Sporting CP 5 G.D. Estoril Praia 1

Sporting CP v GD Estoril Praia
January 5th, 2024
Estádio José Alvalade
Matchday 16

The Warm Up

I was struck earlier this week by the fact that Sporting when top of the table on New Year’s Eve had never failed to go on to be Champions. Well there’s always a first time for everything, no pressure gentlemen. We’re not even halfway through the league calendar in respect of games played, we’re playing yo-yo with the neighbours across the way and still fighting on four fronts. That being said we are top and for once play first going into the weekend fixtures which is grand when you win cause you can add pressure onto the chasing pack. Not so grand if you lose mind and add an extra large carrot on a stick to those chasing you. Time will tell. No one wins a league in December – unless you’re playing in somewhere like Norway where the season traditionally ends in winter.

A lot rests on the shoulders of Gyökeres but so far he's proven a man up to the task in every sense of the word and long may it continue. I never understood how the club managed to hold onto Bas Dost for as long as they did. Goals are a premium commodity and let’s face it Gyökeres is nowhere near with his tally even if his overall game is more involved and productive and yet you find it hard to envisage the Swede being here next summer unless we’ve secured a title win and Champions League football for next season in the new Swiss style league. I don’t remember who said on a podcast the other day that they didn’t think he was capable of playing at the highest level but I was quite put out on his behalf. The Championship is a graveyard of ex Premier League teams post relegation and he scored 40 for Coventry in all competitions, he’s got 18 for us already, scored one of the goals of the season for Sweden against Belgium before that game was sadly abandoned and has played equally well in the Europa League excluding his sending off. I’m not sure what more he can do to prove doubters wrong, not that we care whilst he’s in the green and white of Sporting anyways.

So the first game of 2024 falls at an unusually early time of 18.45 on Friday night. No complaints here especially considering the additional time played in some games with a ridiculously late kick off time already. You wonder how they think the next generation will get into football if they’re all constantly tucked up in bed whilst matches are being played. What do I know having been brought up on a diet of 3pm Saturday kick offs and still watching the game religiously nearly 38 years on?

Fortune has not been kind to tonight’s visitors on the road picking up four points from their 8 games. They’ve the fourth worst record in the division noting they have also played one more game than Rio Ave and Gil Vicente who have collected 3 points and 0 respectively on their travels by way of comparison.

Some good news – Geny is suspended for the first round of the African Nations so could play a part in the game. The signing of 20 year old Brazilian left sided defender Rafael Pontelo has now been confirmed and announced as the speculation over the future of Inácio continues apace. The club have apparently promised Amorim that any sale would only happen upon payment of the player’s release clause of €60m in full. Arsenal are reported to be in pole position to sign him despite reports to the contrary that they cannot afford him in respect’of FFP. It’s alleged they’ve offered €40m with €20m in easily achieved add-ons which may well be where the rumour on Spurs notice boards started that the club would accept a knock down price for the player failing to take into account any potential add-ons. What the actual truth is frankly anyone’s guess and I won’t give credence to it until any deal is done and money is in the bank. Outlets have clicks to be clicked. Is that the correct modern parlance for papers to be sold? I’m more worried about who we get in personally and ensuring we don’t have our pants pulled down letting assets go on the cheap when the neighbours continually sell for top dollar.

The money markets 

Sporting 2/9 – 81.81% of win
Estoril 11/1 – 8.33% of win

You have to go back nearly six years to Estoril’s last win over Sporting which came at home in a 2-0 win on February 4^th, 2018. Man of the match that day was a certain Renan Ribiero – remember him? Club management were clearly enamoured with his performance between the sticks. Me less so during his time with the club but as I said last week football is a game of opinions if nothing else. One would hope Adán starts the new year with a clean sheet in this fixture given their perceived lack of away form however they've won their last five home games in all competitions including a 3-1 win over Porto in the cup and their last two outings at home both finished 4-0 so at home they know where the net is. All told the bookies give them a less than 9% chance of winning tonight.

Team News

With Diomande, St Juste and Coates all still absent Inácio is named at the centre of a back three flanked by Reis and Quaresma. No Morita so Bragança takes his place alongside Hjulmand in the centre of the midfield four. Geny in his last game before departing wide right and Nuno Santos wide left. Front three of Gonçalves, Edwards and Gyökeres. New boy Rafael is named amongst the substitutes.

First Half

1 Corner to Sporting before the fans in attendance have even finished the hymn. It’s been a frenetic opening

1 Chance falls to Inácio who heads wide from six yards after a wonderful ball in from the right from Edwards. This has probably been more entertaining in two minutes than the entirety of the first half in the last game

10 Nuno Santos has a shot blocked which clipped the heels of a defender and fell to Gonçalves who’s swivelled volley from 8 yards was palmed away by the keeper. That all came from a poor defensive header out from a Gyökeres cross. The Brazilian Carné has kept his side in it there.

18 Bragança with a poor challenge gives away a free kick 28 yards from goal.

19 The effort from the Scot Jordan Holsgrove beats the wall but Adán is quickly down to his right to save

20 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Estoril 0. Edwards who’s looked lively all night lifts the ball into the net from two yards following good work from Gyökeres on the left to beat off the attention of two defenders and cross the ball into a great position. Those two linking up makes so much more sense than him and Paulinho.

25 Geny snatches at a shot from 12 yards on the right and pulls it wide of the post. I think he had more time than he realised there.

28 Koindredi breaks from the halfway line to 2 yards outside the Sporting box and promptly sends the ball into row z behind the goal.

31 Gomes has the ball in the net for the visitors but the player crossing was a yard offside in the build up. Easy call for the match officials

32 Edwards shoots a yard wide of the left hand post low from 18 yards. Keeper was beat all ends up and had that been on target it was 2-0

34 Nuno Santos tries one of his audacious lobs one on one with Carné but the keeper stretches to get a hand on it

38 Free kick to Sporting and yellow to Alvaro for foul on Gyökeres.

41 Nuno Santos goes close again from 6 yards stopped low by Carné and out for a corner

45 GOAL Sporting CP 2 Estoril 0. That was pretty much a carbon copy of the first goal except this time it came from the right from Gyökeres and Edwards tapped in low to the left from six yards. Those two make it look ridiculously easy.

Plus one shown

Half time

Sporting CP 2 Estoril 0

Entertaining half for what I saw of it. I don’t know if it was the coverage of the game or our internet dropping out but the force of my anger could be heard. I’m thinking it’s the coverage provider as now game is saying event over. Someone tell the players so they don’t have to come out second half. What an absolute shower.

Anyways, Gyökeres and Edwards made it look easy between the two of them and Estoril will be fearful of the Englishman completing his hat-trick second half. Despite managing to get the ball in the back of the net the visitors have offered pretty much the sum total of nothing which marries their poor form away from home to date this season. It’s hard to believe they’ve managed four goals in each of their last two home outings. Interesting to see Sporting have attacked not only down the flanks but made more use of the central midfield this week. Passes haven’t always been accurate but it’s certainly given them more attacking impetus. Even discounting Edwards brace it’s been his best performance for a few weeks. You’ve got to hope Amorim allows his partnership with Gyökeres to continue to blossom and they both stay fit from now until the end of the season. On this form not many defenders in the league will be able to handle them.

Second half

Presumably Estoril have been sent out with their ears ringing as they take to the field early. Well the mister must be happy as we’ve not had a substitution at half time.

49 Gyökeres with the first chance of the second half fires high and wide. He bullied the defence there again to make space even if the final effort was below par, he my friends is a proper handful

50 GOAL Goodnight Vienna as Nuno Santos makes it Sporting CP 3 Estoril 0. Now it’s a case of how many. You’ve got to feel sorry for Estoril there, it hit the trailing leg of the defender Alvaro and took a wicked deflection past the keeper

52 Bragança off for Trincão

53 Marques evades the Sporting defence but fires over from 8 yards

54 Estoril go close again this time Quaresma clears close to the goal line from Gomes. Only taken them to go 3-0 down to wake up

56 Geny fires over from 18 yards. He’s just snatched at that too quickly again. Just needs that little bit more patience which will come with experience

57 Looks like the league are currently crediting the third as an own goal which is probably correct though Alvaro won’t want it let’s be fair and Nuno will. 

59 Sporting’s defence was cut through like a hot knife through butter there. Araujo shanks his shot well wide of the left-hand post. Adán, you feel would have been giving his defenders plenty to hear about had that shot been on target and been well within his rights. 

60 Gyökeres stings the hands of Carné. I’d be amazed if he’s not voted top player in Portugal at the end of the season. He’s a fucking Panzer tank 

65 With 25 minutes of normal time you feel there’s another goal in this game at least. Hopefully for Sporting. I’d love to see Edwards get his first hat-trick but it wouldn’t be a surprise for Edwards to return the favour and turn provider. Will we see new boy Raphael before the end of the night? 

68 GOAL Well bugger me Sporting 4 Estoril 0. I’m not playing Gonçalves at crazy golf anytime soon. Strikes the ball low from 18 yards, clips the inside of the post and into the back of the net. Well I said another goal was coming. Didn’t think it was finish your sentence and it’ll be scored type of coming.

70 Quaresma departs. Hjulmand follows. Neto and Essugo on. Nuno Santos departs the other side for… Esgaio possibly. That would mean a change in sides for Geny I imagine. Can’t see Esgaio wide left anytime soon he can barely play wide right. Sorry couldn’t resist.

74 How is that not 5-0? Edwards first smacks the post from 10 yards and Trincão looked certain to score from the rebound but a defender just gets a block to send it out for a corner.

79 GOAL Yes Trincão!!! Sporting CP 5 Estoril 0. Pings it past two defenders and the outstretched arm of Carné. That was a thing of beauty from the edge of the 18 yard box. He’s deserved that this season.

81 Edwards withdrawn for Paulinho. He’s going to rue hitting that post now

82 GOAL Inspired substitution there bringing Paulinho on as … Sporting concede. That wasn’t part of the plan. Ding dong afterwards and yellow card is shown to goal scorer Cassiano who tried to grab the ball from Adán as if they’ll score four more in eight minutes. Tap in from close range after a long range effort cannoned off the bar. Sporting CP 5 Estoril 1

87 Gyökeres goes close to making it 6. I don’t think I’ve mentioned his name for twenty minutes or more. That’s not happened many times this season

Plus one shown

+1 Gonçalves hits the post! Trincão was taking the absolute piss out of the defence there and floated the ball to the back post

Full time whistle blows to put Estoril out of their misery.

Full time

Sporting CP 5 Estoril 1

The Final Word

How you can have one minute additional time with ten substitutions made is frankly debatable. Yes it was over as a game but you can’t just change the laws to suit. Yes I wanted the sixth goal and unlike last week when I couldn’t wait for the game to finish. I’d have had another hour of that happily. Best performance of the season by a country mile. Gyökeres proved he’s much more than just a goal scorer he was unplayable in his link up play and will claim a hat-trick of assists. He's my man of the match. Edwards looked up for it as did Trincão with a superb late cameo appearance. Nuno Santos had his best game of the season. Sporting extend their lead at the top for now to four points. Play like that every game and I don’t think there’s many teams that will lay a glove on us. The defence was open at times but when you’ve got that sort of attacking threat for a full 90 minutes and chances are put away it doesn’t really matter.