The team fight back from behind to win 3-2

Sporting Clube de Portugal dug deep to beat CF Estrela da Amadora 3-2 on Matchday 10 of the Liga Portugal season, turning around a 1-2 deficit at the start of the second half.

Missing Hidemasa Morita and Geny Catamo through injury, coach Rúben Amorim made three changes to the starting XI from the last league encounter, with the additions of Nuno Santos, Daniel Bragança and Ricardo Esgaio. He also handed a debut appearance in the squad to Geovany Quenda, a 16-year-old winger who has shone in the Under-23s.

Sporting CP started the match in complete control, camped out in the opposition half. With the central defenders playing very high up, close to the midfield line, they tried to exert high pressure and steadily put attacking moves together.

The first big opportunity was from Marcus Edwards, with a shot that forced goalkeeper António Filipe to intervene, followed by Pedro Gonçalves trying his luck twice without success. At the other end, the visitors, coming off a run of three consecutive victories without any goals conceded, used long deliveries upfield whenever they had the ball.

The superiority would end up paying off in the 33rd minute, with Daniel Bragança opening the scoring. Following some excellent individual work on the left flank, Viktor Gyökeres made a delayed pass that found the midfielder on the edge of the area, and he shot first time to make it 1-0.

Soon after, the visitors had a first opportunity of note, but Antonio Adán came off his line and removed the danger with a good intervention.

Until half-time it was practically all Sporting CP, with Os Leões persistent in attack and making several dangerous approaches to the opposition goal, although without success.

The script was flipped as the second half began, with a surprising turnaround on the scoresheet by CF Estrela da Amadora. In the 50th minute, Léo Jabá converted a penalty to equalise, then in the 55th minute Kikas put the away team 1-2 up off a quick counterattack.

At a disadvantage, Sporting CP were forced to react, responding with a series of chances. After Bragança had already come very close to scoring twice, Diomande and Hjulmand also had efforts off target. Soon after, Rúben Amorim made his first substitutions, bringing on Gonçalo Inácio, Jeremiah St. Juste, Francisco Trincão and Paulinho.

The lines advanced and and the pressure intensified on the opposing area, with more men up front to try to convert chances. The dangerous attacks continued, but the final ball was still lacking until, in the 71st minute, Marcus Edwards zigzagged between three defenders with a wonderful run, then fired into the net.

Looking to complete the turnaround, supported by the frenetic atmosphere in the stands, they made it 3-2 shortly after: In the 79th minute Paulinho appeared in the area to head in a cross from Edwards.

Once again in front Sporting CP were now more comfortable, but that did not stop them from threatening further goals. Gonçalves almost increased the score with a great shot from outside the area, but António Filipe responded with a huge save. He would be a hero again shortly afterwards, knocking Trincão's effort off the line.

Until the end, the visitors, led by Sérgio Vieira, tested Adán with a header and had a shot wide, but Sporting CP took their ninth win from ten games thanks to their belief and persistence..

Os Leões, who with this result remain the only unbeaten team in the competition and outright leaders, play on Thursday against RKS Raków on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates [C] (Gonçalo Inácio, 59'), Matheus Reis (Jeremiah St. Juste, 59'), Ricardo Esgaio (Francisco Trincão, 59'), Daniel Bragança ( Paulinho, 64'), Morten Hjulmand, Nuno Santos, Pedro Gonçalves, Marcus Edwards e Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach runs the rule over the game with CF Estrela da Amadora

Sporting Clube de Portugal host CF Estrela da Amadora on Matchday 10 of the Liga Portugal season, and coach Rúben Amorim predicts a close contest against the visitors.

“They are a team that don't concede many goals, play in a very compact 5-4-1 defensively and always have three very strong players up front. I think they will play with Ronaldo [Tavares], who is very powerful, they will look for transitions and we have to be very intelligent with the ball and always prepared to sprint back”, he began by telling journalists in his pre-match press conference.

“We have to move the ball quickly and everyone needs to stay calm, because they will use a compact block that will try to create difficulties for us, especially at the beginning of the game. We have to continue to play well, creating situations and difficulties for the opponents. It will be a difficult game against a team that know what they want from the game, and we are prepared for the challenge”.

“Geny [Catamo] is injured, so he might be out until the return from the international break. [Hidemasa] Morita could recover, but he won't play yet, and Jeremiah St. Juste has a virus -[Ricardo] Esgaio too, but he seems to have recovered more. Otherwise, everyone is ready”, he said.

Asked about the proximity of the derby with SL Benfica - scheduled for the following matchday -, Amorim highlighted that the game with CF Estrela da Amadora “is the most important”.

“We always have the same approach, regardless of the opponents, but we just have to think that if we don't beat CF Estrela da Amadora, first place will be at stake at the Estádio da Luz. For me it's very clear: this game is just as important, if not more important. FC Porto dropped points and we have to win. This is the most important game, because after this we still have a decisive game to come in the Europa League. There is still a lot of time until the derby and the players are focused on CF Estrela da Amadora”.

“It's a much more pleasant feeling to be where we are than last year, but it is still very early. The concern is not to take steps backwards. It’s about earning points after points, maintaining the position. This year, more than ever, it's down to results. My commitment to Sporting CP is total. We want to create a standard here of winning trophies every year and I think this is good for the club and is a sign of our demanding nature”.

Striker Viktor Gyökeres returns to league action after scoring his first hat-trick for the club. Looking at the Swede's current form, Amotim considers him to have been a reinforcement who has “completed the team”.

“I would say that the team has helped Viktor more, because for him to score goals, players like Trincão need to do what they do and create chances. We are much stronger with someone with Viktor's characteristics and he is a much better player with the quality of the players he has around him. He confirmed everything I thought, but he has had a greater performance and impact than what I was expecting - and I had expected a lot”.

The coach talks about the win in Bessa

Rúben Amorim was satisfied with the result for his side against Boavista FC, and also with the attitude shown by his players. He talked about the 0-2 win in his post-match press conference.

“The pitch was difficult for us and for Boavista FC to play on, as they are a team that also like to move the ball around. The pitch made the game more difficult and a little more clumsy, but we were still able to adapt, we created chances and I think Boavista FC only had one opportunity in the first half -and in the second they had a goal disallowed for offside when we had control of the game. Above all, I think the players felt the responsibility of the moment, but they also felt free, and that's important because it was a big game. Without it being decisive, they approached it naturally, knowing that we had to win to go back to first place. Overall, it was a good game. I think the team can do better, but after the last game, on a difficult pitch and against a Boavista FC team that only had one defeat, I think it was a good game for us," he began by saying.

“After last Thursday, in a game where we were a man down after eight minutes, we didn't have to respond to anyone. We are already on a long run of games, counting last season, without losing in the league, and what the players have to do is continue with their work knowing that with rivals dropping points and FC Porto winning, we have to win our games to remain top. Therefore, I say again: The most positive point was the naturalness with which we faced the moment and that we were competent. That is an excellent sign."

“This victory was important for the points and for the lead, but mainly for the message it gives us. It helps us to get better, to grow with these games and these moments, but it's still nothing special. We are in the ninth matchday, so there is a lot to do still.”

“Are we title contenders? I said that we were from the first moment, and that's how it has to be. We are candidates for the title because we want it to be that way and for the players to feel that way," he concluded.

A 0-2 win on the road keeps the team outright leaders

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Boavista FC 0-2 in a Monday night Liga Portugal fixture, as the team reestablished their spot as outright leaders of the division. They are three points ahead of the second and third placed teams – SL Benfica and FC Porto.

Coach Rúben Amorim made two changes to the starting lineup, rotating out Franco Israel and Ricardo Esgaio. He went for Antonio Adán, Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo, Hidemasa Morita, Morten Hjulmand, Matheus Reis, Marcus Edwards, Viktor Gyökeres and Pedro Gonçalves as his first XI for the league contest.

Looking for their 17th victory at Bessa, Sporting CP started the game well and provided the first warning off a set piece, with Pedro Gonçalves forcing Boavista FC goalkeeper João Gonçalves into a save.

Two minutes later, the stopper faced a shot from Geny Catamo that went into the side netting.

Boavista FC responded through Bozenik who, after breaking free on the left, sent a cross-shot towards Adán's goal, but without providing significant danger. Six minutes later, the Slovak provided a bigger threat, but struck wide.

With these opportunities, the home team began to grow into the match. Sporting CP, despite some difficulties, still controlled the game, however, frequently breaking into the opposition area and creating chances. Morten Hjulmand got involved on one of those occasions, receiving a ball from Geny Catamo, but a defender intercepted for a corner.

Finally, in the 37th minute, the opening goal arrived. Matheus Reis saw Catamo unmarked close to the back post and sent a precise ball his way, with a shot off the fullback's left foot flying into the net.

With the deadlock broken, Sporting CP gained confidence and went in search of a second goal, but were unable to increase their advantage before the interval.

A languid start to the second half was punctuated in the 55th minute with a Marcus Edwards effort off a Boavista mistake, but he lost out in the one-on-one.

A spell of minutes followed without any great opportunities, but with the home team believing they could find an equaliser. At around the 70th minute mark, Amorim started to make changes, taking off Sebastián Coates and bringing on Jeremiah St. Juste, then introducing Nuno Santos and Ricardo Esgaio.

Boavista FC had a goal disallowed for offside, then tested Adán with another chance, but Sporting CP then reached their most prolific point in the game.

After receiving the ball from Morten Hjulmand, Gonçalves shot against the post, Ricardo Esgaio recovered and set up the winger again, for him to score with a backheeled shot.

Geny Catamo and Viktor Gyökeres made way for Francisco Trincão and Paulinho after the second goal, and the latter immediately had the opportunity to make it 0-3, but João Gonçalves denied his strike.

The game concluded 0-2, with an eighth Liga Portugal win of the season going Sporting CP's way.

The Sporting CP coach looks ahead to the game against Boavista FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal plays a Monday fixture at 8:15 pm, against Boavista FC at Estádio do Bessa on Liga Portugal Matchday 9.

Speaking ahead of the contest, coach Rúben Amorim said he does not expect an easy match.

"They are a club who are going through financial difficulties, but the team show great character. We will be facing a team with their own identity, very well organised, with very good dynamics, who are having a great season and have no pressure at all on them. They are very strong team, but we are prepared for the challenge."

Taking the three points will give Sporting CP the outright top spot in Liga Portugal, and that is what the coach is hoping will happen, playing down the short turnaround between Thursday's game and the Monday fixture.

“We have to be more than ready, despite playing our last game with a man down for almost the entirety, at a very difficult ground. This will be another difficult game, at a tough place to visit, with difficult conditions, but we are prepared. The players have already recovered.”

“We want to be outright leaders again with a victory against a very tough team. For the first time this season, I am not going to say who will play. Not a single player. The preparation we have been doing is the same as normal. Who will play in goal? You’ll see tomorrow.”

The coach also spoke about the game against KS Raków, saying that, due to the circumstances, he cannot make any comparison between that game and this Monday's at Bessa.

 “As there was a seding off after eight minutes, we can make no comparisons. The big frustration, and everyone felt this in our team, is that it is not the first time in Europe that we have become hindered really early, and that wears on the team and the coach. In the end we can win, lose or draw, but playing in conditions we are not expecting, with sendings off, becomes frustrating, especially when it is recurring for one reason or another.

"There were positive things, like scoring when down to ten men again, but there were also negatives. Still, we can take almost nothing away from a game in which we were reduced to ten men. Therefore, what we are going to do is see who the best players are, who is better physically and what characteristics they have to face Boavista FC."

The coach runs the rule over the 1-1 draw in Poland

After the draw against RKS Raków, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim held a press conference to analyse the events in the UEFA Europa League Group D match, and began by addressing the support of around 500 Sportinguistas present in Poland.

"More than just saying 'thank you,' we wanted to show on the pitch that we want to honour the shirt -and they always do that. Today the players performed well when a man down, in a game that was difficult from the first moment".

"We played against an intelligent team that were able to create advantages with an extra player, but especially in the first half we had more of the ball and the best opportunities. The second half was different, as we couldn't get out from the back. We tried to change some players to hold the ball more, but it didn't happen and then we ended up conceding a goal in the transition from an attacking free kick", summarised the coach.

When asked about Franco Israel's presence in goal, Amorim highlighted that "there is no number one at Sporting CP. This was a tactical choice and we are playing in many competitions".

Next, he addressed the early red card for Viktor Gyökeres.

"I'm one hundred percent in favour of VAR, as it gives football more justice. I was more angry because in the incident he slipped and he had no intention of hurting the opposing player. I didn't see the move, so I won't be saying whether it was worthy of a red or not, but I think we have to look more at the intention".

"He won't be able to play here in the UEFA Europa League, but he will play in the league and in other competitions".

Despite the problems experienced in the second half, Amorim considered that the team controlled the opposition well, even when playing with ten players for over 80 minutes.

"They exploited the wings because they are intelligent, because we closed the middle of the pitch a lot and they put a lot of people high up. Where they created more problems for us, after the goal, was from crosses and second balls. Their goal originated from our free kick and that creates physical and also mental fatigue. Afterwards, it took us some time to return to the level of concentration we had. These are things that happen in the game that I can understand".

A 1-1 draw with RKS Raków Częstochowa keeps the team in contention

Sporting CP drew 1-1 with RKS Raków Częstochowa in their third Group D game in the UEFA Europa League. The match saw a major setback with a sending off for Viktor Gyökeres early on, and whilst they would score through Sebastián Coates, an 80th minute equaliser  denied Sporting CP the full cuota of points.

RKS Raków's usual home ground is the Miejski Stadion Piłkarski, but this game took place in a ground located about 60 kilometers south, in the Zaglebie Sosnowiec SA stadium used for European fixtures this season.

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim made seven changes to his first XI from the game against CD Olivais e Moscavide: Ricardo Esgaio, Ousmane Diomande, Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita and Gyökeres were all brought in, joining Franco Israel (debuting as a starter in the Europa League), Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves and Marcus Edwards, the four who maintained their starting spots.

RKS Raków -fourth in the Polish league so far this term- had yet to take points or score in the UEFA Europa League group stage.

The early blow for Sporting CP came in just the eighth minute, when Gyökeres unintentionally stepped on an opponent and had his initial yellow card upgraded to a straight red, leaving his team down to 10 men and without their star striker.

The response to the blow could not have been better, however, as after 14 minutes, Pedro Gonçalves took a corner kick and captain Coates rose above everyone else and headed the ball into the back of the net – scoring his first goal of the season.

Shortly afterwards, Edwards was sent through on a long ball and, when in the area, forced goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević to make the first save of the match. Despite having one less player on the pitch, Sporting CP showed maturity, both with and without the ball, and controlled the game, while in attack they sought to exploit the mobility offered by Gonçalves and Edwards throughout the first half.

After half an hour, however, RKS Raków threatened twice: First with defender Milan Rundić shooting over, and then winger John Yeboah striking just wide of the post.

In turn, Sporting delivered a pass from Inácio's that isolated Gonçalves, but his chip attempt was reached by Kovačević.

The second half started with a serious warning from RKS Raków, created by Dawid Szwarga, but from close range Jean Carlos missed the final deflection when he had everything in his favour.

Without the same freshness and ability to press and attack after the restart, before the 60th minute Amorim changed his two most advanced players: Paulinho and Geny Catamo replaced the selfless 'Pote' and Edwards.

The tone of the game changed little and Os Leões followed their defensive plan to the letter, albeit with reduced attacking opportunities. The best that RKS Raków produced was a weak shot from Srdjan Plavšić which, after a deflection, fell into the hands of Franco Israel.

However, it was at the start of the last ten minutes that everything changed, when the Sporting CP resistance finally fell.

After a move involving an attacking  transition, Fabian Piasecki appeared at the far post to finish and scored the Polish team's first goal in the Europa League, levelling the game.

Taking advantage of the momentum of the goal, the home team grew in confidence and mustered up dangerous approaches into the Sporting CP area, mainly through several crosses that Coates had to send away.

Sporting CP ended the game with more shots taken and having shown defensive strength with a numerical inferiority, but would leave Poland with only a point.

Elsewhere in the group, Atalanta BC 2-2 draw against Sturm Graz keeps them top with seven points, Sporting CP level with the Austrian side with four points.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Ricardo Esgaio, Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Reis (Nuno Santos, 89'), Morten Hjulmand (Daniel Bragança, 89'), Hidemasa Morita, Marcus Edwards (Paulinho, 58'), Pedro Gonçalves (Geny Catamo, 58'), Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach previews a meeting with RKS Raków Częstochowa

Sporting Clube de Portugal visit Polish side RKS Raków Częstochowa this Thursday on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa League group stage, and coach Rúben Amorim talked about the game in a pre-match press conference.

At Zagłębiowski Park Sportowy, the stadium in Sosnowiec where the match will take place, he began by defining the objective for the game.

"For us, it's a normal game in which we have to win, because we have ambitions in the group. We've already lost a game and we can make everything more complicated tomorrow or make our lives easier and be in the fight to go through perhaps in first place", he began by telling journalists.

The coach insisted that, despite not being a well-known team in Europe, RKS Raków Częstochowa are a quality side.

"People don't know the RKS Raków Częstochowa team. They have internationals in their squad, they were champions of Poland, They play very well and they are organised. They made life difficult for Atalanta BC and they lost to SK Sturm Graz by a small margin. Our players know this, as do the coaching staff".

For Amorim, "the main focus and what affects the club the most is becoming Liga Portugal champions again, so that is the main objective, but Sporting CP will not devalue other competitions because it is crucial to maintain this wave of victories that helps in difficult times".
"Tomorrow we will pick the strongest team to win the game, and we want to go as far as possible in the UEFA Europa League".

Asked what he expects on Thursday, he stated that "You will see a very organised team with a very young coach. You can see that he has the ability to coach the players in the distances between the defenders, in the way they advance and how they press. They have three strong players up front, which means our players have to do a lot of observation in preparation".

"John Yeboah is very fast, the central midfielders switch a lot and they can play with two pivots or with one of the wingers dropping in. They have very fast fullbacks and it will be a game of duels. They play with three central defenders who are good on the ball and are very strong in individual battles. We have to look for their weaknesses, as they will do with us. We have to be mobile. I foresee a game of duels and we shouldn't do what teams do to us when clubs from big leagues overlook us. Let's not make that mistake. RKS Raków Częstochowa are an excellent team, with an excellent coach and international players. We will be prepared for the challenge".

Finally, after announcing that Hidemasa Morita will start in Poland, Amorim spoke about Geny Catamo.

"Geny hasn't reached his top potential. He has adapted to a new position and will vary between positions. He can be a starter for Sporting CP; he has the talent for that. He has to grow a lot in his understanding of the game, but he is very intelligent. He proved, from the first minute of preseason, that he deserves to be in the team and has developed his game, scoring goals and drawing attention. He has a lot of talent and is helping the team".

The Sporting CP coach is chosen by his peers as September's winner

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim, received Liga Portugal's Manager Of The Month award this Tuesday, recognising his achievements in the month of September.

He obtained 28.15% of the votes case by the competition's first team coaches, after having led his side to three victories -against Moreirense FC, Rio Ave FC and SC Farense- and a draw away to Sporting Braga, putting the team ahead of Boavista FC at the top of the table.

After accepting the award, Amorim dedicated some words of thanks not only to those who chose him, but also to the squad and his coaching staff.

“I want to thank everyone for this award and dedicate it to the players, because they are the main part of our team, but also to the rest of the coaching staff, as well as the coaches who voted for us, as part of that healthy rivalry that exists between everyone," he began by saying.

“Now, I hope to win again next month. That would be a sign that we won our games. Still, sometimes it's a little unfair for the coach who one wins the most games to get the award, because there are excellent coaches who do a great job every month. Thank you all."

The coach's review of the win over CD Olivais e Moscavide

At the end of the victory for Sporting Clube de Portugal against CD Olivais e Moscavide in the Taça de Portugal, Rúben Amorim spoke in a press conference at the Estádio José Gomes in Amadora.

"We are a big club, who want to win every competition. This group has not yet won the Taça de Portugal and we want to win it. The secret to victory in the game was the difference between the players, even though it wasn't noticeable in the result. We started out switched off and conceded a goal. We were anxious and didn't do what we had to do. The players ran like they had to, but they were somewhat disorganised. We got the equaliser, improved in the second half and we had several chances. The game went on and became more stressful. The concentration of the players from CD Olivais e Moscavide was better than ours," he began by telling journalists, then explained the reason for Pedro Gonçalves' withdrawal in the second half.

"Pote wasn't making good decisions with the ball and he felt that. He has a great ability to go inside and outside, he's strong at crossing and strong at making decisions. He had a bad day, but he'll get through it. It didn't go well, but it's a sign that the coach has to work harder because he has the capacity to play even as a centre back."

Asked about some reactions made during the match, Amorim downplayed the topic: "My reactions are like that because we always want more. We want everything to be 'perfect'. The players know me and they know that I'm not going to massacre them because we didn't have a great game. The difference in the scoreline should have been greater, but we missed many opportunities."

Regarding the substitution of Iván Fresneda for Geny Catamo at halftime, the coach explained that the Spaniard "appeared many times in a position to cross" and that Sporting CP needed "a more decisive player in one-on-ones."

"It wasn't because of his performance. We just wanted to change the characteristics. The team are in first place in the table and I trust them all. Fresneda is a 19-year-old kid. He came from Real Valladolid CF, which reminds us of [Pedro] Porro and the expectations are very high. They are different players with different characteristics. Sportinguistas cannot be disappointed with Fresneda. A lot of people wanted the player and he wanted to come to Sporting CP. He will give a lot to the club. Some players take longer and others take less time. Both he and Morten [Hjulmand] will take a little longer, unlike Viktor [Gyökeres]. There's a lot of work ahead and it's not just on their side," he said.

Regarding Dário Essugo, Rúben Amorim considered that the midfielder "made progress with the team" and "improved a lot in the second half": "He's another 19-year-old boy who needs time to grow and will have his opportunities ".

"Jeremiah St. Juste had a good game. You can see that he lacks match pace, but he's very fast. We really need him and his specific characteristics. He needs time, as he was injured for a long spell."