Sporting CP 2 Sport Lisboa e Benfica 1 (Taça de Portugal)

Sporting CP v Sport Lisboa e Benfica
February 29th, 2024
Estádio José Alvalade
Taça de Portugal Semi final 1st leg

The Warm Up

Tonight sees the second of four Lisbon derbies this season and the first of three games in just seven days with Farense to follow in the league Sunday at 18.00 and then to further compound matters, Atalanta on Wednesday in the Europa League with a 17.45 kick off. I don’t think it’s an understatement to suggest these games are potentially season defining. Or maybe given its February 29th we should all be prepared to take a giant LEAP of faith that something good will manifest itself. That’s worse than the Braga ‘rock and a hard place’ pun – I’m sorry.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (not the Braga one) or stumbled across this blog with no prior interest in Sporting and are reading out of curiosity, you’ll be well aware we lost the first Dérbi away 2-1 with both their goals coming in additional time having initially led through a Gyökeres goal at half time, noting Sporting played with ten men from the 51st minute onwards following the dismissal of Inácio for a second yellow. At the time of writing on Tuesday night there’s a question mark over whether Inácio plays having been withdrawn at half time in Sunday’s rain sodden draw away to Rio Ave and similarly with Trincão who was replaced just before half time by Marcus Edwards who celebrated his 100th appearance for the club. I’ll add a question mark as to whether Coates is capable of playing three games in six days. If he is, it’ll be sparingly at best surely. If we start the game with Israel in goal my fear is that Benfica become inexorable and whilst Adán had a Sunday night to forget against Rio Ave, there weren’t many who came from the game with credit in my eyes and the weather didn’t do either keeper any favours on the night. I’ve previously suggested we need to invest in a new keeper and it was no surprise to read that the club are looking to purchase one in the summer as a priority. In respect of the Rio Ave draw, it was an enervating game for those watching and playing from a Sporting context in equal measure so let’s all close that chapter, put the book back on the shelf and pretend it never happened. Well male Sportinguista’s anyway. Female Sportinguista’s can continue to deal with things like they do with the rest of life in a mature, grown up and sensible manner.

For me the nexus of the next three games shouldn’t be the Dérbi, it should be the game against Farense. The potential problem being one would surmise, that the league game on paper is the easiest of the three and the one you’d play the weakened XI in but that’s just asking for trouble. It’s like standing as an extra in Green Street, arms outstretched shouting at fate – Come on then do your worst. Derbies are by their very nature magnets for idolatry and let’s not kid ourselves, we as fans put too much emphasis on the outcome. It is deemed to be more important merely on the basis of geographical positioning. Had we seen out the last Dérbi 1-0 then Gyökeres name would have been secured in modern folklore with his finely taken goal. Those down the road will of course no doubt believe the two scored in extra time was kismet. Who knows they could well be right. Winning consistently is a habit and one they’ve shared with Porto for far too many decades now. All too often our players in the past have been too truculent to their own cost. We saw that in the second half on Sunday when Quaresma was berating one of the match officials when one of the decisions went against him. This was the first time they’d really been up against it and cracks were showing. How deep they run though only time will tell. To be fair to the players 12 months ago we’d not have come away with even a point from the same position so a degree of progress whilst tinged with disappointment all the same.

If it ever reads in these posts that I want to be right all the time then I can assure you that when it comes to Sporting (at least) nothing can be further than the truth. I’d been heavily critical of the two performances leading up to the 3-3 draw but there’s no way I wanted them to fall short Sunday. Everything about that result was truly soul destroying watching on, producing that gut wrenching end product of disappointment and utter dejection. It’s always the hope that kills you. I’ve been tip-toeing around conversations about a race for you know what for weeks because if you write it then it suddenly becomes all the more real and we all begin to start to fool ourselves it could happen with every game that passes with three more points in the bag. Yet if it doesn’t come to fruition, if you slip up just the once, then it stings all the more because you allowed yourself to start to believe and more fool you for doing so. Expectations management I believe the official term for it is. However it’s not beyond the realms of possibilities that we win all three games coming up, but neither is it that we finish short, find ourselves with uphill battles in the two cup competitions and see our title aspirations all but fall by the wayside. Importantly – no most importantly, all three games are at home. I’ll wait and see who starts in goal each game before I really get my hopes up.

So then another Dérbi … I’d like to say that the neighbours who I prefer to call the pigeons are having a piss poor season. As we know they currently sit top of the pile and no longer just on the basis of the head to head record with Sporting following Sunday’s draw. Their last loss and only loss in the league came way back on August 14th. Their last loss in any competition coming November 8th. Total wins in all competitions – 27. Good news is comparatively Sporting have 28 wins in all competitions but derbies aren’t won on paper or numbers on a spreadsheet. Second piece of good news is that in all competitions Sporting have lost just the once at home to date, that coming against Atalanta and the one draw against Young Boys otherwise it’s a clean sweep of home wins.

I won’t lie if offered the draw before kick off I’m taking it.

The money markets

Sporting 19/20 = 51.28% probability of win
Draw 12/5 = 29.41% probability of draw
Benfica 13/5 = 27.77% probability of win 

Team News

Shit the fucking bed pardon my French but in goal Franco Israel – prove me wrong son and have me eating my words. Inácio is replaced by Diomande who’ll operate left of the back three. Reis is preferred to Santos wide left. Edwards takes the place of the injured Trincão. Otherwise as you were for the draw on Sunday. Paulinho is fit enough to once more be named amongst the substitutes.

First Half

Sporting attacking right to left.

6 This game is like watching a group of toddlers going through the terrible twos as each side’s set of players push the boundaries to see what they can get away with the referee ruling the roost playing mother

7 Sporting players surrounding the referee convinced Gonçalves was fouled in the six yard box. Nothing given.

8 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Benfica 0. Gonçalves heads in a Hjulmand cross to the far post from 7 yards out.

12 The pigeons are yet to truly even venture into the Sporting half. It’s been a dominating display in the opening third of the first half for the Lions

14 Sporting corner as Gyökeres shot is blocked. Second shot for the Swede blocked and cleared from the resulting corner. He’s a point to prove tonight

24 Jose Mourinho in attendance at tonight’s game. That I believe is how rumours start.

30 Yellow card shown to Otamendi for a deliberate trip on Gyökeres. Referee had no hesitation there in producing the card.

31 Training ground free kick routine ends with a soft header from Diomande into the arms of the keeper

32 The petty nonsense is over now as Hjulmand shown the yellow for a reckless tackle in midfield. He can have no complaints there

33 Close up of Di María. Is he Doctor Spock’s love child with those ears?

34 Another charging run from 30 yards out into the area results in a tame low shot by Gyökeres

35 What an atmosphere it’s genuinely spine tingling

37 Inch perfect sliding tackle in the box by Coates. The Uruguayan Gandalf – You shall not pass

40 Referee runs to the bench and pulls out a red card before switching and actually showing the yellow. Shown to Paulinho. Second game on the spin one of the substitutes has been booked for Sporting

44 Golden opportunity falls to Edwards but his shot is blocked and cleared. Bizarrely he probably had too much time to think there rather than be able to react instinctively

Plus two shown

+1 Not sure if that was supposed to be a cross or a shot but I suspect it’ll be counted as their first effort on goal. Catching practice for a 3 year old

Half time

Sporting CP 1 Benfica 0

Well if you were after evidence of who the best club side is in Portugal at present only one side offered any to the onlooking members of the jury. Hjulmand has done a sterling job in midfield. Reis has looked good out on the left with a solid half. Gyökeres has just been running amok like he’s won supermarket sweep. Gonçalves has looked composed and his goal capped a good first half. Problem is the pigeons cannot be that bad in the second half surely and as we learned the hard way last Dérbi that 1-0 at half time counts for the sum total of exactly fuck and all.

Second half

46 Penalty originally awarded for a foul on Edwards but Gyökeres was clearly offside in the buildup so the referee sadly, but correctly overturns his original decision. Maths replay confirms just the 1.15 metres in it. Not much then. Yes that is my tongue pushing firmly against my cheek.

50 No surprise to see the visitors with some actual attacking intent but Coates equal to everything thrown at the defence in the last two minutes

52 Geny tries from 20 yards but can’t control his effort which flies behind the goal. Sporting looking to hit on the counter with the visitors defending an incredibly high line. Bravado or stupidity?

53 GOAL Sporting CP 2 Benfica 0. Who else could it have been but Gyökeres. As if to provide an answer to that question above he beat the high line, lost his marker and charged into the box to slot home.

55 Sending off on the bench for Sporting not sure who got his marching orders there. Presumably a member of the technical staff.

58 Mario takes a long shot which deflects off Morita and jumped upon by a grateful Israel.

62 Coates has been outstanding at the back tonight as he picks the pockets of the attacker once more. No one can accuse him of not leading by example

67 GOAL Sporting CP 2 Benfica 1. Long ball swung into the far post and Aursnes swept home past Israel. That was all too easy. Defence guilty for the first time tonight of complacency

71 Sporting CP 2 Benfica 2. Fucking hell. Di María guides the ball into the bottom right hand corner from ten yards with an old fashioned toe poke. Referee is running to the monitor. Obstructed view of the shot by the attacker in an offside position? The cheers around the ground confirm just that. Sporting CP 2 Benfica 1 as we were then, don’t panic Mr Manwaring, don’t panic. Di María milked that celebration that for all he was worth – Silly cunt and now he’s booked to compound his misery presumably for something he said. Fucking shame

74 Handbags between both sets of players.  Kökcü shown the yellow for the original foul on Hjulmand which lead to the melee. Kökcü by name, giant Kökcü by nature

77 Quaresma megged out left and chops his man down in retribution. Free kick in a dangerous position. Sporting deal with the danger.

78 Rafa shown a yellow presumably for dissent

79 Sporting really need to find a third goal from somewhere

79 Esgaio hooks one past the top left hand corner. Hang on when did he come on? 74th minute for Edwards apparently

80 Header straight at Israel… and breathe. This games not done by any stretch of the imagination

85 Nuno Santos replaces Geny

88 Gyökeres finds Esgaio unmarked out wide and his finish is… fucking woeful. Of all the players to find with that much space. He’s got so much time there – he panicked and choked

Plus six

+1 Triple substitution; Gonçalves, Hjulmand and Quaresma off St Juste, Bragança and Paulinho on

+2 Nuno Santos is off celebrating but the referee has other ideas. No idea what that goal has been disallowed for as he scissor kicked it from 25 yards. Santos definitely wasn’t offside I know that much

+4 There’s that man Coates again heading clear. What a colossus. Paulinho was the man given offside as he got the touch back to Santos for the disallowed goal

+7 The whistles from the home supporters are deafening as we’ve run over by a minute already.

Finally the final whistle blows!

Full time

Sporting CP 2 Benfica 1

The Final Word

I’m going to try deliver a lesson in abject humility and probably fail misery. Maybe I should just bemoan semi finals being played over two legs and then I could really have gone to town. The first half was one sided there’s no denying it. However you had to expect a reaction in the second half and we got it. We hear constant criticism of VAR but when it works it’s right on the money. Referees have an awful time of it and tonight’s handled the occasion really well. The pigeons for all their faults tonight still proved they’re a top side adept at picking your pocket when your back is turned and as the Artful Dodger sang – you’ve got to pick a pocket or two and they’ll know that as we hit the Bon Jovi of the tie. If that went over your head – we’re half way there and fucking living on a prayer with 90 to play.

Coates performance was that of a man mountain and he’s my man of the match. He led the comeback on Sunday and continued that fine form into this game. It was a big call to play Israel in goal and it looked like it was a gamble that was going to pay off until they scored twice in very quick succession. Yes the second was chalked off and he could rightly claim his view was impeded but you don’t always get those decisions go your way and he fell short with the only two decent chances they produced. Hjulmand had his best game in a Sporting shirt. Gyökeres – what can I say, I’ve run out of superlatives for the lad. Gonçalves continues on his mission to make me eat all my words of criticism of him this season and I’ll happily keep eating them if he plays like that. Reis has really impressed me when he's played this season. It's no nonsense stuff and he's really matured in his attitude and overall performance this season and as I said last time out he’d be in my starting XI.

I’d have liked another goal. Be under no illusions the second leg will surely be a very different affair to this one. A Dérbi win is always great, makes it 29 wins for the season but it counts for nothing if it all goes tits in the second leg.