Sporting CP 0 CD Santa Clara 1

Sporting CP v CD Santa Clara 

Saturday November 30th, 2025

Estádio José Alvalade 

Matchday 12

The warm up 

You know Christmas is fast approaching when you hear the lyrics Santa Clara’s coming to town. I doubt they'll be flying in sleigh class but you never know as they make the 1,525 kilometres journey to Lisboa. That sounds a lot until you remember it's 2024 not 1924 and planes can apparently make the journey in 2 hours 25 minutes. I hadn't realised until during the course of researching this post that Portugal is by way of comparison only 561 kilometres from top to bottom and the widest point is 218 kilometres. I was originally thinking fair play to and CDSC fans especially those who go home and away every week but in reality it's probably so much easier to go from São Miguel to Lisboa than it is to say to go from Chaves to Lisboa. Having done Suffolk to Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Darlington on a coach or a minibus I can promise you I'd have rather had the option to fly and I say that as someone who absolutely detests flying. 

Having safely booked passage to the next round of the Taça de Portugal after a 6-0 win to Liga 3 Amarante, the draw for the last 16 has been made and Sporting will face tonight's opponents also at home.

I should note I'm writing this Monday night before we've played Arsenal in the Champions League. 

So in the league it's a case of eleven played, eleven wins, 39 goals scored and only five against. Following the dirty pigeons win in the other Clássico, our lead has stretched to 6 points over Porto and the gap is then 8 points to the DP’s who have a game in hand over both clubs. Fourth place - Santa Clara who are having an incredible season with 7 wins in their first 11 games. Discount losses to Porto and Benfica their only two other losses came in what I assume is considered a derby against Nacional 2-0 and a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Moreirense who knocked Porto out of the Taça over the weekend. Maybe not unsurprisingly their dominance lies at home where they've won 5 from 6 but that's not to be sniffed at when you're currently top of the rest outside of Os Três Grandes. 

One of the three promoted sides last season they finished champions on 73 points losing just 3 games. Goals are unsurprisingly harder to come by in the top flight granted but in terms of ill discipline at least no one comes close having racked up the most bookings in the league with 38 and 1 red thrown in for good measure. Sometimes you've got to dig in deep if you want to compete.. 

Sunday April 17th, 2022 was the last time Sporting failed to score at home in the Liga so despite Santa Clara having four clean sheets this season they'll be well aware of the task that lies ahead of them as they bid to become the first club to take any points from their hosts. Sporting remember have not only won all 11 games but have won the last 22 at home in the Liga. Santa Clara's one and only victory against Sporting came at home in a 3-2 win in January of 2022 in which Bragança got his marching orders late on. Otherwise it's a case of head to head; played 11, lost 10 in all competitions. 

Sporting start the game still 1 to 4 favourites to retain their league title with the bookmakers and for me anyway now is the time we are allowed to start judging João Pereira in his new role as the mister. 

***

It's now Thursday night and if you don't know what happened in the Arsenal game on Tuesday, well spoiler alert, we won 3-0. What? We did, it just happened that the Under 19s won 3-0. As for the seniors, well that's a different story and one we probably shouldn't dwell on too much. It happens. You face a side who've had £700 million spent on it being assembled and 9 times out of 10 you're probably going to lose. You just hope you don't lose in the manner that we did. The difference between say Atalanta in Bergamo for example and Arsenal at home is that Atalanta stopped their massacre after 45. Statistically the second halves of both those games paint a very different picture to the realities of the game. Tuesday night if you went by numbers alone you might think Sporting were unfortunate in terms of shots and possession and Raya in goal had top rating on FotMob for the visitors. You certainly wouldn't have gotten that from 90 minutes of watching it. Sometimes you just have to suck it up. The good thing is Arsenal will win fuck all this season so fuck em. Well done for winning your cup final dickheads. My kid was six months old last time you won the league and she's 21 today so as José Mourinho might say about you if asked well done being specialists in failure. I'll dig out the highlights of your players celebrating the charity shield win like they'd just won the Champions League. Fucking Mickey Mouse outfit. For a more measured grown up reaction read Tuesday night's post. Look, I've managed to hold it in for two days. I was going to go at some point. 

In the markets 

Sporting 1/6

Draw 6/1

Santa Clara 12/1

Team News 

Starting XI 

Kovačević, Debast, Diomande, Reis, Quenda, Hjulmand, Bragança, Geny, Trincão, Gyökeres and Edwards 

Substitutes 

Callai, St Juste, Inácio, Morita, Fresneda, Esgaio Simões, Harder and Araújo 

Unsurprisingly after the 5-1 defeat on Tuesday night the mister rings the changes with the starting XI. Kovačević returns for Israel in his first league start since the 2-0 win in the Clássico at home. St Juste drops to the bench for the fit again Debast. Reis is preferred in the left of the three with Inácio the man to make way. Two changes in the midfield four as Bragança swaps for Morita and Geny for Araújo. As you were with the front three with Edwards getting his third straight start under the new boss. The visitors are set to line up in a mirroring formation. We'll see if that maybe moves to a back four or even five when defending. Sporting will at some point need to learn to drop back and invite their opponents onto them to create the space. We saw first hand against Amarante that Edwards can run from deep and in central positions. We certainly cannot allow teams of any level to get into the defensive corners and get crosses into the six yard area. 

First half 

Huge round of applause before kickoff and the club celebrates Morita's 100th appearance for the club on Tuesday night. 

Sporting get us underway in their horizontal striped kit of green, black and white and will attack left to right. 

1 Santa Clara defending in a 5-4-1 with their defenders holding a line around 24 yards.

5 Bright start for Sporting. There's space to be had in the final third which will suit their game. The visitors are definitely well drilled in terms of shape. 

7 Poor pass out from the back from Kovačević straight to an attacker a yard inside the area who squared the ball to a man unmarked 9 yards out but Sporting's defenders quickly closed the danger down to spare the keeper's blushes. 

9 Another mixup at the back as Debast launches the ball from just inside his own half back towards Kovačević who had no chance of getting on the end of it and out for a corner 

12 Snap shot on the turn from Gyökeres who can't get a real connection from 16 yards and his effort goes wide of the right post 

13 Excellent work from Edwards on the edge of the area as he dribbled past the defence, his pass found Trincão but he couldn't get his chance away. Sporting now starting to ramp up the pressure from. Both flanks and more centrally. 

14 Geny goes down in the box. Referee deemed it to be a shoulder barge and no penalty awarded though he completely flattened the winger. Vinicius was the player who made the challenge. By the whistles in the ground you can tell those in attendance didn't agree 

18 Trincão steps on the toes of Adriano and a free kick was awarded 12 yards inside the Sporting half. The home fans are getting restless 

20 The whistles continue as Diomande is penalised for a foul. Players and fans alike aghast as every decision seems to go against them 

21 Ironic cheers as Adriano booked for a foul on Trincão as he tried to break on the counter 

23 Edwards with a beautiful ball into Reis inside the area whose effort goes wide of the left post. I don't know how the ball sticks to Edwards' foot sometimes, he's like a young Kanu in that respect. 

25 Dangerous ball into the centre from Geny just evades the head of Trincão who was unmarked. The winger lost his marker, made for the byline and the current back was just too high

26 All the joy is coming down the left. This time Gyökeres picks out Trincão open inside the box. He dribbles to the left of the D and his shot is deflected for a corner. If and when a goal comes you imagine it's going to come from down this side. 

30 You'd be forgiven for thinking this game was in Turkey as the whistles go up in annoyance from the home fans. 

31 Hjulmand tries from 25 yards but his effort goes well wide of the right post 

32 GOAL Sporting CP 0 Santa Clara 1. There was no stopping that strike. The visitors with just two players forward and four defenders back somehow contrived for Vinicius to find himself clean through and smash the ball into the net from 16 yards past a flat footed Kovačević. If you were to suggest this Sporting side can't actually defend I'd not be able to argue with you on the evidence of the last two games. 

36 Bragança tries a Hollywood pass to Geny on the left flank and just knocks it out of play for a goal kick. Maybe just do the simple stuff well instead. 

37 Calila penalised for a foul on Edwards to the left of the area. Visitors clear their lines. For all Sporting's dominance they're still to force a save from Batista. 

39 Another free kick close to the touchline on the left as Gyökeres brought down. Again Santa Clara able to clear their lines. The final ball is the issue again. 

41 As the ball comes in from the right Santa Clara have all ten out field players in the space of no more than 12 yards 

42 Bragança with a tame effort straight at Batista. He goes down like he's been shot. Possibly he kicked the defenders foot on the follow through. 

43 Safira booked as he leaves his studs on the top of Debast foot after a late challenge. 

Plus four shown 

+1 This is turning into WWE as Geny and Reis down on the left hand side. Goalscorer Vinicius slipped and took out both men in the follow through and gets a yellow card

+1 Reis shot is blocked from 8 yards. Sporting appealing for a handball in the buildup nothing given 

+3 Another yellow shown to Calila for a ridiculous challenge on Geny. He looks like he was trying a bicycle kick when he made contact 

+4 Quenda sums up Sporting's half as he slices his effort into the stand from 22 yards 

Half time 

Sporting CP 0 Santa Clara 1

So it's the visitors who go in at half time one goal to the good despite having an XG of 0.07. It's been that sort of night. They've defended well, Sporting have defended like they've never played together. Santa Clara took their one chance with efficiency, Sporting have looked like they could play until Christmas and not find the net. Fair play to the visitors, it's not been pretty from them but it has been pretty effective. They've kept a relatively high line defending compared to some teams this season but it's the space between the first man and the last, just this huge channel of bodies like last minute Christmas shoppers on the high street with two days to go before the big day. 

Edwards, Trincão and Geny have all looked lively but with no real end product. Quenda had a bright opening but has been a relative passenger the majority of the half as the ball has been played down the left. Bragança has been a waste of space in the centre again and as for the defence and the keeper after Tuesday night I might burst a blood vessel. Fucking shambolic. I wonder if Harder can come on and deliver the final blow on the left hand side in the second half. 

Second half 

Huge 45 await as Sporting need to demonstrate their title credentials. 

➡️⬅️ Harder and Araújo come on for Edwards and Quenda. Sporting need an equaliser fast. I don't see them losing the game but there's a real possibility the longer it takes the larger the chance of dropping two points. 

46 Santa Clara get us underway and immediately concede possession. Sporting's defenders are 12 yards inside the visitors half. This will suit them perfectly with the crowded space that afforded them all the cover in the opening half 

48 At some point Sporting are going to have to invite Santa Clara onto them. It's not exactly rocket engineering. They're quite happy to just sit back and soak up the pressure 

50 Having looked really effective down the left the changes have oddly negated that totally. Couldn't make this shit up really 

51 Geny tries from 17 yards and brings out the first real save from Batista as he went for the near post. Just to add he's gone wide right 

52 Overhead kick from Gyökeres straight at Batista from 8 yards. I say overhead kick. Falling back, it hit his shin and went goalwards 

54 At least with Arsenal we knew we were losing to a better team of footballers. I was more angry at the English commentators than the result Tuesday night. With every minute passing tonight I'm starting to rage at the lack of quality 

57 Hjulmand is penalised for a foul in which he must have tickled the players face with the force of a feather and he's gone down and brought the free kick. The home fans are not happy. That was Porto-esque play acting. 

58 Pereira fires a shot from 25 yards but Kovačević deals with it easily 

60 ➡️⬅️ Debast and Reis replaced by Inácio and St Juste. No idea what the point in either of those changes was 

61 Santa Clara coach just reminding his players to keep it compact in the centre. 

63 Fifth booking for SC as Araujo takes out Trincão 

64 Here and now I can see us losing this game. A lot of people are going to have their accumulators fucked up worldwide. I don't think I can remember Gyökeres touching the ball in the opening 20

66 Why did he push Geny from wide left to wide right and take Edwards off when between them they carried 80% of the threat in the first half and now Sporting carry no threat?

68 Harder finds Gyökeres unmarked and his diving header goes wide of the far post. When that happens you're starting to realise this isn't going to be our night. 

69 Batista receiving treatment. I'd assumed I'd missed him hitting the post. No, more play acting. Just keep adding time referee 

70 Harder just starting to cause problems down the left

72 Araújo corner finds Diomande whose header from 16 yards goes a yard over the bar 

75 Gyökeres shown a yellow. Possibly for simulation as he went down in the box. 

76 Where has the side gone which had won every game this season? 

77 ➡️⬅️ Hjulmand off for Morita. How the fuck is Bragança still on when he's offered nothing all game? I'm going to say it now on this showing I'd be fucking amazed if João Pereira is coach at the start of next season. I gave him a pass Tuesday but his substitutions have all so far made us worse.

79 Diomande with a free header from another corner on the left brings a save but it never troubled the keeper 

82 PENALTY Batista brings down Araújo inside the box. He's making the international shape for a TV to the referee. He got the ball in fairness to him but it's whether he connects with the player first and then gets the ball is the question. Referee is running to the monitor. Never a good sign. 

84 I'm assuming by the whistles he's overturned it. He's definitely connected first even if he got the ball after. Anyways no penalty. 

85 Batista was booked at some point. Not sure what for but it's just flashed up on the D.O.G. 

86 There's going to be close on 8 minutes of additional time you imagine. Can Sporting get anything from this game?

88 Fuck me that should have been 2-0. How do five defenders let 1 player get a shot away? Borges with the miss in the end and it was not by much 

89 Red card as the Santa Clara coach Vasco Matos is dismissed 

89 Almeida tries from 25 yards brings a save and out for a corner 

Oh there's your eight minutes additional time 

91 Lucas yellow for a foul on Gyökeres 

91 St Juste header goes wide of the left post 

93 I think we could play until 193 and not score 

93 Geny hauled down three yards outside the area. Pereira booked

94 Close up of an old lady with her head in her hands. We all feel the same my dear. Trincão free kick cleared. 

97 Araújo the filling in a Santa Clara sandwich. All that comes of the free kick is a Bragança yellow for screaming at the referee 

Full time 

Sporting CP 0 Santa Clara 1 

The final word

I'm going to start by saying well done to Santa Clara. You came with a game plan and it worked to perfection. Fair play. 

I'm sure Santa Clara won't mind me saying they were fortunate to go in at half time one goal to the good. Sporting carried an attacking threat down the left all of the first half. All that was needed was more of the same, Geny and Edwards were winning the battle. So why bring Edwards off firstly and secondly push your main threat from the left flank in Geny and put him onto the right? Then you make two changes to your back three when SC are carrying no threat at the back and finally when you make the change in midfield you take Hjulmand off and leave Bragança on whose sole contribution was to get booked for dissent. Absolutely fucking clueless. We ended up with no attacking threat. How is that even possible? That was the footballing equivalent of taking your top of the range unleaded Mercedes to the petrol station, filling it up with diesel and looking perplexed when it conks out at the end of the forecourt. I don't remember a set of substitutions which have done more damage and been so ineffective in a long, long, long time with Sporting. That was shocking. 

I get sometimes at half time you will have games where you do need to shake things up but the key to that game was to invite the pressure on, not to make five substitutions which had a detrimental effect on the team. How is that even possible? I can take getting thumped by Arsenal but my god that was naivety of the highest degree. Good luck on passing your UEFA pro licence João. Don't submit that tape as evidence. 

We've got two goalkeepers who aren't good enough. I get that Adán wasn't the keeper he was two or three seasons ago but he's still better than either of your two first choice keepers. We can't defend and the reason we get away with it is largely because most teams don't make us defend and you never notice it but it's always there. It just normally only shows it's head against the big sides or when it does against the smaller sides it hasn't mattered because we've always carried a goal scoring threat. Don't try argue that they had eight bookings and the penalty shouldn't have been over turned to me. This is what you get when you don't have any other system of play. At some point you get found out and this week we've got massively found out. That's not Pereira’s fault specifically, it's always been there but Jesus fucking Christ what the fuck was he doing second half? Seriously? Fucking clueless. That was Silas style coaching. What game are you watching whereby you think keeping Bragança on is a good idea and taking Hjulmand off is a smart choice? Clearly wasn't this one. Explain the logic in taking St Juste and Inácio off? Neither looked injured to me. Fine you might be able to argue that Edwards hasn't got a full 90 in his legs but he's bound to have had 70 and bring Harder on in his place for the last 20. 

All these modern coaches stare at an iPad constantly and they must have an aerial view of the game and you can see what we're seeing with Santa Clara flooding the space of 12 - 18 yards with ten men. Einstein says the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Head a cross away, boot the ball away, rotate the fouls and the bookings, waste some time, waste some more time. Welcome to top flight management João you better figure it out doubly quick. 

I could moan all day. It's not making me feel any better. So I'll go with my man of the match in Geny. Didn't stop trying all game. Has definitely been missed in recent weeks. If as it now appears Quenda is United bound in the summer with Jorge Mendes now pulling the strings as his agent then I'm more than happy as long as we keep Geny. Still needs to work on his finishing but he's the more accomplished of the two players. Quenda is still to prove it and he might become an incredible player but we've said that about a lot of players over the years. 

Fuck me.