Sporting CP 1 (4) BSC Young Boys 1 (2)

Sporting CP v BSC Young Boys
February 22^nd, 2024
Estádio José Alvalade
Europa League Play Off

The Warm Up

Sporting welcome BSC Young Boys in the return leg of the Europa League with the score 3-1 on aggregate at the halfway stage of this play off tie. The visitors arrive fresh off a narrow 1-0 home win to FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy and remain top of the Swiss league. I’m sure Ouchy isn’t pronounced how a child would say it upon hurting their finger but a large part of me really hopes it is. (Yes I need to get out more.) Sporting’s 2-0 away win to Moreirense kept them level on points at the top of the Primeira Liga.

Despite what the aforementioned 3-1 scoreline might suggest Sporting certainly didn’t have it all their own way in the first leg, greatly benefiting from an own goal for the opener and a penalty for the second as they went in 2-1 to the good at half time. Had Inácio not scored so soon into the second half it could well have ended with a different outcome given the home side twice had goals ruled out for offside. The goal maybe just quelled any impetus in chasing an equaliser that being just the one goal behind might have given them. Basically to surmise this tie isn’t yet over. I was going to write until the fat lady sings but it’s rude to speak ill of the dead so rest in piece Maria José Valério.

One imagines that the Swiss Champions were hoping that their synthetic pitch might have given them a slight advantage in the first leg. This game will of course be played on good old fashioned grass. Does that mean Sporting now have a slight advantage? Who knows? It’s not like they played the last game on AstroTurf that we played on growing up. I’m sure I’ve still got sand engrained in my legs and arms from cuts sustained that got embedded deep into open wounds. Those pitches weren’t for the faint hearted.

The reality is they'll kick off’In the k’owledge that they need to score 3 times to progress and to keep a clean sheet against a side who’ve racked up 97 goals in all competitions (remember we’re not even out of February yet). Sporting of course know that any type of draw will be good enough to take them through and they can even finish with a 1-0 loss. Remember also that away goals no longer count double which would have given Sporting a massive advantage so a 2-0 loss over 90 minutes will see the tie go into extra time.

I wrote it in the first game report that Sporting playing in Europe does funny things to them and not in a funny haha way. That rush of blood to the head level of stupidity when everything in the garden was looking all rosy. I was waiting for it last time out and thankfully it never fully came to fruition but it was close at points to us throwing it away. Hopefully either Diomande or Coates start in the centre. Inácio just doesn’t convince me or install any confidence when he starts in that position.

Off the field it’s reported that Amorim is the preferred candidate to take charge of Brighton and Hove Albion to which my initial response was ‘fuck off why would he want to go there?’ No offence to Shakhtar Donetsk but the step up from Ukraine to the Premier League was obvious for de Zerbi especially for a coach who was previously plying his trade in Serie A at lowly Sassuolo. I’m not arguing that the Premier League isn’t a step up from the Portuguese league either but Brighton have qualified once in their history for European competition and don’t look like repeating that feet into any of next year’s competitions. Surely Amorim’s ambition would need to be matched by leading a side in Europe year on year? Would you potentially give up Champions League football to manage Brighton? Sporting are a way bigger club than either Sassuolo or Shakhtar. However, stating the obvious de Zerbi is still manager so…

To be fair I’m still trying to work out how Palhinha firstly ended up at Fulham and secondly for a paltry transfer free of just £20 million. Did anyone call Scooby Doo? Then if those mysteries are ever solved we’ll start with Esgaio. Basically anything is possible I guess and Brighton have a young squad and with 20 debuts to youngsters during his time with Sporting Amorim is an obvious candidate. It’s just that personally I wouldn’t sack off the potential of regular Champions League football to basically become a farmer, fatten up talent for selling on and settle for mid table obscurity. Miaow. I don’t mind him going. I can’t call him emperor’s new clothes time and time again and yet feel somewhat insulted about Brighton being interested. Psychologists really should read this blog.

The money markets

To win

Sporting 3/10 = 76.92% probability chance of win
Young Boys 8/1 = 11.11% probability chance of win

To qualify

1//200 = 99.50% probability chance of qualification
33/1 = 2.94% probability chance of qualification

Team News

Our boy Diomande is back in the starting line up for his first appearance since Portimonense away on December 30^th coming into the centre of the back three for Coates. I wonder if there’s a younger back three in European or world football with Diomande at 20, Quaresma 21 and Inácio the old man at 22? Christ I feel old, I mean I am old but occasionally it dawns on me I’m old enough to be someone’s Dad and in this instance three times over. Anyway, I suggested last game with Reis replacing Santos that it might have some baring going ahead and indeed like that broken clock I’m right at least once a day as he starts wide left. Esgaio replaces Geny wide right, Morita swaps out for Bragança and Gonçalves is replaced by Edwards. On the bench more familiar faces – St Juste and … Fresneda. Well I never. Well done to the medical team behind the scenes. There’s also another spot for Nel who made his debut in Switzerland last week. Bodies and reinforcements coming back for the business point of the season has to be a positive sign.

First Half

Sporting will attack right to left

5 Subdued start to the game on and off the pitch in front of a sparse crowd. Clearly many think this tie is already won and given Sporting’s home record this season few if any would bet against them qualifying

12 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Young Boys 0. No need to guess the scorer, who else could it be? Gyökeres was fed on the edge of the 18 yard box, turns his marker to create space to get his shot away from 16 yards which flew past the keeper to the right. That was a finish of real quality

25 Iten fires a shot straight at Adán from the right of the Sporting 18 yard box. That was never going to trouble the Spaniard

32 Bragança tries from 30 yards to lob the keeper but his effort clears the bar with considerable distance. He’s been playing as a last defender for large parts of this half well out of his box so that attempt came as no surprise. Where’s Gonçalves when you needed him after his wonder goal against Arsenal last season?

44 Bragança tries from 24 yards and pulls his shot wide of the right post. I wrote earlier this season of his tendency to shoot when he’d be better off recycling the ball and I thought he’d improved but those two chances in the last 12 prove otherwise. Disappointing and selfish.

45 Miss of the season as Edwards fails to tap into an empty net from two yards. Hit his leg and just stopped dead. He’ll be seeing that one in his sleep tonight like an unwanted cheese dream.

Plus one shown

Half time

Sporting CP 1 Young Boys 0

Aggregate 4-1

It’s probably safe to say that’s the least I’ve written about a first half all season. If the performance from a Sporting point of view was a country it would have been German; Uber efficient and business like. The goal was pure quality. Edwards miss the polar opposite. Everything else – well it was merely somewhere in between n’est pa?

Second half

Nuno Santos starts the second half. Inácio the player withdrawn so Reis will slot back into his position. That buggers the average age of the back three up. It was 21.

46 Monteiro connects with his head on the chin of Adán in the goal and the referee is quick to blow his whistle for a free kick. Bit of excitement to start the half there. Both players appear uninjured.

50 Sporting presumably started Santos second half to give them more attacking presence on the wing and have spent the entire opening five on the back foot and would have been better suited leaving it as it was on this evidence. Their fans will be wondering why it’s taken them until going 4-1 down to start playing

54 Penalty to Sporting as Trincão brought down by the captain Lustenberger

56 SAVED. Gyökeres went low right but the keeper was more than equal to it. I’d already typed 2-0 in preparation. Kiss of death. Second time tonight I’ll type where was Gonçalves? Not that he gets to take them nowadays. Still not as bad a miss as Edwards, perhaps he did it to be kind and take the heat off his strike partner. Bragança fired in the rebound straight at the keeper

60 Long range free kick straight at Adán who spills it but no one around and he collects it quickly enough

62 Hjulmand off for Koindredi and Trincão for Gonçalves.

62 How was that not 2-0! Bragança shot saved from 6 yards somehow kept out. With Edwards miss, the penalty miss and now this one it really should be what 4-0?

65 I was just thinking Sporting need to be careful there’s a goal coming and the ball is in the net. Thankfully another offside as Males superbly headed past Adán. Deep breath! That’s three in the tie they’ve had ruled out. Defence has done its job holding their line in fairness to them.

74 Santos shot deflects for a corner from 16 yards. Everything good for Sporting is coming through Edwards this second half as if he’s desperate to make amends for his miss at the end of the first half

78 Fuck me Gonçalves squares for Gyökeres with the goal open and the defender just gets a touch to send it out for a corner.

79 Neto on for Quaresma. Now that really does fuck the average age of the back three up. He’s handed the captains armband. Let’s try not to get booked within a minute of coming on. I was just trying to work how I’d missed Gonçalves coming on but I didn’t I had noted it, he’d just clearly done nothing since coming on until that last entry.

80 Gyökeres one on one with the keeper who saves from 8 yards. This has got 1-1 all over it

82 Oh for fucks sake. Penalty to Young Boys. Edwards handballed in the area. No complaints there. Why did I just write this has 1-1 all over it. Dickhead.

83 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Young Boys 1. Ganvoula shows Gyökeres how to do it.

84 Esgaio off Fresneda on.

85 Amenda shown first yellow of the game for foul on Gyökeres

Plus five shown

+2 Gonçalves tries to bend the ball round his marker and into the net from 16 yards but was always going to be overly ambitious as it goes wide of the right post

+3 Yellow to the captain Lustenberger

+4 Bragança blasts over again. Should I type what I shouted out loud? Why not – you fucking useless cunt. He’s been dog shit with his finishing tonight. He would not get anywhere near my starting lineup

Full time

Sporting CP 1 Young Boys 1 (4-2)

The Final Word

If you’re going to throw away a lead better to do it in a two legged Europa League play off in which you’re leading 4-1 than in a league game which could cost you the title. Let’s just say we’ve now gotten it out of the way. Half time should really have been 4-0 and I’d already typed Sporting 2 Young Boys 0 when Gyökeres stepped up to take the penalty as there was zero doubt in my mind he’d score. Part of me wants to say Young Boys came away with a deserved draw but the other half is going that’s bullshit you’re being overly charitable. That was Sporting CP 0 Braga 1 replayed in a different stadium with a different opposition. Sporting should have been out of sight by the time they equalised. So out of sight they could have been in Switzerland. I’m struggling for a man of the match. Gyökeres was a handful all night and got his goal despite not completing his brace. Edwards looked good in the second half at points but gave away the penalty and that miss in the first half was something else. I don’t think he could actually have done that if he tried. It was sporting of him with a lower case s. Esgaio was a ghost and Bragança isn’t good enough. The fact he’s home grown seems to disguise that from a lot of people I find in the same way it did with Gelson Martins. Trincão played well enough but didn’t complete the full 90. Reis did a far better job than Santos did out left. I’ll ponder it for ten minutes. 

Gyökeres it is. Does he need a rest? Would you want to be the one to tell him? Anyway our name goes into the hat for the last 16. Job done.