökeres. In his duel for the ball with João Carvalho, VAR showed a handball in the box, and the Swede duly dispatched the penalty for his 25th goal in the league this season, giving Sporting CP a 3-1 win

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Matheus Reis (Geny Catamo, 58'), Zeno Debast, Viktor Gyökeres, Francisco Trincão (Conrad Harder, 78'), Iván Fresneda, Gonçalo Inácio [C], Ousmane Diomande, Ricardo Esgaio, Geovany Quenda (José Silva, 78') and Eduardo Felicíssimo (Henrique Arreiol, 78').

The coach speaks before the game against GD Estoril Praia

Leaders Sporting CP host GD Estoril Praia on Monday in Liga Portugal, playing a side who have gone eight games unbeaten and lie seventh in the table.
Ahead of the match, coach Rui Borges talked about the difficulties that Sporting CP will face, but highlighted that they will be focused at a time when several of the regular starters remain unavailable.

“The strategic plan is to look much more at ourselves than at our opponents, who are really on a positive run, with very good dynamics, well organised, confident and have not lost since December. GD Estoril Praia are a team that will create difficulties for us, but they also have to be aware that they will face the side in first place and that they will also have a lot of difficulties at Alvalade," he began by saying.

“Viktor Gyökeres has recovered and can play 90 minutes, Morten Hjulmand and Jeremiah St. Juste are still out, Geny Catamo is still looking to get back to full fitness and Alexandre Brito is a doubt."

Borges will have to continue making adaptations, in a season in which 37 different players have already been used.

“We always say that one person's bad luck is another person's good luck. The young players have had the opportunity to work with us, to make their debuts and to make a dream come true," he commented.

“I always have to make adaptations: The line of four or five at the back, or the formation is very subjective. Therefore, more than the structure itself, it's about trying to adapt to the comfort of the players we have available and to individual behaviours and qualities."

Zeno Debast is one of the players who has adapted and has played further forward, receiving praise from Borges.

“He has adaptable characteristics. He realises that the team need this and that's why he tries to play a new position, helps and listens. He has had a huge capacity to learn and doesn't complain about not playing in his favoured position. He is always available and happy in his day-to-day life. He will easily be a leader and a good captain in the future.”
The coach also spoke about the phrase he said when he first arrived, addressing the team's inspiration and attitude.

“With inspiration, you've already seen it at times because, up until now, it hasn't been all bad. There was inspiration in several games and there was also attitude. It was only missing in the first half of the game against Gil Vicente FC. So I said it was the worst first half we've had since I arrived. I want to win and I know that sometimes we will win with attitude, which is what happened there. Because of all this, we don't have time to make beautiful music, but we have to have attitude and be effective, competent, and over time we will have better quality and for longer periods. This takes time, I won’t regret it, but in the future it will appear for longer.”

“We have not been able to implement our game idea and this can be seen if you look at the trajectory of this coaching staff. We haven't had time to train much, but, more than that, we haven't had the players available. Adding to this, the team was not created according to Rui Borges' model, it was created according to Ruben Amorim's style, and there had to be some adaptations. It's been a different challenge for us as a technical committee."

"We tried to adapt, but we are clearly far from Rui Borges' complete idea. Still, there's no point in me sitting here lamenting that. The coach has to find solutions and has to be able to adapt to the context, the moment and everything that involves coaching a team. It's all a challenge, but it makes me grow as a coach so that I can be more capable and better in the future."

Sporting CP beat Gil Vicente FC 0-1 to reach Taça de Portugal semifinals

Sporting Clube de Portugal secured a place in the semifinals of the Taça de Portugal after with a 0-1 win over Gil Vicente FC. Zeno Debast's long range shot proved decisive to the team's progressing to the next round, where they will face Rio Ave FC.

At the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, coach Rui Borges made  three changes to the side he fielded in the 2-2 draw with AVS Futebol SAD: Ricardo Esgaio and Matheus Reis replaced the injured Eduardo Quaresma, while Conrad Harder was chosen at centre forward to the detriment of Viktor Gyökeres, who started on the bench. Geny Catamo was available for the first time since February 2nd.

Gil Vicente FC - led by interim José Pedro Pinto - were coming off a tough series of five consecutive defeats - and three games without scoring - in Liga Portugal. However, they came out boldly in this cup fixture. In the first minute, striker Jorge Aguirre tested the reflexes of an attentive Rui Silva.

Sporting CP quickly responded, with dangerous cross-shots from Debast and, subsequently, Harder.

The home side made it difficult to create opportunities for Sporting CP, who always had more of the ball. Gil Vicente FC had some of their best chaces as soon as half an hour had passed. In the first, as a result of a rebound in the area, Aguirre was left alone, but Rui Silva smothered. Shortly after, Zé Carlos struck over the crossbar, then at the end of the first half Félix Correia wasted an attempt with a poor connection.

The score was 0-0 at half-time, and Rui Borges immediately brought on Gyökeres for the second half.

It could have started in the best possible way, as referee Cláudio Pereira signaled a penalty in favor of Sporting CP for handball, but after a VAR review, he reversed the decision as he considered that Jesús Castillo's arm was in a natural position.

Sporting CP threatened from a corner, with a header by captain Gonçalo Inácio going off target, and showed pressure and a sharpness up front in a way they hadn't managed until then.

Sporting CP finally got their goal in the 68th minute. From the left, Gyökeres set up Debast in the middle and the defender tried his luck with a shot from distance, which deflected off a defender and ended up in the back of the net.

With the score at 0-1, they could have immediately extended the lead, as there was no shortage of opportunities, followed by a sending off for a second booking for Gil Vicente FC's Zé Carlos.

A cross from Trincão found Gyökeres alone at the far post, but Brian Araújo denied him a goal, something he repeated when both the striker and the winger had opportunities. In between, off a direct free kick, Gyökeres shot very close to the angle.

Trincão tried his luck with a well-placed shot from the right that went close to the post.

Rui Borges had then made two substitutions: Geny Catamo returned (for Fresneda) and youngster Kauã Oliveira made his debut for the first team (for Alexandre Brito).

However, the home team began to become more effective, despite being outnumbered. They took advantage of set pieces to try to get back into the game, and almost managed to do so in the 88th minute. Captain Rúben Fernandes seemed to have scored, but it proved to be just a scare when the goal was denied after a lengthy VAR review for offside.

Os Leões progress to the semifinals, joining Rio Ave FC, FC Tirsense and SL Benfica, as they attempt to win the competition for the first time since 2018/19.

The focus now turns to Liga Portugal, as Sporting CP return to action on Monday (8:15 pm) at home to GD Estoril Praia.

The coach says what he expects from the cup game against Gil Vicente FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal play Gil Vicente FC this Thursday, in the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal. Coach Rui Borges gave his thoughts before the game in his pre-match press conference.

“Gil Vicente FC are a side that play very well, especially their attacking play -where they have a lot of mobility, a lot of quality and a good ability to make decisions. Therefore, I consider them a difficult team to face. They really enjoy their football and are not afraid of exposing themselves to mistakes," he analysed.

"They have a new coach, who hasn't changed the defensive or offensive structure much, but, in any case, due to the individual and collective quality they have, Gil Vicente FC will cause us many difficulties -so at no point can we afford to switch off. In addition to being a good team, they will certainly be motivated to reach the semifinals of the Taça de Portugal, which is a competition where, as a rule, smaller clubs gain courage and have greater ambition. All of this together leads us to think that it will be a difficult game, but, of course, we also have the ambition of reaching the semifinals."

Asked about his squad, he said that "We'll see if Geny Catamo can be an option or not."

“Pedro Gonçalves is not yet fit and Viktor Gyokeres is available, but we have to control the minutes he plays and continue to be careful. We would like to have everyone available, but we have to be strong and capable of fighting against all the setbacks we have to go through to the semifinals."

“We all feel the adversities, be they injuries or the amount of games, but, above all, I see the squad focused on the ultimate objective, which is to be two-time league champions. The group are calm, happy, focused and resilient amidst everything that has happened to us, in addition to being very human in terms of the connection between everyone. Despite everything, and despite the fact that at times we have not been as competent, we are still joint top of Liga Portugal, have our objective intact and it's down to us," continued Borges.

Asked about Sporting CP's dip in the second halves of recent games, the coach said that it was due to tiredness.

“We, the coaching staff, have to think about how we can be more intense, but we know that physical freshness leads us to be more alert in our behavior and it is natural that, as time goes by, we are not able to press as much. This makes the performance drop and gives more space to the opponents. I don’t ask them to drop off, and I think this is due to the physical tiredness that leads to mental tiredness as well.”

Borges was also asked about referees, making it clear what he meant after the last game.

“I spoke about VAR because I had already asked for the same criteria 15 days ago. I wasn't talking about the refereeing in that game, because the refereeing was good, I was talking about the moves requiring a VAR decision. I didn't say whether they were right or wrong, I just asked for the same criteria. As for those harmed or benefited, the president has already said, and rightly so, that in the 'league of truth', which you sometimes talk about, Sporting CP should have four or five more points, but I'm not going there and I didn't criticise the refereeing. I just ask for the same criteria for everyone, big or small.”

Spoils are shared in a 2-2 draw with AVS Futebol SAD

Sporting Clube de Portugal drew 2-2 on their visit to AVS Futebol SAD, on Matchday 23 of the Liga Portugal season.

Rui Borges made several changes to his starting lineup, with Iván Fresneda, Zeno Debast, Alexandre Brito, Maxi Araújo, Viktor Gyökeres and Francisco Trincão in place of Ricardo Esgaio, Morten Hjulmand, João Simões, Matheus Reis, Conrad Harder and Biel -who had played in the Champions League in Dortmund.

For Brito, it was his debut as a starter, while Lucas Anjos, Afonso Moreira, Eduardo Felicíssimo and Manuel Mendonça were on the bench - the latter two seeking their first minutes for the senior side.

Sporting CP started the game well, looking to dominate the game, and created danger for the first time in the seventh minute. Gyökeres appeared on the left and tried to play the killer pass, but the attempt was cut out for a corner.

Soon after, Ousmane Diomande met an excellent cross from Francisco Trincão with a header into the back of the net. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but VAR changed the decision and awarded it.

AVS Futebol SAD reacted and threatened through Zé Luís, who on two different occasions required saves from Rui Silva. Shortly afterwards, Gyökeres advanced down the right and held the ball up, with possession eventually falling to Brito, who shot just wide.

The Swedish striker created an even clearer chance in the 21st minute, when he was played through by Francisco Trincão. He snaked through the opposition defence and forced Ochoa to make a spectacular intervention for a corner.

The home team also had an approach on goal, but Aderllan Santos missed the target.

On 33 minutes, Sporting CP doubled their lead. Trincão combined with Gyökeres, before a delivery to Maxi Araújo. He in turn helped Gyökeres to convert with a classy finish with his left foot. It was the 23rd goal of the season in Liga Portugal for the striker, and the 35th in all competitions.

Before the break, Diomande headed over the crossbar, and both Trincão and Debast's shots wide, and Sporting CP went into the interval 0-2 in front.

Rui Borges replaced Eduardo Quaresma with Matheus Reis for the second half, in his only change.

Getting the action back underway, Debast shot well off target, and Zé Luís did the same at the other end.

From there, things went south for Sporting CP. AVS Futebol SAD were awarded a penalty for a foul by Diomande, and Zé Luís converted to take the score to 1-2.

The task of maintaining the advantage became even more difficult for Sporting CP in the 78th minute, when referee Fábio Veríssimo, again with the help of VAR, showed a second yellow to Diomande, leaving the team down to ten men for the final moments.

In the 83rd minute, 18 year old Eduardo Felicíssimo debuted in place of Trincão, at the same time as Alexandre Brito was also replaced by Ricardo Esgaio.

Conrad Harder came on for Geovany Quenda in the first of seven additional minutes of stoppage time.

Late on, almost immediately before the final whistle, AVS Futebol SAD made it 2-2 through Gustavo and denied Sporting CP all three points.

Os Leões will play again at 8:45pm on Thursday, visiting Gil Vicente FC in the quarter-finals of Taça de Portugal.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Eduardo Quaresma (Matheus Reis, 45'), Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio [C], Maxi Araújo, Iván Fresneda, Zeno Debast, Alexandre Brito (Ricardo Esgaio, 83'), Geovany Quenda (Conrad Harder, 90+1'), Francisco Trincão (Eduardo Felicíssimo, 83') and Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach laments the 2-2 draw away to AVS Futebol SAD

Following the 2-2 draw between Sporting Clube de Portugal and AVS Futebol SAD, coach Rui Borges gave a press conference to analyse the match.

"With everything we did in the first half, we deserved much more. It's a very harsh draw for us. In the first half we were far superior, with a lot of quality in our play. We created chances from which we could have increased the advantage. AVS Futebol SAD pressed more in the second half, but without creating any danger. Even with less possession and more losses of the ball, we controlled the game. What happened next was a situation that can happen, although some incidents were more inexplicable than others. We were harshly punished. Playing with ten men, it's normal that we dipped a little, with the conditions we had to face. The players did the best they could and AVS Futebol SAD ended up being happy," he told journalists.

Regarding the refereeing, Borges asked that Sporting CP's games be judged with "the same criteria" as others.

"I'm not saying that the referees are wrong or right, but I'm just asking for the same criteria. In every game there are incidents like that for the penalty, which allowed the opponents to get into the game. AVS Futebol SAD grew in strength because of things we don't control. In terms of the sending off, VAR can't notify the referee, because it's not a red card decision. I'm not going to criticise the referees, but I'd like the same criteria for Sporting CP as with everyone else."

Regarding the group's state of mind, the coach guaranteed that they would be "emotionally calm."

"There's no lack of control. We were switched on, but it's difficult when inside you feel that there has been injustice. It's like that with everyone, but I didn't feel that the team lost emotional balance. That's not why we drew," he said.