Monday training began preparations for the Europa League
Sporting Clube de Portugal trained on Monday morning at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo in Alcochete.
The players used for the longest amount of minutes in the previous night's 8-0 win against Dumiense FC/CJP II, in the Fourth Round of the Taça de Portugal, did recovery training, while the rest worked under the orders of coach Rúben Amorim.
The squad are already preparing for the trip to Italy, where Sporting CP will face Atalanta BC on Thursday, on the fifth matchday of the Europa League group stage.
Os Leões have another training session scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Sporting Clube de Portugal sweep aside Dumiense FC/CJP II
Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Dumiense FC/CJP II 8-0 in the Fourth Round of the Taça de Portugal, advancing in the cup competition at the expense of the lower division opposition.
Coach Rúben Amorim made several changes to the starting XI for the clash with the team that compete in the fourth tier of the Portuguese football pyramid, with the notable returns of Franco Israel, Luís Neto and Geny Catamo. On the substitutes' bench, Sporting CP handed a callup to Diogo Pinto, a 19-year-old goalkeeper.
Sebastián Coates reached 342 games for Sporting CP, matching Anderson Polga as the foreigner with the most official appearances for the club and entering the Top 10 for all players, level with Pedro Barbosa.
The first half was not much different to what had been expected: Sporting CP dominated, even though the visitors showed good organisation, and found the net in just the eighth minute, when Luís Neto met Nuno Santos' corner with a header into the back of the net. It was the defender's first goal for Sporting CP.
Several attacks from the home team followed, including a move between Geny Catamo and Paulinho in the tenth minute, and Francisco Trincão's two shots that were saved by goalkeeper Pedro Costa.
Afterwards, both Geny Catamo and Francisco Trincão saw their efforts blocked by opposition players, but the second goal nevertheless appeared in the opening half hour.
Again following a corner by Nuno Santos, Matheus Reis headed towards the near post and Sebastián Coates deflected it onto the woodwork. Off the rebound, Paulinho made it 2-0.
Until the break, Sporting CP continued to impress, with chances for Geny Catamo, Paulinho and Daniel Bragança, but the scoreline did not change any further.
In the first minute of the second half, Paulinho received the ball from Daniel Bragança and set up Francisco Trincão with an excellent backheel pass. The number 17 kept calm to score his first goal in 2023/2024.
With Marcus Edwards brought on in place of Ricardo Esgaio, Sporting CP came very close to scoring again in the 52nd minute, when Trincão picked out Morten Hjulmand for a header that Pedro Costa saved.
However, in the corner kick that followed, Santos turned provider again: A cross from the Portuguese was knocked in by Coates for the fourth goal of the game.
Shortly afterwards, Morten Hjulmand crossed perfectly for Paulinho and he also headed to score.
Dumiense FC/CJP II had a rare opportunity in the 62nd minute, when Diogo Ribeiro nodded wide, and Rúben Amorim made adjustments to introduce Dário Essugo and Viktor Gyökeres, removing Daniel Bragança and Geny Catamo.
Pedro Costa denied Paulinho another goal with a notable intervention a few moments later, but the striker completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute, benefiting from great work by Viktor Gyökeres, who set up the Portuguese international's skilful finish with his heel.
With 15 minutes remaining, Gyökeres was brought down by Pedro Costa in the area and referee Bruno Pires Costa signaled for a penalty kick. Santos converted to make it 7-0.
Dumiense FC/CJP II tried to score a consolation goal again in the 82nd minute, but Franco Israel saved Joãozinho's shot with ease.
Gyökeres rounded off the scoring from a ball that appeared to present no danger. With speed, strength and technique, the forward took the defence out of the equation and threw and smashed his strike in to cap the 8-0 triumph.
Os Leões will now travel to Italy to face Atalanta BC in the UEFA Europa League.
Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C] (Eduardo Quaresma, 76'), Matheus Reis, Ricardo Esgaio (Marcus Edwards, 50'), Morten Hjulmand, Daniel Bragança (Dário Essugo, 62'), Nuno Santos, Geny Catamo (Viktor Gyökeres, 62'), Francisco Trincão e Paulinho.
The coach wants a serious showing against Dumiense FC/CJP II
This Sunday at the Estádio José Avalade, Sporting Clube de Portugal host Dumiense FC/CJP II in the Taça de Portugal. Rúben Amorim previewed the match in his press conference.
"We are playing at home and we have a greater responsibility to have a competitive, attractive game, because people are coming to see us and the opposition deserve it. We took advantage of these two weeks off to work on the gaps that we still have and that we demonstrated in the last few games. We didn't have a great performance in the derby, even though we were the better team," he told the media.
"We have a lot of things to improve. We have players back, such as Geny [Catamo], who is ready to play. We worked on some nuances that I think will be important for the future. We have made the most of every minute and tomorrow we want to present a competitive team, play well, win and go through to the next round."
"We want to win the competition, both the coaching staff and the club. Sporting CP have a history in the competition, but haven't won it for some time," he added.
Amorim also assured that all the group's attention is on the challenge with Dumiense FC/CJP II: "There are players who won't play tomorrow, but it's not because they lack rhythm or not. It's because we have worked on some routines that we want to see in the match tomorrow, which we want to win. We will take everything into account and our focus is on this game, not on the one against Atalanta BC."
"The players are fighting for places and, if they want to play in the next games, they have to perform well. Regardless of whether the opposition are from a lower level, we have to make the game enjoyable for our fans. We won't go into it asleep."
Asked about Sporting CP's intentions for the next transfer window, Amorim considered that his team must "take into account players who we have received certain approaches for and prepare for the future. This study is being carried out and we will try to safeguard everything. We cannot cover all positions and that is why there are players from the youth team playing right now," he explained.
Finally, before revealing that Luís Neto will start against Dumiense FC/CJP II, he revealed the reason for not using Jeremiah St. Juste in this match.
"Jeremiah St. Juste is coming off a difficult time. He is ready to play. Ousmane [Diomande] is going to the African Cup of Nations in January and we have to strengthen him. We looked at this game, we have other options and he did more specific gym work. We are creating balance in his body and doing a kind of microcycle. We took a bit of a risk, but we are making him stronger to be more protected in January," he said.
Sporting CP win against Atlético CP in a friendly encounter
This Monday, Sporting Clube de Portugal played a preparatory game against Atlético CP, beating them 8-1.
Against a team that compete in Liga 3, the third tier of Portuguese football, Rúben Amorim chose an XI made up of Antonio Adán, Matheus Reis, Jeremiah St. Juste, Sebastián Coates, Marcus Edwards, Nuno Santos, Luís Neto, Francisco Trincão, Paulinho, Daniel Bragança and Ricardo Esgaio. Diego Calai and Alexandre Brito also played.
The goals for Sporting CP were scored by Nuno Santos, who found the net five times, and by Paulinho, who got a hat-trick.
Geny Catamo and Iván Fresneda underwent treatment, while Pedro Gonçalves worked in the gym and on the pitch.
Sporting CP will return to training on Thursday morning.
Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim was naturally disappointed with the defeat to SL Benfica, in a game in which they were always on top of their rivals - even though they played practically the entire second half with a numerical inferiority.
“This is part of football, but it is hard to swallow. Even with ten men, we didn't let SL Benfica create big chances and that was felt in the stadium. With 11 players on the pitch, there is no doubt who was the best team. Therefore, based on what we did, we deserved to win, but it didn't happen", the coach began by saying in his press conference.
"It's a more painful defeat because, although it wasn't a decisive game, it was an important game and we were three minutes away from having a six-point advantage -and now we have the same points. We were the better side, we ended up not winning and it was painful, but I'm already thinking about the break and the next game".
“I'm not saying we're better than anyone else, but today we were the better team and I think that was very obvious. We were very safe at all times of the game, even with one player less, while SL Benfica had a lot of difficulties creating dangerous situations. If we look at the moments of the game, everything went against us. It's very frustrating to play with a man down and it limits us a lot. It was not a good day for Inácio and for us, because we ended up losing, but we are fine and we will continue to be fine”, said Amorim, stressing: “We have to move on. We are tied on points, we have been in the title race for a long time, we have to correct what we didn't do so well and get better".
The coach talks ahead of the derby against SL Benfica
Sporting Clube de Portugal travel across Lisbon this Sunday to play SL Benfica in the first derby of the season. Os Leões top the table with a three point lead, but coach Rúben Amorim knows well that there are no favourites in this fixture.
“It's difficult to see any favourite in these types of games, and when it comes to pressure we know that, whatever happens, at the end of this match no one will have more points than us, whilst if SL Benfica lose then they could be six points behind. Still, I don't want my players to feel comfortable knowing that, no matter what happens, no one will overtake us. This is a unique opportunity to establish a six-point lead. Although it is not decisive, we cannot waste this opportunity either,” said the coach.
“We know we have to win this game, because it is important. It's not decisive, but it would be comfortable to get into the international break with a six-point lead and we don't want to lose first place. We know the team we are up against, the quality of the players we are going to face and, therefore, we are not at all deluded by their form. We are very well prepared and we really want to win this game."
As for his squad, he revealed that Geny Catamo is out, but that Hidemasa Morita is available again and Viktor Gyökeres -who missed the last European game due to suspension- returns to the group. This will therefore be the first derby for the Swedish striker, who has scored 11 goals in 13 games for the club.
“I don't expect close monitoring on just Gyökeres, I expect it for Pote, Marcus, Trincão and all these players we have because, if they have a lot of space, it's the same as if we give a lot of space to Di María, Rafa or António Silva. I expect a game with a lot of duels and perhaps a lot of tension at the beginning, but then I think it will become a beautiful game and, yes, it will be difficult for Gyökeres."
Amorim disclosed that he was not motivating the players in any special way for this game.
“I usually use everything I can, but this time, as we had so little time to get ready, the focus was on not making them more nervous or more stressed. What I tried my best to do was make them comfortable and get them ready for the game. What matters, beyond words, is the six point lead. What matters is that we are celebrating in Marquês at the end of the season. Therefore, it is very important that we win this game. I feel like I don't need to be pushing them at the moment and, after such a bad season, we just have to make the most of every opportunity we have to achieve our objective -which is down to us."
If Sporting CP win, Amorim will reach his 100th victory in charge of the side, but the coach did not give much importance to the milestone.
“Will it be special because it can happen in the derby? For me, the most important thing is the six-point lead and I think this should be an obsession of ours every time we can take points from our opponents. We have to take advantage of this, and tomorrow we have another opportunity, which is what we will try to do."
The coach gives his assessment of the win against RKS Raków Częstochowa
At the end of the Sporting Clube de Portugal'S 2-1 victory over RKS Raków Częstochowa in the UEFA Europa League, Rúben Amorim spoke in a press conference. He began by commenting on Jeremiah St. Juste's performance.
"I really enjoyed all the interventions he had. He's agile, quick, doesn't take long to get into games and the way he came in for the last league game was also important. Today we confirmed that. He was there in the most decisive moment of the game," he told journalists, before analysing the game as a whole.
"We knew what we wanted; we wanted to win. Against ten men, with a goal right after the red card, we slowed down a little. Even so, sometimes we found spaces. We weren't careful enough in some situations and that made the difference. In the second half, it was my fault. I started thinking about the next game and it made things a little difficult. We had the game under control and then we conceded a goal from a dead ball. From then on, anything could happen and we made our lives a little more complicated. The result is what we'll take away and not so much the performance."
For the coach, the showing against the Poles will not influence the derby against SL Benfica in any way because "each game has its own story."
"A few days ago, we had the attacking capacity to create chances, and today we didn't have that much. We should have done much better, but we're going to fix what happened in this game and now we have a completely different one," he added.
Going back to the second half against RKS Raków Częstochowa, Amorim once again highlighted that the responsibility was his.
"The biggest culprit in the second half was me because I started thinking about the derby. We took a risk by making our last substitution in the 90th minute. I tried my best to save some players. More than the players, I was to blame because I started thinking about the next game. I never do that, but I took a risk this time and it could have gone wrong. We had the game under control and I felt it was a good time to start managing the squad," he admitted.
Asked about the importance of this victory for Sunday's derby, he explained that it is important for the consistency of a team that wants to win trophies.
"All the big teams have to do very well in the league. They have to be consistent on all fronts. Today's victory will have no influence. We have to win because the advantage in the league is only three points," he said, before commenting on what remains of the UEFA Europa League group stage.
"We have to do our part: Win the next two games."
Finally, he assured that having one day of rest fewer than SL Benfica is not an excuse in the derby on Sunday.
"We will be prepared for the game, without excuses and without any disadvantage. We're going to the Estádio da Luz to win."
Two penalties give a 2-1 win over KS Raków Częstochowa in the Europa League
Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Polish side RKS Raków Częstochowa 2-1 on the fourth matchday of the UEFA Europa League group stage, with Pedro Gonçalves scoring both goals from the penalty spot. Os Leões are now in second place in Group D with seven points, three behind leaders Atalanta BC.
At a well-attended Estádio José Alvalade, despite the cold conditions, coachRúben Amorim made four changes to his starting XI. Three were made by choice, as Ousmane Diomande, Matheus Reis and Morten Hjulmand made way for Jeremiah St. Juste, Gonçalo Inácio and Francisco Trincão, whilst the other was as a result of suspension for Viktor Gyökeres, with Paulinho chosen in his place.
On the substitutes' bench, the presence of youth players Afonso Moreira, Rodrigo Ribeiro and Tiago Ferreira stood out, with the latter going on to make his debut for the first team main team.
The match started at a good pace, with intensity a constant. Ricardo Esgaio was the first player to create danger with a cross into the heart of the area, but goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević gathered. The shot-stopper did the same soon after, when Paulinho struck towards goal.
Daniel Bragança shot wide from outside the area in the sixth minute and Trincão, twice, made clever moves in which he tried first to set up Gonçalves, then Esgaio.
Twelve minutes in, and after consulting VAR, referee Enea Jorgji signaled a penalty kick for Sporting CP, showing an additional red card to Bogdan Racovițan for his foul on Jeremiah St. Juste.
Gonçalves held firm from the spot, converting to open the scoring with his fourth goal of 2023/24.
Out in front and a man up -a reverse of what had occured in the first meeting between the two teams, Sporting CP dominated until halftime, with the only reaction from the visitors being a shot from Jean Carlos over the top in the 23rd minute.
Camped out in the opposition midfield, Sporting CP threatened again in the 36th minute, when Marcus Edwards finished a counterattack with a shot that Vladan Kovačević saved.
The Englishman gave the goalkeeper trouble again in the 42nd minute, after Trincão had missed the target. On the last move of the first half, Paulinho, meeting a free kick taken by Gonçalves, headed the ball into the side netting.
The first half ended 1-0, which seemed to be a scarce reward for the superiority that Sporting CP had shown.
The second half almost started perfectly, but Paulinho's goal in the opening minute was disallowed for offside.
However, Sporting CP did make it 2-0 in the 52nd minute, and once again the goal came from a penalty -this time due to a handball from Milan Rundić.
From the 11 metre mark, Gonçalves repeated the feat, sending Kovačević the wrong way to put the ball in the back of the net.
After a shot by Francisco Trincão into the side netting, Amorim made three changes, bringing Morten Hjulmand, Matheus Reis and Iván Fresneda on to replace Gonçalves, Inácio and Esgaio, respectively.
Trincão threatened again with a shot that was only kept out by a defender, then Hjulmand also missed the target.
With 20 minutes remaining, St. Juste and Edwards exited, with Ousmane Diomande and debutant Tiago Ferreira coming on.
However, the game opened up again when, in the 71st minute, RKS Raków Częstochowa made it 2-1 with a free kick that surprised the defence. Antonio Adán saved the first shot, but Milan Rundić turned in the rebound.
The goal did not change the run of play, and Sporting CP continued on top. Bragança and Tiago Ferreira had chances, and in the 83rd minute, at the end of an excellent move, Bragança forced a spectacular save from Kovačević.
In the final minutes, RKS Raków Częstochowa gained some momentum and tried to get an equaliser but were unable to create any danger and trouble Adán again. The game ended 2-1 to Sporting CP.
Next up is an away game in Liga Portugal, across town against rivals SL Benfica in one of the biggest fixtures of the season.
Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Jeremiah St. Juste (Ousmane Diomande, 70'), Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio (Matheus Reis, 56'), Ricardo Esgaio (Iván Fresneda, 56'), Daniel Bragança, Pedro Gonçalves (Morten Hjulmand, 56'), Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards (Tiago Ferreira, 70'), Francisco Trincão and Paulinho.
Sporting CP play RKS Raków in Europa League competition
Sporting Clube de Portugal host RKS Raków this Thursday night at 8pm, in a home game at the Estádio José Alvalade in the UEFA Europa League.
Before the Matchday 4 encounter in the Group Stage, Rúben Amorim stated that “this is a crucial game and there is no way to hide it," highlighting the importance of a win and of continuing the positive run of form.
"The team's good momentum is good for coming into games, but it has to be maintained week after week, or every three days in our case, because a negative result always changes things," he explained, before speaking about the first encounter between the two sides.
“In the first half, even after we went down to ten men, we didn't let RKS Raków create any big opportunities. In the second half I noticed that the team no longer had the same capacity to push through, and I tried to change things up. It was very difficult for us because they were very intelligent and created difficulties for us. Tomorrow I want the same dedication, attitude and concentration, but with eleven players on the pitch. It is important for us to fight not only for first place in the group, but also to go through."
Amorim believes a clean sheet would be a big boost.
“Our focus is to not concede goals, as we have conceded a lot, as well as scoring goals of our own. In that aspect we are doing well, as we have created many chances. It is also important to have eleven players on the pitch, and there have been many games in Europe where we have only had ten. We have to do better and I believe that tomorrow we will be better," he assured, refusing the suggestion from the media that RKS Raków are the team with the least quality in the group.
"Obviously I'm not going to say that. It wouldn't be very smart to say that they are the weakest team, 24 hours before the game. They play in a league that isn't watched by as many people, but their coach does an excellent job. The players may not have the individual talent of Atalanta BC, but all teams that don't have a big responsibility on their shoulderscan surprise you. We have to be aware that we can win any game, but also lose them. RKS Raków are very well organised and will be faced as if they were the best team in the world, because we have an objective and we want to win. It is crucial to win tomorrow's game so as not to make things complicated."
Unable to field Viktor Gyökeres after he was sent off in the last game, Amorum revealed that Antonio Adán will once again start in goal, after Franco Israel played 90 minutes in Poland.
“Adán will start tomorrow. The entire rotation we made was already pre-planned with the goalkeeping coach. We have a young goalkeeper who also needs to play, but tomorrow Antonio will start the game," he announced, then informing that Geny Catamo and Hidemasa Morita are out of the squad.
“Geny has not recovered and will not play, and he will only be fit after the international break. Morita is not fit; let's see if he's there for the next game because he is still a doubt. We also have some kids that we are going to take to these games, which is always important."
The coach reviews the latest Liga Portugal victory
Following the 3-2 win over CF Estrela da Amadora, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim praised the response of his team, who turned a 1-2 scoreline around to score the three points.
“It was a difficult game. CF Estrela da Amadora changed their construction of play a little and created difficulties for us. We had to adapt and we were always closer to their goal, but we suffered a lot with balls played over the top. Many times we had to press almost onto the goalkeeper and it became 3 against 3”, the coach began by saying in his analysis.
“The plan that the CF Estrela da Amadora coach drew up for them went well and made the task very difficult for us, but it ended up being a fair victory for the team that clearly had the most chances”.
Amorim rejected the accusation that his team had switched off at the start of the second half, in a spell in which they conceded twice.
“There have been second halves where we went to sleep and I said as much, but this time I don't think that was the case. We simply conceded two goals off transitions, but then we got the ball and turned the result around. The way the win came about could be beneficial for us, although I would have preferred a calmer win”.
“Before the game I would say that I like to win calmly, but after the game I don't mind having these types of emotions. It's much more difficult for everyone, but now we're at ease because we won the game and football is about much more than just having a quiet game”.
He also gave credit to the Sportinguistas, who pushed the team on when they needed it most.
“Their support makes a difference in these difficult times, when the team are tired from playing successive games. It is very important that the fans help and they helped a lot; after the second goal they stood up cheering for the team and clapping, and these positive things inspire comebacks. The players, even though they were losing, realised they had time to turn things around. From the second goal onwards, everyone in the stadium felt that we were going to achieve it”.
