Liga NOS contest cancelled just before kickoff in Madeira

Sporting CP's scheduled Thursday night Liga NOS game against CD Nacional has been postponed until a later date, as a result of rain and high winds at the Estádio da Madeira. 

The decision was taken to suspend the match by referee Manuel Mota, just after the two teams had completed their pre-match warmup exercises. The official tested the effect of the wind on the ball, and opted to delay the start. Around half an hour later, he made the call to definitively postpone the contest after a second check.

The match will be played this Friday at 6pm.

An expected storm in Madeira provides an extra challenge against CD Nacional

Sporting Clube de Portugal are back in Liga NOS action this Thursday, playing CD Nacional in Madeira on Matchday 13. Coach Rúben Amorim is expecting a difficult game -not least because of the expected conditions of the pitch.

"We take things game by game. The best players for the task will play this game, and when this game ends we will start preparing the next one. What can be expected is a Sporting CP side just like we have had all season so far: A team with an excellent attitude, who know the opposition well and who know the limitations they have," he said in his pre-match press conference.

"It will be a difficult game against an organised team with a quality coach. In addition, there may be a storm in Madeira tomorrow, which could make the game as difficult as against Belenenses SAD. We are preparing for a different surface and for wind, since we already know the stadium."

Asked about the winter transfer market, Amorim reiterated his trust in his current squad.

"I intend to use the players I have and I am very satisfied with them. They are practically all ready for the game against CD Nacional and for the following games, which is the most important thing," he emphasised.

As for the lead in the league table and the games ahead, Amorim said that "we will have problems if the coaching staff and the players are distracted by our rivals' fixtures. The important thing is that our team are wide awake tomorrow. It will be necessary considering the adverse conditions we could face."

"In the space of a week we have two games in the league and one in the Cup. We want to win every game. We cannot prepare to lose," he stated.

"Tomorrow we play CD Nacional, who are a very organized team with several variables. They play in different ways and can play with different players. They have a way of attacking that fits our way of defending. We have to be prepared for the game to be a little different due to the weather conditions. They are strong on dead balls. We are prepared for a game of maximum difficulty, but we have worked for that and we want to win the game. If the conditions are fit for us to play, Sporting CP will be competitive and we will fight for the victory."

The game at the Estádio de Madeira kicks off at 6:30pm local time.

The Sporting CP coach looked back on the triumph over SC Braga

After the final whistle in the victory over SC Braga, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the Liga NOS Matchday 12 contest.

"We knew it was going to be a very difficult game. SC Braga are a team that, when defending, transition well to attack. We started the game well and we had it under control, with more of the ball. Then SC Braga had the opportunity for Ricardo [Horta], in which Adán made a great save. From there, we lost our way a little bit", he explained.

"Then, in the second half, there was a goal disallowed for offside in which the defensive line did very well. We scored, we defended and Matheus Nunes did a very good job when he came on, as well as Šporar and the others. We were effective, and we are a very united team. We are prepared for everything and we ended up winning deservedly."

Amorim would further praise Adán, saying that "He is a great goalkeeper, who Hugo Viana managed to convince to come to a great club when he had other offers.”

"I am fully aware that we have a lot to improve,” he went on to say. “But I have to congratulate the players, who are doing an excellent job and give everything for the team, which is their obligation. It’s difficult, but we are on the right path because we are united."

Amorim also commented on the transfer market, explaining that it is not the right time to talk about potential targets and ensuring that, if players are brought in, it will be with a very clear objective.

"After a game like this, it is not a good thing to say that we need this player or that player. I am very satisfied with the group that I have. If there are changes, it will be with players for the Sporting CP project that I hope they will stay for many years," he said.

New year begins with victory over SC Braga (2-0)

Sporting Clube de Portugal kicked off 2021 in style with a 2-0 win over SC Braga at the Estádio José Alvalade. Both goals in the Liga NOS Matchday 12 encounter came in the second half, scored by Pedro Gonçalves and Matheus Nunes.

Rúben Amorim brought back Zouhair Feddal and Nuno Santos to his starting XI, replacing Gonçalo Inácio and Bruno Tabata -who had featured against Belenenses SAD. Sporting CP started the game with their usual high press, and in the third minute Nuno Santos was left almost completely alone on the attack. However, Ricardo Esgaio would dispossess him just before he could get a shot off.

Sporting CP had a penalty kick controversially waved away by referee Fábio Veríssimo, when Feddal was pushed by Rolando. 

Off a great cross by Pedro Porro from the right, Nuno Santos was just inches from providing the finish. Off the second ball, Feddal delivered a powerful shot off target. SC Braga responded with an attempt by Ricardo Horta Antonio Adán saved.

A second penalty kick was not given, this time for a handball by Fransérgio, before the 30 minute mark, as the decisions failed to go Sporting CP’s way.

The visitors grew in confidence when Ricardo Horta tested Adán again, and Al Musrati would go on to hit the post, but Sporting continued to threaten and had another penalty kick denied before the break: Raul Silva was adjudged not to have fouled Tiago Tomás in the Braga area.

After the halftime break, SC Braga’s Paulinho’s goal was disallowed for offside after a check of VAR, in the away team’s closest chance.

A few moments later Pedro Porro sent a free-kick into the hands of goalkeeper Matheus, but it would not be long before the deadlock was broken: A cross from Nuno Mendes on the left was met by Nuno Santos on the right, the latter perfectly positioned to set up Liga NOS’ top scorer Pedro Gonçalves for his 11th strike of the season.

Rúben Amorim decided to make changes with the score at 1-0, taking off Tiago Tomás and Nuno Santos for Andraž Šporar and Bruno Tabata. SC Braga came back with another chance for Horta, which Adán proved to be a match for.

The game settled down, and Sporting CP sealed the win on 78 minutes thanks to a Šporar counterattack. The shot by the Slovenian was saved, and second half substitute Matheus Nunes – slammed in the rebound for his first goal for the club.

The 2-0 result from a tricky tie keeps Sporting CP top of the table. Their next Liga NOS game is against CD Nacional away, on Matchday 13.
 
Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Pedro Porro, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Zouhair Feddal, Nuno Mendes, João Palhinha, João Mário, Pedro Gonçalves (Matheus Nunes, 71 '), Nuno Santos (Bruno Tabata, 57 ') and Tiago Tomás (Andraž Šporar, 57').

The Sporting CP coach is undaunted by the fixture against SC Braga

Sporting Clube de Portugal play their first game of 2021 this Saturday, meeting SC Braga in a 6pm local time kickoff that is one of the biggest matches of the Liga NOS matchday. Speaking ahead of the contest, coach Rúben Amorim talked about what he expects to encounter.

"SC Braga have an excellent squad, a good coach and are a club who are used to these games, with experienced players who have a special connection between themselves. However,  we are prepared for what is another game in the league season, that is worth three more points," he told the media.

"I think it will be a good game, but even if it isn't, the most important thing is that Sporting CP win."

"I hope that our team are more inspired than that of SC Braga, and win the game," said the coach. "Other teams study us and we have days in which we are more inspired than others."

“We have to look at the results, look at the good and the bad points, and prepare the team for the other games. We have to take things game by game," continued Amorim. "I'm always expecting a great game from my team, because that's what they show during the week. We will have to wait and see how it goes tomorrow. The team will be well prepared and united, just as they have to be, but quality in football depends on everyone.”

"When teams have great moments, it is due to individuals, but also the collective strength of the squad. We are able to beat any team. We have to be at our best -and if we do that, we are capable of beating any team."

Asked about Pedro Gonçalves and Nuno Santos, he commented that: "Pedro Gonçalves has been doing very well. He made an abnormally good start to the season, and with that raised the bar for himself. Nuno Santos has also done an incredible job, like everyone else, but for the last game he was left out because we have other players -like Tabata, who came in and did very well."

The win over Belenenses SAD was analysed after the final whistle

Following Sporting Clube de Portugal’s 1-2 win at Belenenses SAD, coach Rúben Amorim expressed his satisfaction with a hard-fought three points.

"It was a very difficult game. We knew it was going to be like this. Belenenses SAD adapted better to the pitch, whilst we had some trouble doing that. Belenenses SAD launched the ball upfield and played from there, and that's what we should have done too", he told the media in his post-match press conference.

"The players have been working since we arrived here to go out to play, but we should have done things the other way round. They gave it everything; what was missing was the coach better preparing our play for these conditions. This team is very difficult to beat."

Asked about the team’s chances of winning the title, Amorim spoke in the same way that he has since the beginning of the season.

"We’ve only played 11 games. We still haven't finished the first third of the campaign. It's too early to say anything, and these games remind us of that. Teams always want to show what they can do, and take points against the first placed team in the table. We have to adapt and we are doing so. We may not have always had a great game, but we have been united and ended up winning,” he said.

"If you go into the dressing room, you will not see a euphoric team. You will see a team that realise that each game is a war. We have to grow as a team and these games help us to do that."

The winter transfer window opens soon, and the Sporting CP coach will be hoping to keep the team together. However, he acknowledges that there are “no guarantees.”

"At Sporting CP everything is very well thought out and we have a strategy, but in football -and especially after the pandemic- we cannot guarantee anything. Whoever is at Sporting CP will do the shirt justice and give their all. That is their obligation: To give their all like we did today on a very difficult pitch."

January will also be a tough month on the field, with a packed schedule that the team need to navigate.

"We are prepared for it. I look at the game Gonçalo Inácio and other players had today, and I realise that they need these games. We will have some growing pains, but we will work on these a lot. I believe in these players and I am very satisfied. We need all of them and everyone will play," he assured.

Sporting CP best Belenenses SAD 1-2 away

First half goals from Tiago Tomás and João Mário earned Sporting CP a 1-2 victory against a spirited Belenense SAD side at the Estádio Nacional this Sunday, enabling the team to end 2020 top of the Liga NOS table.

Coach Rúben Amorim made two changes to the starting lineup from the match against SC Farense, bringing in Gonçalo Inácio in place of the injured Zouhair Feddal and fielding Bruno Tabata instead of Nuno Santos. 

Tabata was involved in the opening goal, just 5 minutes into the game, as he ran a counterattack and served up a ball from the right for Tiago Tomás, who met it with his left foot for a low drive into the net.

The lead would not last for long, as Belenenses SAD equalised through a Miguel Cardoso shot deflected off Gonçalo Inácio, wrong-footing Antonio Adán in the Sporting CP goal.

Adán would exact revenge of sorts just past the 15 minute mark, as -having been penalised for a foul inside the box- he saved Cardoso's penalty kick to prevent a turnaround from the home side.

The high pace continued and, on 23 minutes, it was Sporting CP's turn to shoot from the spot: Tomás was felled inside the penalty area and referee Rui Costa awarded the penalty. João Mário converted in calm fashion, putting the team back in front with what was his first goal since returning back at the start of the season.

Before the break, Pedro Porro and Nuno Mendes tested Kritciuk with shots, Tomás almost capitalised on a goalkeeping error, and Adán made another pair of tremendous saves. However, the score remained 1-2 to Sporting CP at halftime.

The second half saw intensity but limited chances, with high pressing from both teams concentrating the play in the midfield. Belenenses SAD threatened with two shots that were met with saves by Adán.

Inácio came close to a goal in the 61st minute following a corner kick, and Porro enjoyed one of the best individual moves of the game, brilliantly dribbling past an opposition player and shooting hard and wide.

Amorim made a change to introduce Nuno Santos in place of Pedro Gonçalves, but Belenenses SAD continued to try everything in their power to get back level. That task became more difficult when, 13 minutes from time, Tomás Ribeiro was sent off for a second yellow card. 

Antunes and Matheus Nunes replaced Nuno Mendes and João Palhinha, respectively, followed by Andraž Šporar coming on for Tomás to have a ten-minute runout.

Sporting CP would experience a scare when a late goal for Belenenses SAD was ruled out for offside, but would hold on for the latest victory of the 2020/21 season. 

Next up is a game at home to SC Braga on January 2nd.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Pedro Porro, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes (Antunes, 78 '), João Palhinha (Matheus Nunes, 78'), João Mário, Bruno Tabata, Pedro Gonçalves (Nuno Santos, 67 ') and Tiago Tomás (Andraž Šporar, 84').

The coach is ready for a tactical encounter on Liga NOS Matchday 11

Sporting Clube de Portugal head to the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras this Sunday, to face Belenenses SAD, on Matchday 11 of the Liga NOS season. In his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, coach Rúben Amorim indicated that his side maintain the same focus as always for the contest.

"It was a normal week, with a little bit later of a start than usual due to the date. It has been such an atypical year that nothing ever changes our thinking," he told the media on Boxing Day.

"What we always want is to win our games and play well. We won our last match, against SC Farense; we didn't have the best game, but we did more than enough to win. We learned from it. That reinforced the idea that all games are difficult and that we are taking things game by game."

As for Belenenses SAD, Amorim says that the similarities between the two sides make it a tactical encounter.

"They are a team who concede few goals. They don't score as many as we do, but they will be prepared for a Sporting CP team that is strong. We play similar systems and know their formation well."

Regarding the continued objectives for 2020/2021, Amorim underlined the idea he has had since the beginning of the season.

"What Sporting CP fans expect is that the team behave in the same way as they have been, which is giving their all. What I can promise is that we will do our best in every game and that the goal is to win them all. The game against SC Farense was proof that we have to think game by game. The players have little experience and all of our games are difficult. We want to beat Belenenses SAD and, if we do, we will remain in first place," added the coach.

"As for our tactics: The formation  always looks the same, but our way of playing changes. We change players here and there, and the way of playing changes completely as a result. Plata is playing in the same position as Pedro Porro and playing with one or the other is completely different for the opposition. The base has worked, but there are teams who defend very well and with many players. We won our last game due to belief and attitude."

There have been concerns about the potential risk of contagion with COVID-19 over Christmas in Portugal, but Amorim guaranteed that all necessary preventive work was carried out by the club.

"We have been very careful with the players. We alerted the players of the danger and the club did an excellent job. We prepared everything very well, but of course there are things that we cannot control. We had an outbreak here a few months ago. I was the only one on the coaching staff that caught it. The players know the rules and I think that, like all Portuguese people, they took extra care. I hope it is not necessary, but the club are prepared to contain any situation."

Belenenses SAD vs. Sporting CP is scheduled for 8pm local time on Sunday, December 27th, at the Estádio Nacional. Zouhair Feddal will be out of the match due to a knock, as will Jovane Cabral and Luiz Phellype as they recover from injury.

The fullback's buyout clause is set at 70 million euros

Sporting Clube de Portugal and Nuno Mendes have reached an agreement on a contract extension for the first team player, through to 2025. The new deal raises the fullback's buyout clause set to 70 million euros.

Speaking after signing his new contract, Mendes said: "I am very happy. It is a unique feeling to be able to renew my contract with Sporting CP. I am always willing to help the club, and that is what I intend to do here."

"I'm a hardworking player, who gives everything for the team. That's what you can always expect from me, because I will do my best for this club."

Still only 18 years old, Mendes has been part of the Sporting CP setup since 2011/2012, when he was 9. Now an Under-21s international for the Portuguese national team, he made his debut for the Sporting CP first team last season and continues to be involved in the squad, despite his young age.

"It has always been a dream of mine to play for the senior squad. Now that I am here, I have to do my best to continue alongside these players, and help the club to the fullest", he explained.

"I'm part of a good group that has responded well this season. We have to keep going, because this doesn't stop. I promise that there will be a lot of hard work from the team and also from me. Sportinguistas can expect me to give everything in every game and every training session."

'O Clássico' starts the Final Four stage of the competition

Sporting Clube de Portugal will face FC Porto in the semifinals of the Taça da Liga on January 19th, 2021, as the competition hits the Final Four stage.

The draw took place this Monday at the Liga Portugal headquarters in Porto. Rúben Amorim's side will take on FC Porto for the second time this season, after their previous meeting in the 2-2 Liga NOS stalemate at the Estádio José Alvalade. The other semifinal, between SC Braga and SL Benfica, takes place on January 20th, with the final on the 23rd.

Sporting CP and FC Porto have played one another in the Taça da Liga on four occasions; Os Leões winning 4-1 back in 2008/09, with the other three games ending in draws (Sporting CP triumphing on penalties). They were the two finalists in the 2018/19 edition of the competition, won by Sporting CP.

Reacting to the announcement, club representative Manuel Fernandes said that "The expectations are always the same. The four best teams in the country are playing in the competition, so it would be similarly hard whether we drew FC Porto, SL Benfica or SC Braga. Sporting CP have expectations for this cup and will try, with dignity , to overcome the brilliant team FC Porto have. That is our objective." 

The Final Four of the 2020/2021 Taça da Liga will take place at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Stadium in Leiria.