Sporting CP 1 Bologna FC 1909 1

The warm up 

Round 19 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga proved to be a huge weekend for Sporting in relation to their potential title challenge. Saturday night saw them collect 3 points in a 2-0 win against Nacional which immediately followed Benfica's 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Lisbon minnows Casa Pia. Fast forward 24 hours and Porto could only draw 1-1 with a Santa Clara side reduced to ten men with ten minutes remaining of normal time. Galeno then missed a penalty six minutes into additional time. The loss and draw means that Sporting now have a six point cushion at the top of the table and I for the third post on the spin will make reference to the fact that just when you think this season couldn't get any crazier, someone says hold my beer and proves me wrong. My other broken record point is the continuing injury crisis at Sporting whereby one player returns to fitness and another takes their place. Morita was the latest player to be withdrawn with an injury after Reis had returned to the matchday squad. I've never known a season like it. That we sit once more with a six point gap feels nothing short of a minor miracle when you consider how many of the first team have been missing at one stage or another during the season. I have to admit I was surprised that Gyökeres started Saturday. I joked prior to kick off that maybe he had a CR7 type mentality whereby he maybe thought he'd extend his goal tally for the season. If it was the case then it didn't work and it was 90 minutes he could have done without in a largely under par performance albeit he could have scored two minutes into additional time at the end of the first half. A fully fit Gyökeres would have scored. At least there was redemption in part for Trincão after his penalty miss in the recent final of the Allianz Cup as his wonder strike put Sporting on the path to three points and Simões debut goal was the icing on the cake. Add that to his equaliser against Vitória in the recent 4-4 draw and both goals could be crucial if Sporting do in fact go on to retain their title. 

Yet this isn't a post about a domestic fixture so I'll turn my attention now to Sporting’s final Champions League opponents in round eight, the Italian Serie A club Bologna. 1909 wasn't an especially memorable year in the 20th century by all accounts; Construction began on the Titanic and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv was founded. Notable births included Ferdinand Porsche, Jean Bugatti, Matt Busby and Portugal's favourite fruit headgear wearing Carmen Miranda. In Dortmund, Germany BVB were founded and in Italy, Bologna came into existence, hence their full club title of Bologna FC 1909. Subtle. Almost as subtle as the Wednesday in Sheffield Wednesday coming from the fact that when they originally were formed as a cricket club they played their games on a Tuesday. I'm kidding, it was of course every Thursday. Unlike some other clubs in Italy such as Genoa and AC Milan who like their Sheffield counterparts were both football and cricket clubs, Bologna had no such association. Like many Italian clubs, neither were they founded by an Italian but by an Austrian by the name of Emilio Arnstein who hailed from Vienna. Bologna are one of the founding members of Serie A and boast seven title wins in their history. However things haven't always been plain sailing during their 115 years. The early 1980s saw two successive relegations from the top flight down to Serie C1. Promotion to Serie B was achieved towards the end of the decade and they were promptly relegated once more. Several changes of ownership ensued over the next couple of decades with the threat of bankruptcy looming large which is an incredibly common phenomenon in Italian football it has to be said. 

Fast forward to last season and under Thiago Motta, now plying his trade with Juventus, Bologna qualified for Europe's top competition for the first time since the 1964/65 season. Success at smaller European clubs always brings the vultures circling and with their mister picked off as just mentioned, they also lost the services on the field of Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal who scored their winner in the clubs 1-0 win away to Wolves over the weekend and Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United, now under the charge of the ex-Sporting coach Amorim who it's fair to say isn't enjoying the same level of success in his debut season. 

With two key players gone and the mister who took them to the promised land it's maybe not surprising that the club has struggled so far in the Champions League having only recorded a solitary goal in their first six rounds before beating fellow 1909 babies BVB 2-1 last Wednesday at home coming from 1-0 down to score two in two minutes. Already confirmed as being knocked out of the competition in 28th place on 5 points they're now playing for pride whereas Sporting need at least a draw to reach the knockout rounds. This will be their second foray to Lisboa having secured a point in a 0-0 draw with our nearest and dearest. Their other point came in a 0-0 draw at home to Shaktar. Two trips to England resulted in 2-0 losses to Liverpool and Aston Villa. At home to Ligue 1 sides they lost 1-0 to Monaco and 2-1 to Lille who incidentally Sporting opened their account against with a 2-0 win at the José Alvalade. 

In Serie A their form has been solid if maybe not spectacular this season as they adjust to life under their new coach. Only three losses, two of which have come away from home. Of ten games played away they have won at least one half of the 90 on separate 7 occasions but have only managed to turn that into 3 wins. The Italians it appears have a propensity for drawing games with ten in total, consisting of 5 home and away. Only Juventus with 13 draws have more this season to date. They sit level on points with AC Milan in 8th, two points off a European place. Of those sides above them in the table only league leaders Napoli are not involved in European competition so Bologna's exit from the Champions League could prove highly beneficial to them in respects of a push again for European football of some description next season. 

Top scorer Ricardo Orsolini has seven goals in Serie A to date but hasn't yet scored in the Champions League and is an injury doubt for Wednesday night. Responsibility may well rest on the shoulders of 20 year old Argentine forward Santiago Castro who has six Serie A goals to his credit in this his second season with the club. 

To the best of my knowledge this will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs. 

After last week's losses by the dirty pigeons to Barcelona and ours to RB Leipzig, Portugal's coefficient numbers have taken an absolute battering which doesn't bode well for Champions League places in future seasons so it becomes all the more imperative for both Lisboa clubs to get wins against Italian opposition on Wednesday with Benfica travelling away to Juventus. There's a real danger that the disparities of the have's and have nots is only exasperated if Portugal loses a Champions league place so whilst we may revel in last minute winners from ex-Sporting players we really do need them to be as successful as possible in Europe right now. Just remember it's fine if they reach the final because every Sportinguista's favourite ever Benfica coach Béla Guttman cursed them that they'd never win another European trophy again. 

If you weren't aware, the aforementioned Guttman was a Holocaust survivor. Monday sees the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz. Therefore it seems fitting to pay tribute to Árpád Weisz who was manager of Bologna between 1935 and 1938 and led them to successive Serie A titles in 1936 and 1937. He and his family were forced to flee Italy after the introduction of the Italian Racial Laws. Árpád, his wife Elena and two children Roberto and Clara would all tragically lose their lives in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1944. An image of Weisz was included on an antisemitism mural painted at Stamford Bridge home of Premier League Chelsea, which was eventually donated to the National Holocaust Centre and Museum. It is said we all have two deaths, one on the day we die and a second the final time anyone ever mentions our names so it seems all the more important to remember the names of Árpád, Elena, Roberto and Clara Weisz so that their memory continues on and that in turn wr all remember that their are far more important things in life than a game of football. 

I'm reminded of a poignant quote at this time which rings as true today as it did when it was written;

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

- Martin Niemöller

In the markets 

Sporting 4/9

Draw 15/4

Bologna 16/1

Team News

Starting XI 

Israel, Fresneda, Diomande, Debast, Inácio, Geny, Bragança, Hjulmand, Araújo, Trincão and Harder

Substitutes

Kovacevic, Callai, Reis, St Juste, Esgaio, Brito, Simões, Quenda, Felicissimo, Couto, Nel and Moreira 

With Rui Silva unable to be registered yet tor the Champions League we see the return of Israel in goal. Debast returns to the starting lineup shown as one of the two centre backs with Inácio moved to the left of the four. Araújo is then pushed forward one into the space vacated by Quenda who is named amongst the substitutes. Geny comes back in wide right with Morita out injured meaning Bragança starts in the midfield two. Big news is Gyökeres isn't even in the squad so Harder gets another opportunity to lead the line. The decision as to why the Swede played versus Nacional last time out will really look all the more questionable if Sporting lose this game. 

Fresh from the news that Callai has been earmarked as the long term successor to Rui Silva he's named as one of two keepers on the bench. Some good news with the fact that St Juste is fit enough to be named amongst the substitutes and isn't facing a lengthy layoff after his latest injury setback. That's not to say another one isn't around the corner. Debut call up for the 18 year old Felicissimo. He's one of 7 players aged 17 to 19 on the bench and lets not forget Callai is still only 20. On the pitch it's worth noting that Harder is 19, Fresneda is 20 and Diomande and Debast 21. That's incredible for a Champions League match day squad to have 11 players from a squad of 23 who are 21 and under. Injury crisis? What injury crisis. 

First Half

According to the boffins at Opta Sporting have a 91.5% chance of reaching the play off round. I can't be the only one awaiting the 8.5% of non-qualification to reveal itself over the following 90 minutes of football. According to the boffins Sporting have a 91.5% chance of reaching the play off round. I can't be the only one awaiting the 8.5% of non-qualification to reveal itself over the following 90 minutes of football.

Bologna get us underway. Sporting attack left to right, again in black with green and white horizontal stripes in front of a somewhat sparse José Alvalade.

1 Corner to Sporting. Araújo wills the crowd on. 

2 Poor corner in from Geny easily cleared. Bologna counter attack and gain a corner of their own. 

3 Huge let off for Sporting as Beukema heads onto the bar from six yards from the corner despite having two Sporting players in close proximity

6 Araújo has actually started left of the back four, Geny in the forward left position. Inãcio in the central pairing and Debast screening the back four. 

8 Early exit for Ferguson the Scottish midfielder and Bologna captain with a hamstring issue. Moro on for the visitors. The Italians only named a squad of 19 and have three keepers amongst the substitutes 

12 Harder with the game's first shot on target. With two defenders in front of him he got his shot away from a narrow angle wide left. Easy save for Ravaglia with no real power in the effort 

15 Offside against Harder but he is once more causing a nuisance down the left and showing his pace and strength

16 Bragança with a superb through ball inside the Sporting half to find Harder who snatched at the shot from just outside the D and it goes high and wide 

17 Pobega with time and space shoots from 17 yards wide of the right hand post. His manager looks less than impressed on the bench. 

18 Touch of the Galeno's from Geny who goes down clutching his face after the slightest of touches from the hand of Holm. That's disappointing

20 GOAL Sporting CP 0 Bologna 1. Corner from the right headed in from two yards by Pogeba. They were warned after 3 minutes and didn't learn their lesson. 

21 Free kick as Holm takes down Geny a yard outside the left of the 18 yard box. Shown the yellow for the offence. 

23 Debast puts the ball past the far right hand post and out of play. Couldn't tell you with any degree of certainty if that was a shot on goal or he was trying to find a man at the far post. Either way it was poor

26 Sporting not beaten Italian opposition since a win against Lazio on 2011. That doesn't look like changing anytime soon 

27 I've broken out the four finger Kit Kat just to maintain some sort of dopamine levels 

29 Usually I'd argue that it's really unfair to label us as a one man team but tonight it would be hard to argue against. 

31 Sporting moving the ball around well but at the end of every pass is a Bologna player snapping at their heels. Anytime Sporting look like they might produce something the player is fouled. 

32 Geny fouled again and holds up three fingers to the referee, one less than my Kit Kat. Bologna have already committed 11 fouls 

33 Fabian knocks the ball wide of the right post from 15 yards, just couldn't wrap his foot around the ball from a cross from the right 

34 Corner from the left for Bologna. Sporting really need to switch on from set pieces. Headed clear this time to the edge of the box where Geny is then flattened. Hjulmand maybe rightly asking questions of the referee. Not every foul is a yellow card but this is starting to take the piss now 

37 Harder concedes a foul and cannot contain his anger and kicks the ball into the advertising hoarding. 

38 Harder with no options in support manages to win a corner

39 Bragança now on corner duty and his cross is no better. All too easy for Bologna. 

39 Debast sets Harder free who lets the ball run across his body and fires in a shot from the narrowest of angles which catches Ravaglia unawares but he's equal to it. Might not have looked convincing as a stop but the important thing for Bologna is that is was 

40 Beukema booked for a tug on Harder's shirt

41 Araújo with his back to goal tries a back heel but had lost his bearings and it goes straight into the arms of Ravaglia

42 Debast booked for chopping down Fabbian. He looks in disbelief at the referee as if to say oh now you're going to start booking for challenges. 

43 Referee clearly thinks he's a Postman at Christmas as he shows another yellow card this time to Iling-Junior for an arm into the face of Fresneda in front of the assistant on the far side 

Plus two shown 

+1 Bragança with the free kick on the right. Hjulmand header from four yards straight at the keeper. Referee blew for an infringement so not sure if it would have counted had it been on target.

Half time 

Sporting CP 0 Bologna 1

Fully deserved lead for the Italians who despite being eliminated from the competition haven't come to make up the numbers. As it stands Sporting are sat in 24th with their fate in the hands of others if they are to progress to the knock out rounds. 

We've seen this type of performance so many times from Sporting in Europe where they're too easily bullied off the ball and succumb to poor defending at set pieces and a succession of fouls which break up play. The only good thing is that the referee finally started to flash the yellow card towards the end of the opening 45 which might mean we see less of it in the second half. 

Harder has caused problems up front but there's no one up in support of him. The nearest player might as well be playing in the Estádio de Luz they're that far from him. In the second half they need to get support in closer to him. The games not beyond Sporting but if they don't change things in the final third then that decision to play Gyökeres on Saturday is really going to bite Borges in the arse.

For far too many years I've been complaining about our inability to take a decent set piece. At this level it goes to show what a difference maker they can be and in all honesty Bologna who've managed a total of four goals in eight Champions League games should have gone in two goals to the good. 

Second half

Pouring rain as the players come out for the second half. Erlic warming up for Bologna. Impressively Sporting's players are out on time. Lykogiannis also on in a double change. Let's hope he's not heavily involved because that's a sod of a name to type. Note both central defenders on for players already shown the yellow. 

Sporting get us underway. 

45 Sporting have started with a much higher defensive line. 

46 Apparently Sporting currently relying on Manchester City not winning against Club Brugge with the Belgians 1-0 up. Sporting need a goal. 

48 Inácio signals to the bench. Debast's night is done. Simoēs set to come on to replace him. Came from an accidental challenge on the edge of the box by Ndoye who kind of crushed him like a steamroller and buckled his legs. He's helped off the pitch by two of the coaching staff. 

49 Simoēs for Debast 

50 Ndoye fires high and wide from 20 yards. We'll happily watch those go past all night 

52 Geny tries from distance but easily saved 

52 Pogeba curls in a shot saved low to left by Israel from 15 yards. Israel has kept his side in the game there. 

55 Simões fouled in front of the referee. Yellow card shown to Lykogiannis. 

56 Bragança over the ball. Free kick deep inside the Bologna half wide left goes straight out of play for a throw in. He gets my goat every time. 

57 Manchester City have equalised and AC Milan have also scored which bumps Sporting up to 23rd. Fortunate because with shit delivery like that free kick they've no chance here tonight. 

58 Sporting concentrating their efforts wide left have at least figured out Harder needs men around him in support

58 Fresneda smashes a shot from 24 yards punched clear by Ravaglia. Finally Sporting have woken up and the crowd responds from all four corners 

61 Quenda replaces Bragança. Manchester City now leading 2-1. 

61 Bologna defending better for Sporting than Sporting are for themselves as Castro blocks a shot. 

63 Sporting now 25th and on their way out as it stands. 

64 Ndoye sets himself up for a volley from 17 yards but it goes wide of the left hand post 

65 Trincão cross blocked. I can't remember even hearing his name in this game

65 Simões yellow for a foul on Ndoye

66 Sporting's fans desperately trying to lift the players. The commentator claims that all the noise is coming from the Bologna fans. I can't even hear the Italian fans. They don't have talk some fanny. The clue would have been in the Forca Sporting allez

67 Gyökeres watches on in the stand. Talk about sticking the knife in. Still we'd better get used to not having him come next season 

68 Clever play from Araújo wins another corner but we've seen nothing from set pieces all night. Diomande penalised for a foul in the box. Again comes to the sum total of fuck and all

70 Loud cry of Puta Madre from somewhere picked up on the microphones. My sentiments exactly 

71 Erlic yellow for a foul on Araújo. That's both the substitutes from half time booked who replaced the two defenders who were booked in the first half. That's wise management from Bologna 

73 As it stands Sporting exactly what they deserve and that's a one way ticket to concentrate on the league. Sporting have been toothless. Two less games to play will not be the worst thing in the world as is stands having already lost Debast to injury. 

74 Manchester City now 3-1 up

74 Pobega fires into the side netting from close on the goal line. That's his last involvement of the night 

76 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Bologna 1. It wasn't pretty but we care little. That all came from Simões who cuts the ball back through the legs of Erlic to find Harder who bundled the ball into the net. Came off his left leg, up under his right thigh and over the line. Borges wasn't even watching from the bench and look utterly confused when his assistant grabbed him excitedly. Sporting up to 23rd. 

79 Ndoye goes for goal following a long clearance and sends the ball high into the crowd from 8 yards

80 Incredibly that goal has swung the pendulum fully Sporting's way. Their tails are now up. The fans are vibrant. 

82 Harder wins another free kick bundled by Erlic to the ground. He needs to be careful already on a yellow. 

83 For the first half it was Bologna who hunted in packs but now Sporting are closing everything down 

84 Fabbian brings down Hjulmand and Sporting allow a few more seconds to run down off the clock

85 Reis being readied off the bench. 

85 Harder still chasing down every ball up front trying to force that one mistake 

86 Hjulmand wins another free kick but is booked by the referee. That means he'll miss the next game if Sporting get through. Assumption is he asked for the Bologna player to be booked which is why he was shown the yellow 

86 Reis on for Trincão

88 Bologna knocking the ball around their back three. Close on €1m for a draw for the Italians if they hold on here 

89 Harder swings and misses on the edge of the 18 yard box. Araújo has caused all sorts of issues wide left 

89 Fabbian stood over Hjulmand. Wisely the Dane stays on the ground and doesn't react. 

Plus six shown 

+1 Appalling challenge on Inácio by Odgaard. Free kick given but no yellow. He flipped the defender in mid air. 

+2 Quenda shown a yellow for a hand in the face. Bologna players made a meal out of that but he knew what he was doing with a glance over his shoulder before he put his hand up so Quenda can have no complaints

+3 Diomande shepherds the ball out for a goal kick. Valuable seconds wasted 

+4 Foul on Castro by Hjulmand he's got to be careful having been booked 

+5 Geny takes a tumble. Trincão is giggling on the bench. Not sure if the two are connected. Geny has stayed down to again eek the time out. Surprised Porto haven't bid for him with his play acting at times. 

+6 Now we wait to see when the referee will blow… and now he has. Sporting make it through to the play offs. 

Full time 

Sporting CP 1 Bologna 1

The final word 

I'm going to go back to the part in the team news where I pointed out that Sporting had 11 players under the age of 21 in this match day squad. For all the talent this team has when everyone is fully fit, tonight we were again down to the bare bones facing a physical Bologna team who were well drilled. Sporting knew they needed a point from the off and a draw was maybe no real surprise come the final whistle but you can forgive this side if they were nervous at any point. I did see that as soon as Gyökeres was announced as missing that all the bookmakers slashed their odds on the draw. The only surprise was that they were that high in the first place it seemed pre-ordained. Not that you could accuse either side of manufacturing the result, far from it. 

Credit to Bologna who came to give it their all despite having their own injury woes and starting without their top scorer and having to name three goalkeepers on the bench. I wrote after the Rio Ave game that Harder basically needs one to just go in off his backside and it wasn't far off as the ball bounced off his thigh and into the net. It was as bad a goal as the winning one from last week in Leipzig but he won't care, Sporting don't care and my advice is if you've not seen it yet then don't hold your breath if you're waiting on the highlights after the game. 

It wasn't a pretty game. The weather in the second half didn't help. Bologna committed 29 fouls during the match. Sporting do not like having their feathers ruffled as we well know from experience. If you break up their game and get under their skins then their heads start to sink that little bit more with each passing minute. However in Conrad Harder they have a player who doesn't subscribe to that theory. I'd love to know the distance he covered on the pitch tonight because that boy has an engine on him. You can see how much he wants it. That goal meant everything to him just and it showed as much as his annoyance did at a foul given against him in the first half when he kicked the ball against the hoardings. If you could inject that into all eleven Sporting players on the pitch you'd be onto a winner. 

Israel made an incredible save second half which kept Sporting in the tie but we've long known he's not cut out for this level of competition and Rui Silva will now be given the chance to show what he's capable off. Regular readers will know I'm not a fan of his but credit where credit is due. Without that stop and Sporting are out. That being said we could really do without a double header as we lose a player every single game right now at a minimum. The break in midweek would have been better but beggars can't be choosers. The fact Hjulmand will be suspended for the first game isn't great but in Simões we trust. I was so impressed with him having come on tonight. He got the assist, shows a maturity and cleverness way beyond his 18 years. I'd said for ages we need a midfielder in this window. I mean we might with all the injuries but I think we've found one for the future here. You can see on Saturday what playing for this club means to him and his cameo performance here and drive to get the ball that led to the assist is the sole reason Sporting qualified in the end. It's capped a huge week for the youngster, a debut goal and an assist in the Champions League. 

The older I get the more pragmatic I've become. If you'd asked me before the game if I'd minded us getting knocked out the answer would have been no. I know the money is beneficial to the club but two extra games on an injury ravaged squad isn't right now and we've seen our lead at the top of the league table cut easily at times to date. However my reaction to the goal might suggest I was lying to myself. I'm glad I don't do one of those stupid watch along things for the world to see. Part of it might have been relief. Part of it thrilled for Harder to score especially after being on the recieving end of criticism by parts of the Portuguese press after the Rio Ave game. He's 19 and I'll bet he's further along in his career and development than Gyökeres was at 19. Putting Araújo closer to him second half was the tactical change that was needed. He really did have a thankless task first half. He'd have needed binoculars about his person to have seen Trincão who offered next to nothing all night but with the attitude of Edwards, he's had to run himself into the ground all season. That workload should be shared and I guess all credit to Borges for not standing for his nonsense. Whether he's any closer to getting him out the door before the window shuts we wait to see. If we can't then what happens then? We need bodies but equally we cannot be beholden to behaviour like that. Thankfully it's not something I have to deal with. 

Debast going off with a freak injury is another blow. Thankfully Simões is stepping up just when he's needed. You imagine Gyökeres will miss the next game and be patched up for Porto. Oddly we're all resigned to seeing him leave in the summer but it's not beyond the realms of possibilities that he starts the season with Sporting having been under the knife during the summer. I'm not saying that it's likely but stranger things have happened and I don't want to be accused of after timing if it does.

Hjulmand will be a huge miss and it was a silly booking to have picked up but you can understand his frustration at the referee as Bologna's game plan was clear and obvious to continually breakup Sporting's attack with a succession of fouls and we're losing bodies to injuries week in and week out and that's not the officials fault but the Dane is only human. But he leads by example and has now fully grown into the role. Sporting might be prepared to lose Gyökeres and maybe both Inácio and Diomande but you can see them playing hardball over the Dane with his €80m release clause and so they should. But also they'll have to pay him in line with his performances. He and his partner look settled in Lisboa, he's learned the language and represents the club wonderfully on and off the pitch and is a real credit to us all. 

So that really and truthfully leaves the man of the match award from my point of view. In my mind it's come down to one of four; Hjulmand for a solid and clever performance especially in the latter stages. Araújo for his attacking down the left which caused huge uncertainty in the Bologna backline. Simões for his cameo performance. Had he been on the pitch longer he may have taken it. However I can't look beyond Harder. His industry, his never say die attitude, his chasing of lost causes, the fact he caused their defence problems all night… Yes his goal wasn't pretty but he was there in the right place at the right time and that's what you want from your striker. His first half was spent needing someone to be in that position for him to have turned provider. If he'd been afforded the opportunity to be in that place to receive the pass then Sporting could have made a proper fist of it.

The most important thing tonight is that Sporting didn't give up. Once they scored they did what they should have done against Club Brugge and they looked for the second goal. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if João Pereira had his time again you can well believe he'd do things differently. We're learning from our mistakes. Sometimes fortune does smile upon you. Someone please remind me of that when we get the worst draw possible on Friday.