Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 2

Portimonense v Sporting CP
December 30^th, 2023
Estádio Municipal Portimão

Matchday 15

The Warm Up

So farewell 2023 it’s almost time to bid you adieu. Just 90 minutes of football remain as Sporting vie to beat Portimonense away and finish the calendar year in first position in the league table.

As you’d expect, given this is football and Sporting CP after all, it has been a year of highs and lows. Things didn’t start well in the opening game of the calendar year; Marítimo administered revenge for their 5-0 thrashing in the group stage of the Taça da Liga just weeks before to record a 1-0 home win. How the complexion has changed going into tonight’s game 12 months later.

Prior to kick off Sporting have played 52 competitive games since the turn of the year. In the league we’ve seen 34 games; 25 wins, 5 draws and 4 defeats which have accumulated 80 points. In the Europa League 12 games; 4 wins, 6 draws and 2 defeats. Taça da Liga; 4 games; 3 wins, 1 defeat (which incidentally was in last season’s final as we lost 2-0 to Porto). Finally, in the Taça de Portugal; 2 games with 2 wins. Those 34 wins in all competitions represents a win percentage of 65.38% so just shy of winning 2 of every 3 games.

2022/23 Season Janeiro – Maio

In the league we played 20 games; Won 14, drew 4, lost 2. There were 9 clean sheets, 42 goals scored (including 5 converted penalties and 5 own goals) and 17 conceded. We would eventually finish a disappointing 4th place behind Sporting Braga, missing out on Champions League football for the 2023/24 campaign instead settling for Europa League football.

In the Taça da Liga; played 2, won 1, lost 1. Goals for 2, conceded 3 and as previously mentioned finishing runners up.

In the Europa League; played 6, won 1, drew 4, lost 1. Goals for 9, conceded 6.

Football is subjective as we all well know, so these are some of my own personal highlights which included; Trincão’s first hat-trick for Sporting CP against Casa Pia in a 4-3 win; Knocking Arsenal out of the Europa League over two legs and beating Sporting Braga 5-0 at home in the league. Biggest disappointments other than the 4th place finish would of course have to be losing to Porto in the final of the Taça da Liga and narrowly losing 2-1 on aggregate to Juventus over the two legs to miss out on the chance of a semi-final berth in the Europa League.

Best goal contenders

Marcus Edwards vs Braga – The Englishman picked up the ball 40 yards from goal on the right hand side, ghosts in between four Braga defenders and pings the ball low into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 3-0.

Matheus Reis vs Braga – The defender receives a pass from the right wing, lets the ball run across him before hitting a 20-yard pearler into the top left hand corner to make it 4-0. Given my irrational and well documented hatred of Sporting Braga this is my personal favourite of the goals here.

Nuno Santos vs Boavista – Until Gonçalves popped up with his wonder goal against Arsenal you’d imagine that this impudent rabona inside the box would have been the fans choice for best goal.

Nuno Santos vs Paços Ferreira – Another audacious effort again from Nuno as this time as he sits the keeper down and dinks the ball looping into the goal almost in slow motion from just inside the area.

Best goal

Pedro Gonçalves vs Arsenal – I mean like the Highlander there can only be one. Six yards inside the Arsenal half he spots Ramsdale off his line and scores with the most ridiculously sublime goal you will see in any footballing competition around the world during that period.

League goal scorers;

Gonçalves 8
Trincão 7
Santos / Morita / Chermiti / Paulinho 3
Edwards 2
Porro / Reis / Arthur / Bellerín / Esgaio / Inácio / Diomande / Coates 1 

Taça da Liga goal scorers;

Paulinho 2

Europa League goal scorers;

Gonçalves 3
Coates 2
Inácio / Paulinho / Edwards / own goals 1

Biggest win 

5-0 vs Sporting Braga

2023/ 24 Augusto>

Sporting have a perfect home record of eight wins in eight games matched in Europe only I believe at the time of writing by PSV in Holland. New boy Viktor Gyökeres has scored 17 goals in all competitions including his first hat-trick for Sporting against Farense. We’ve also seen Paulinho score a hat-trick against Dumiense making him one of 3 players to complete the goalscoring feet in 2023 following the aforementioned Trincão 3 vs Casa Pia. In Europe Sporting qualified for the playoff game finishing second in their group to Atalanta. They remain challenging on four fronts, still involved in both Taça’s.

Biggest disappointments must be the 2-1 loss away in the Dérbi to Benfica having led 1-0 at half time and conceding the winner with virtually the last kick of the game in additional time. That and the first half performances home and away to Atalanta in the Europa League. Highlights include the 2-0 Clássico win at home to Porto, the 8-0 drubbing of lowly Dumiense and Trincão’s sublime skill to lose his marker before providing the assist for Gyökeres to s’ore the opener at home to Farense.

In the league we’ve played 14, winning 11, drawing 1 and losing 2. Goals for 30, conceded 15 giving a 2:1 ratio.

League goal scorers

Gyökeres 10
Paulinho 6
Gonçalves 4
Edwards 2
Geny / Hjulmand / Diomande / Nuno Santos / Morita / Bragança / Inácio / own goals 1 

In the Europa League we’ve played 6, winning 3 drawn 2 and lost 1. Goals scored 10, conceded 6

Goal scorers

Gyökeres 3
Gonçalves / Inácio 2
Diomande / Coates / Edwards 1 

In the Taça da Liga we’ve played 2, won 2 scoring 6 for to 2 against.

Goal scorers

Gyökeres 3
Nuno Santos / Bragança / Paulinho 1 

In the Taça de Portugal played 2, won 2 scoring 11 for and the solitary goal against although to be fair we have played lowly opposition in both games. 

Goal scorers

Paulinho 3
Edwards / Geny / Bragança / Gyökeres / Nuno Santos / Coates / Neto/ Trincão 1 

If you were to disregard European results this season, domestically Sporting have played 18 in all competitions, winning 15 which is 83.33% of all those games.

Best goals

Pedro Gonçalves Vs Braga – curls a deft shot into the top right-hand corner past José Fonte and the keeper to make it 1-0.

Marcus Edwards Vs Estrela – picks the ball up and around 35 yards from goal and departs on the sort of run that if he could ski would make him a champion of the slaloms. He ghosts in between two defenders and then with another two in front makes the space for himself to slot home from 8 yards to make the score 2-2. Sensational individual effort.

Viktor Gyökeres Vs Benfica – Sporting countered with just Edwards and Gyökeres across the halfway line. Edwards plays an inch perfect ball into the box and the Swede smashes home from 14 yards with a first-time strike that left the keeper with no chance of stopping it.

Biggest Win

8-0 Dumiense

What if any silverware ends up in the trophy cabinet come the end of the 23/24 season is frankly anyone’s guess. No one ever won the league with less than half a season played. A semi final appearance awaits to Braga in the Taça da Liga. If you believe the English press then Premier League teams covert the likes of Diomande, Gyökeres, Geny, Edwards, Gonçalves and Inácio. The latter is said to be wanted by Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal, Newcastle and Real Madrid. Stories at the start of the week from a Spurs fan site said we’d accept a reduced £39 million for him. Sure – when you’ve supposedly got 7 sides vying for his services we’ll then sell him on the cheap. People’s stupidity never ceases to amaze me. Then Arsenal allegedly were in pole position to sign him in January before announcing they were unlikely to do business in the window unless they could offload players. Chelsea supposedly looking to do a double deal for £172 million for Diomande and Gyökeres. I mean they seemingly have some fantastic accountants to stretch the limits of financial fair play but even they surely couldn’t muster that one mid season without some phenomenal sales of home grown talent for the purposes of amortisation. And as I’ve said before with Diomande away in January you’re not going to drop £80 million on a player who can’t play for the opening part of the second half of the season. Gyökeres has confirmed his intention to stay. Inácio is I believe a Sporting fan and will surely want to try to ensure Sporting cement another title before he departs and we’re short in defensive cover anyway with Coates and St Juste injured and Diomande off to play in the African Cup of Nations.

The warm up

Anyway, back to tonight’s game knowing a win will see us finish top of the pile in 2023. Still no captain Coates or St Juste. Bragança had flu during the week, so it remains to be seen whether he is fit to be in the squad. Last games for Geny and Diomande before they depart for the African Cup of Nations and in turn Morita to the Asia Cup.

Opponents Portimonense have played 14, winning 4, drawing 3 and losing 7 with a goal ratio of 1:2 scoring 16 and conceding 32. They have fared slightly better at home with their away record dragging the overall record down; equal share of 2 wins, draws and losses. They’ve won just 1 of the last 6 in all competitions, losing 5-2 away to Moreirense last time out and suffered a 6-1 away to defeat to Braga in the league and they then lost to them 4-1 at home in the Taça de Portugal so Sporting’s forwards will be hoping to be amongst the goals tonight for definite.

The money markets

Portimonense – 15/2 (11.76%)
Sporting – 1/3 (75%)
Sporting to win and BTS – 15/8 (34.79%)

Team News 

No Inácio in the squad as Sporting start with a back three of Diomande flanked on the right by Neto and left by Reis. Potential attacking formation on both wings as Geny is preferred to Esgaio and Nuno Santos plays on the left. Gonçalves drops into midfield instead of Hjulmand to partner Morita. Paulinho takes his spot in the forward three alongside Edwards and Gyökeres.

On the bench 20 year old defender Chico Lamba and 19 year old Travassos. Trincão, Esgaio and Bragança the more recognised names amongst the possible substitutes to come on if required. Presumably Hjulmand and Inácio are suspended for this game? Travelling with the squad is Rafael Silva who is set to be announced as a Sporting player within the week when the transfer window officially opens.

First Half

10 Uneventful opening ten minutes. The home side haven’t even crossed the halfway line from memory. Three Sporting corners came to nothing. The most eventful moment was a stoppage in play to remove flares from the pitch. The fire marshals have spent more time in and around Sporting’s 18 yard box than Portimonense.

18 First chance falls to the home side. Adán flapped at a cross and Guga probably couldn’t believe his luck as it fell to his feet but his shot was wild from 15 yards and flew over the bar

22 Nuno Santos has spent his Christmas watching the original karate kid as he tries Daniel Son’s finishing move from 20 yards and kills the ball sending it somewhere into next week. You win. Oh no, wait, that was Street Fighter.

23 Clearly no one packed any shooting boots as Carlinhos the third player to not even hit the target with an effort.

33 Neto shown a yellow for a foul on Costa. He’s gone down like he’s been shot. I’m not even sure there was contact looking at the last angle. If there was it certainly didn’t warrant the players reaction and two physios on.

35 First shot on target as a two man wall allows Carlinhos the space to get the free kick on target but Straight at Adán. Clever play that by Sporting.

Plus two indicated. Two minutes too many if you ask me

+1 Wild shot over the bar from Edwards. Sporting have failed to register a single shot on target this half

Whistle blows. Thank fuck for that.

Half time

Portimonense 0 Sporting CP 0

Worst half of football this season hands down. Certainly not the way you want to bring the curtain down on 2023. Maybe they’ve all had too much Christmas pud. Portimonense are the Portuguese West Ham just without the equivalent Bowen, Kudus or Paqueta in the final third. I’ve said it every time Gyökeres and Paulinho start together – they can’t play together. Given the lack of options on the bench I don’t get why Amorim has started with Paulinho. Considering we had both Geny and Nuno Santos starting you’d think service into the box would have been better but somehow in fact it’s been even worse. The only decent thing from Sporting has been the travelling support who deserve something to sing about.

Second half

Quaresma comes on for Neto who started as captain but was on a booking so probably a wise choice and the youngster will be more mobile.

46 Morita pulls an effort wide of the right post. Still no shot on target. This is a side that have lost by 4, 5 and 6 goals at different points in their last six outings. Sporting need to do better.

48 Header from Paulinho from six yards straight at the keeper but it is at least a shot on target

51 Gonçalves shown a yellow for a foul in the centre of the pitch. He scratches his head looking slightly bemused at the decision.

53 Paulinho header deflected for a corner. I’d like to say we’re getting closer to an opener but I’d be lying to you and myself. I might bet the draw to see if it starts the butterfly effect

55 Guga shown the yellow for a foul on Gonçalves

57 Beautiful run to the byline by Edwards who cuts it back for Paulinho who clearly thought he was ten yards to the left and shot only to realise he was two yards wide of the right hand post. Fuck me

58 GOAL OMG finally who else but Gyökeres. He’s timed his run to perfection there. Ball in from the left beats three defenders and he hits it past the keeper with consummate ease to make it Portimonense 0 Sporting CP 1 and yes I did bet the draw at 2/1 and I’m claiming that. My butterfly is more powerful than yours

66 Diomande shown a yellow for a tactical foul to stop a counter attack. Took one for the team.

67 GOAL Diomande gives away a foul in a good position. He’s got to watch himself there having just been booked... Oh come off it – free kick into the area finds the head of Alemao who glances it past Adán to make it Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 1

70 Shot from Edwards draws a save from the keeper low down at his near post. Should have looked to square it from there

73 Nuno Santos drives a shot into the advertising hoardings behind the goal from a tight angle. Sums up his night perfectly

74 Morita draws a good save from 20 yards from the keeper. Corner to Sporting.

76 Bragança on for Gonçalves

77 The hosts really, really, REALLY should have been 2-1 up. Varela was played clean through and thankfully he has the first touch of a trampoline. Quaresma just got the final touch to block the eventual shot.

80 GOAL Sensational scenes. Ball whipped in from the left by Morita finds Paulinho who knocks it in from six yards. Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 2. You wouldn’t want to be Varela if the score stays the same come the full time whistle after his miss a couple of minutes ago.

82 Esgaio on for Geny as Amorim looks to sure up his defence

84 Sporting have Adán to thank as he races to clear with Varela baring down on goal. It’s definitely not his night and thank fuck for that!

85 Yellow for foul on Paulinho by Henrique

87 I think we’re looking at a minimum of five or six minutes additional time. Sporting need a third.

87 Yellow to Ace Ventura for a late challenge on Bragança. Free Kick in a good position on the right. Frustratingly comes to nothing. Sporting have been awful from set pieces tonight it must be said

89 Carlinhos tries an audacious lob from a narrow angle which Adán watches over the bar for a goal kick

90 Trincão on for Edwards. Clock management time now.

Plus six shown

+1 Alemao shown a yellow for a foul on Bragança. Just eats a little bit more time out of the game. Portimonense have just lost their heads in the last five minutes as the frustration of the current scoreline gets to them

+4 Tell me how it isn’t three as Gyökeres misses. Even he is fallible and human. Lighting counter attack and the one person you’d want to find in that position somehow missed. I’ve not seen a replay so I can’t tell you how he missed. I think like every other Sportinguista I’d have put my the house on him to score. * Correction post game – Gyökeres squared it to Paulinho and it was he who shanks it over the bar from –lose range so my humble apologies. I wouldn’t have put my house on him to score there. That’s an appalling miss.

Final whistle blows.

Full time

The Portuguese West Ham 1 Sporting CP 2

The Final Word

That was the literal definition of Winning ugly 1.01 but that’s a massive three points and frankly that’s all that matters as Sporting finish 2023 top of the table. Fair play to the home side. They defended doggedly. It wasn’t pretty to watch and it certainly didn’t make for a good game of football but for a side who’ve been hammered three times in the last six they can take pride in that performance. Sporting had that ‘we just have to turn up’ philosophy that so often in season’s gone by has bitten them in the arse time and time again. The difference at the moment is two forwards who can find the back of the net but I’m going with the broken record view that they cannot play in the same side despite them both scoring. Actually they maybe could but not in a 4-3-3 formation. Edwards and Gyökeres usually work well together. Trincão rarely misses a pass and has the key to unlock defences in and around the box even if it’s for secondary assists. Paulinho on his own without Gyökeres seems to be able to occupy that critical space for crosses in from both flanks. But tonight was another shit show display from the front three. You’ll only get away with it so many times in a season.

Morita was shown the official man of the match. At half time I was thinking I’m struggling here but actually I’m going to give it to Reis for an unspectacular but hugely effective performance. It’s alleged Liverpool had a scout in to watch Inácio and I think he’s gone ‘if you need a left sided defensive player I’m your man and I’ll probably save you €55 million in the process.’ I really like him as a player and this season he’s matured. The rule changes in the summer have stopped all the silliness that used to accompany his game; the play acting, the moaning to referees… Now he just gets on with it and these are the unsung performances that really count come the end of the season if you’re to win anything. Shout out to Adán despite his mistake in the first half and conceding one, he definitely kept Sporting in the game late on. I said at half time Portimonense were the Portuguese West Ham without an equivalent Paqueta, Bowen or Kudus but in Varela they have the Cape Verde Antonio. He won’t want to see that first touch again when clean through. That’ll be waking him up at all hours for weeks to come. Perhaps it’s a national trait because our boy Jovane and his fellow compatriot has that same fault in his game.