SSC Napoli 2 Sporting CP 1

 

SSC Napoli v Sporting CP 

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona 
Wednesday October 1st, 2025
Champions League Matchday 2

The Warm Up

Passports at the ready, the Lions are off to Italy to visit Naples, a city synonymous with love and a man with the initials DM. I'm of course talking about the late Dean Martin. Scusami, but you see back in old Napoli, that's amore. Not to be confused with the old mister of course, that's Amor-im. Yeah it's going to be one of those posts clearly. 

The city's football club SSC Napoli is of course synonymous with a man of the same initials, one Diego Armando Maradona to give him his full name for the pedants going you didn't write DAM. Other than maybe pizza and the Ndrangheta you'd be hard pressed to find anything else more associated worldwide with the city than the late diminutive cocaine snorting, womanising, prostitute fucking footballing God that was Maradona. Scourge of England in 1986, he of hand of God fame… oh bollocks you know who Maradona is... or was.

The club are owned by film maker Aurelio De Laurentiis through his company Filmauro S.r.l. He's directed such notable films as the 1995 Men, Men Men. No? Not familiar with that one. OK maybe try 2001’s Merry Christmas or 2004’s Christmas in Love? Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow? Christmas in Rio? Christmas in NYC? Christmas in Beverley Hills? None of them? Fuck me is this guy obsessed with Christmas? OK it's safe to say unless your Italian you're probably not familiar with his work and the man has made a lot of films…not all about Christmas. It's fair to suggest that despite delivering two league titles in recent seasons the owner remains a derisive figure with fans and the misters alike. Maybe no one likes Christmas in Naples? It would probably make a huge deal of sense. Or maybe they do like it and they're offended he didn't ever make a Christmas in Naples! Well I'm pretty sure he hasn't unless it was named in Italian. 

In all under his stewardship Napoli have won a Supercoppa, 3 Coppa Italia's and the aforementioned 2 Scudetto’s which came last season and in 2022/23. I'd have to look up how many coaches he's fired but at a guess I'd say it was a lot since he brought them out of bankruptcy in 2004 at which point they were languishing in Serie C. 

Now coached by Antonio Conte, a man who guarantees title wins unless your happen to be Tottenham Hotspur, at the time of writing they are the only Italian side with a 100% record having won their opening four games of their title defence. Trust me when I say I never got my homework in on time so be impressed I'm that organised later in life to do this a week in advance of the fixture. 

It will come as no surprise with them sat top of Serie A that they're at the forefront of most statistics; Most expected goals 7.2, most shots on target on average per game 6.3, 2nd most goals per game with 2.3 ... You get the picture. Two clean sheets to date, they've scored 9 and conceded just 3. Top scorer Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgium signed on a free transfer from Manchester City in the summer. 7 other players with a single goal to their name a list that includes Rasmus Højlund on loan from the parish of Amorim after our old mister couldn't get a tune out of him at United the last campaign. At home GF 4 GA 2, away GF 5 GA 1. Their solitary defeat in the campaign away to Manchester City 2-0 in the Champions League. Their cause not helped by the early dismissal of Giovanni de Lorenzo who will now of course be suspended for Matchday 2. City's XG 2.12 to 0.17 so clearly we need to pray for an early sending off. 

Their league campaign started away to newly promoted Sassuolo winning 2-0. The home side finishing with ten men. Scot Scott McTominay and KDB with the goals. XG N 1.19 to S 0.38. 

A fortuitous win at home to Cagliari 1-0 with the winner coming deep into additional time. XG 1.58 to 0.53. 

They made easier work of big spending Fiorentina away winning 3-1. 2-0 up at half time their XG 3.29 to 1.65. 

If the win against Cagliari was fortuitous then the statistics from Monday night suggest they got away with another one against newly promoted Pisa as they won 3-2. The visitors missing 2 of their 4 big chances against a Napoli side who scored 3 without a single big chance. Pisa’s XG 2.61 to 1.08 although admittedly they were 3-1 up before a 90th minute 2nd goal. 

Going full circle the two sides have met twice before way back in 1989/90 when I was still fat and all the girls were ignoring me. Now I'm an old man, skinny as a greyhound and all the women ignore me. Some habits die hard. No goals in a two legged tie, Napoli eventually won on penalties 4-3. Maradona played at the old José Alvalade for all of 20 minutes coming on as a second half substitute. He started the reverse game and would miss one of the penalties in the shootout. He might have been the best footballer that ever lived for many people but he couldn't score against the might of Sporting CP. There's your pointless fact for the week to amaze your mates with down the pub. 

Naples for those readers who love my deep dives away from the football, is the 3rd largest City in Italy after Rome and Milan. Two main religions in the region are Maradona and Catholicism. It's the 8th most populous city in the EU. Clearly the rhythm method working as well as it ever has in the Emerald Isles. 

Apparently it plays a large role in international diplomacy unlike their owner who is clearly going for the Ying Yang approach to ensure balance. The south of Italy is famously known as the boot and if true then Naples is on the shin pad as Italy attacks right to left. Founded by the Greeks, so Vagiannidis and Doris should both feel at home. The region remained independent until Italy's unification in 1861. The port of Naples one of the most important in Europe. It doesn't add a note why but I'm guessing for the import of drugs and other snuggling operations. Look that's not me being a snidey fucker I've watched Gomorrah and read the book. 

Described by the BBC as the Italian City with too much history to handle. Better just grab a slice of pizza en route to the stadium on Matchday then Sportinguista's. We wouldn't want you overdosing on history. Or I hasten to add on any illicit substances coming in via the port. 

So onto the club itself, Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli. All foreign clubs are so wonderfully named compared to their English counterparts don't you think? Founded in August 1926, so an early happy birthday for the big century next summer Neapolitans. Well unless you stuff us next week in which case you can go fuck yourselves. They were originally formed as Associazione Calcio Napoli which I'm guessing is basically AFC Napoli. 

They play at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. No points for guessing who that's named after by the way. An impressive capacity of 54,725, the stadium is said to physically shake on Match Days which I imagine is what happens when the foundations are a mixture of dead bodies and concrete. The stadium was formally known as the Stadio San Paolo before being renamed after the death of their most famous player in December of 2020. Completed in 1959 it's the countries fourth largest stadium. Bari’s stadium the third largest in the country, well bugger me. You'll thank me if you get that in a quiz one day. The Giuseppe Meazza the largest and home to AC and Internazionale. San Siro is the area in which it's housed for those who love their pedantry. The Stadio Olimpico home to Lazio and AS Roma the second largest. Napoli’s stadium is what I suspect what we would call in England a Shit hole but as fans of any club will say, it might be a shit hole but it's our shit hole. 

They originally played in the Stadio Partanopeo which was flattened during WWII during the period Italy was busy being a nation of fascist pricks. Apparently the record attendance in the days you could stand was 90,736 on December 15th, 1974. Fair play. 

Their first title win came in 1987 followed by a second in 1990, of course both spearheaded by Diego. However following his hounding out of the country for use of Colombian marching powder and prostitutes (now politically correctly known as sex workers), the club was financially fucked and endured relegations and eventually bankruptcy before ADL brought the club as previously mentioned.

Its safe to suggest that the rest of Italy looks down it's nose at Naples and the proud Neapolitans. Labelled amongst other things as peasants and the great unwashed, especially by those in the north, you couldn't get more two more polar opposite fixtures than Estoril away followed by Napoli away if you tried. I Imagine if there's an Italian equivalent of a Millwall’s No one likes us, we don't care, then it's most likely to be found here. Antonio Conte is renowned for his ability to form well disciplined sides who aren't always, shall we say, the easiest on the eye to watch. However they certainly get results in the league having won titles with Napoli, Internazionale and Juventus. His record in Europe not so great. A bit like an Italian Jorge Jesus if you might. Complained that he didn't have a pot to piss in at Juventus so what did people expect only to leave and have them to go to the next final. So there is some hope for Sporting to come away with something but quite frankly I'm not going to hold my breath. 

Last season their home record read Played 19, won 14, drawn 3 and losing just twice. GF 32 GA 13. Top scorer Romelu Lukaku with 14, Scott McTominay got 12, Anguissa and Raspadori with 6 a piece. Kvaratskhelia scored 5 before his departure to PSG in January and Sporting of course likely to face off against him in the Champions League. At least my phone now completes Kochorashvili after the first five letters. Lukaku also recording the most assists with 10. They conceded the fewest goals in Serie A on average at just 0.7 per game. 

Nicknames are Gli Azzurri - The Blues. 
I Partenopei - The Parthenopeons.
I Ciucciarelli - The little donkeys.

Oh fuck me … or a duck... Or a little donkey. Whichever. Right transfer corner, better take a seat for this one. 

Incoming 

Rasmus Højlund - Manchester United on loan. 
Elif Elmas - RB Leipzig £1.7m
Miguel Gutiérrez - My Girona - £15m
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic - Torino - loan. 

I'll assume that's who Franco Israel replaced in the summer. 

Sam Beukema - Bologna £26m. 

Jesus how are clubs spending £26m on players I've never heard of?

Lorenzo Lucca - Udinese £7.5m
Noa Lang - PSV Eindhoven £21m
Emanuele Rao - SPAL - Free transfer 
Luca Marianucci - Empoli - £7.5m
Kevin de Bruyne - Manchester City - Free 

I'm still singing My Girona to the tune of My Sharona by the Knack. That'll learn me. One for the kids that reference.

Outgoing 

Matija Popovic - CSKA - free
Coli Saco - Yverdon - loan
Walid Cheddira - Sassuolo - loan

Watched him score Sunday night. Small world. 

Luis Hasa - Carrarese - loan
Alessandro Zanoli - Udinese £4.5m
Nosa Edward Oberatin - Empoli - loan
Giacomo Raspadori - Atlético Madrid - £18m
Antonio Cioffi - Livorno - loan
Lorenzo Sgarbi - Pescara - loan
Giovanni Simeone - Torino - £830k

Yes he is the son of…

Jens-Lys Cajuste - Ipswich Town - loan 
Claudio Turi - Team Altamira - loan
Victor Osimhen - Galatasaray - £62m
Alessio Zerbin - Cremonese - loan
Cyril Ngonge - Torino - £830k
Michael Folorunsho - Cagliari - Free
Jesper Lindstrøm - Wolfsburg - £1.2m
Matteo Marchisano - Avellino - free 
Genarro Iaccarino - Arezzo - loan
Gianluca Vigliotti - Pineto - loan
Luigi d’Avino - Giuglianno Calcio 1928 - loan

I'm definitely sacking off this fucking section next week. 

Mattia Esposito - Team Altamura - £71k
Guiseppe d’Agostino - Giuglianno Calcio 1928 - free
Emanuele Rao - Bari - loan 

Christ that must have been a quick hello and goodbye then.

Francesco Mezzoni - Virtus Entella - free
Rafa Marin - Villarreal - loan
Nikita Contini - Free agent 
Elia Caprile - Cagliari - £6.6m
Natan - Real Betis - £7.5m

I have just typed those by hand on a phone flicking between two screens so if you scrolled past them all go up and read them all you utter bastards. I don't want a job as a data entry clerk it's fair to say after that lot. 

Sunday update - Napoli lose their 100% record going down 2-1 at the Giuseppe Meazza to AC Milano who led 2-0 at the break. Lining up in a 3-5-2 perhaps they'll given the mister something to think about ahead of Wednesday night's game. 

Champions League future opponents roundup

Tuesday night fixtures 

Marseille v Ajax

The French side the only one of the lions remaining six opponents after the Napoli game to play at home on Matchday 2. They took full advantage of being at the Velódrome as they raced to a 3-0 lead inside 25 minutes against a beleaguered Dutch side. Paixão allowed enough space to have sailed a yacht in as he opened the scoring after 5 minutes. His second came on 11 minutes with a thunderous drive from 24 yards despite 3 defenders between him and the goal. Greenwood again allowed too much time and space to make it 3-0, the Ajax defence all at sea. Their misery complete on 51 minutes as Paixão turned provider for Aubameyang to slot home to make it 4-0. 

Atalanta v Club Brugge 

Despite taking the lead through a stunning Tzolis goal from the edge of the area which flew past two defenders and the keeper, the Belgians lost 2-1. Lazar Samardžić converted a penalty after a rush of blood from their goalkeeper Jackers saw him bring down an Atalanta player just inside the 18 yard box. The Italians winner coming 4 minutes from time with the simplest of headers for Mario Pašalić. Sporting of course met the Belgians in last season's competition eventually going down 2-1 despite an early Geny Catamo goal. 

Pafos v Bayern München 

Five first half goals as the Champions League debutants Pafos looked to build on their opening game point away to Olympiacos. If they were in any doubts about how hard a task they would be facing against the Bundesliga champions they were given a dose of reality on 14 minutes as Harry Kane turned and slotted home from the edge of the six yard box. They doubled their lead through Guerreiro lifting the ball over a diving keeper after 19 minutes. Jackson made it 3-0 from 10 yards on the half hour mark and Kane made it 4 just 3 minutes later as the Cypriots failed to clear their lines and the Englishman bundled his way goalwards and slotted in off the keeper's leg. Something at least to cheer about for the home fans as Orisc made it 4-1 on the stroke of half time pinging one into the top corner past a flat footed Neuer. However their misery wasn't over as Olise made it 5-1 on 67 minutes.  

Wednesday night fixtures

Barcelona v PSG

BVB v Athletic Club

Villarreal v Juventus 

Team News 

Thankfully Romelu Lukaku is currently out injured given his goals and assists record in their title winning campaign. Diomande is included in the lions travelling squad.

In the markets 

Napoli 5/6

Draw 13/5

Sporting CP 31/10

UEFA Youth League 

Starting XI 

Gouveia, Lee, Taibo, Felicíssimo, Momade, Gonçalves, Bafdili, Camacho, Grombahi, Silva and Blopa.

Substitutes 

Tverdohlebov, Ciesielski, Coxi, Rijo, Simão, Gomes, Siza, Sanhá and Martins.

Flávio Gonçalves with the opening goal continuing his great start to the campaign. More details to follow. Full time - Napoli 1 Sporting CP 1 

Team News 

Starting XI

Silva, Araújo, Inácio, Quaresma, Fresneda, Simões, Hjulmand, Geny, Trincão, Quenda and Ioannidis 

Substitutes 

Virgínia, Reis, Diomande, Debast, Vagiannidis, Kochorashvili, Morita, Gonçalves, Alisson, Ribeiro, Mangas and Suárez.

Change up front as Suárez replaced by Ioannidis. I did actually Way what out loud when I read that but thankfully no one heard me. Sorry Doris it just shocked me. Then I had mild heart failure when my app only showed four substitutes. I know they had problems getting to Naples but losing a 3rd of your squad seemed a stretch. At the back Quaresma and Fresneda replace Debast and Vagiannidis. In the centre Simões gets his chance for his first start of the campaign in place of Morita. I should add it's Doris’ full debut to boot. No *Geny but Diomande is back. Ribeiro and Reis also included. 

* Error on my part corrected in the lineup but left to prove I'm nothing but honest and don't mind people laughing at my mistakes.

Napoli Starting XI 

33 Milinkovic-Savic, 32 Beukema, 3 Gutiérrez, 5 Jesus, 37 Spinazzola, 68 Lobotka, 8 McTominay, 11 De Bruyne, 99 Anguissa, 21 Politano and 19 Højlund 

First half 

I hope people brought their binoculars, I'd forgotten this stadium has a running track. Napoli lineup in a 4-1-4-1. Sporting with a 4-2-3-1. The sides swap ends which you don't see often after the coin toss. Geny starts? 

Sporting get us underway attacking left to right. Heavy rain prior to kickoff. Looks like they're playing in treacle.

2 Geny starts where I had Gonçalves in. Could be admin error. Pote is on the bench. (Post game - definitely my fault for not paying attention when walking and typing.)

3 Fresneda clears for a corner under zero pressure. Borges shows his disgust on the sidelines 

4 De Bruyne fires high over the bar from 24 yards 

5 Doris darts in between two defenders and wins a corner nearside 

7 Quaresma concedes a second corner under pressure from Højlund near side 

9 A year to the day after Quaresma’s infamous slip in Eindhoven, they seem to have all worn the right boots this time. Notable puddles in several areas of the pitch 

11 Fresneda overlaps with Quenda wide right and his cross cut out for a throw near side. So many times we see the Spaniard making that run. That was good play

11 Home fans whistling every time the lions in possession. Not heard that since we went to Turkey against Besiktas 

13 Sporting fans making themselves heard clearly travelling in number 

14 Spinazolla fires a cross from the right which travels all the way across the edge of the six yard box and out.

14 De Bruyne goes studs in on Fresneda on the touchline. Both players receiving treatment. The Spaniard looks in a lot of pain

16 Nothing shown to KDB. Head scratcher. That was late and poor from the Belgian. Both players back on the pitch 

17 Good tracking by Quenda on the right whilst Napoli in possession. Funny how I'm always impressed when he's in defensive mode versus offensively 

21 Anguissa clearly not taught to never lean back when striking a ball sends one over from 20 yards 

22 Højlund throws Fresneda to the floor inside the area. Free kick awarded but again no yellow 

23 Retribution from Trincão who felt he was fouled as he tried to break, ran into three players and conceded the free kick trying to win the ball back in midfield 

24 Quaresma alert to the danger of a Napoli attack clears the lines. Impressed with the work rate of the side tonight 

25 Simões with the lions first effort. File that under ambitious. That must have been 30 yards out but was on target. Easy save for the ex-Torino keeper replaced in the summer by a certain Franco Israel 

27 Napoli never lost at home to a Portuguese club. Always a first time 

28 Quenda doesn't use the overlap this time and lofts the ball high for Trincão who really had nowhere to go with his header. Fresneda was wide open on the right and better positioned to put the ball in 

30 Third of the game gone. So far a marker for why under 2.5 goals is often the best bet in football. Says the man who predicted a 2-1 home win

31 Anguissa tries again from 20 yards and is fortunate it hits a boot and out for a corner because that was going over the running track 

33 Quenda loses the ball again on the edge of the area with Fresneda unmarked. 

34 You can mark when Sporting are in possession for long periods because the whistles get louder 

35 GOAL Napoli 1 Sporting CP 0. The lions ironically with their best spell of possession all game. Simões loses possession on the edge of the area. Napoli worked their way from their own 18 yard box. KDB passed to Højlund who slotted home from 16 yards. 

37 Jesus foul on Trincão. Free kick 30 yards out. Fucking awful distribution from Quenda 

39 Napoli crowd woken up. Sing when you're winning…

40 Clever ball from Geny only just missed it's target of Doris in the middle of the 18 yard box. The Mozambique international far more positive on the left flank than Quenda on the right offensively this half 

40 Geny wants a penalty in the centre as he goes down under contact. Referee not interested 

40 Politano curls an effort from 17 yards superbly pushed past the post by Silva. Great save 

42 Doris shows his strength in the box. No idea who he muscles off the ball but he made them look like a child 

43 Silva with a mistake at the back. Thankfully KDB slips and cannot take advantage 

Plus one shown 

+1 Quenda again loses the ball in the box. Stick Geny out that side second half 

Half time

SSC Napoli 1 Sporting CP 0

If you wanted to know the difference in levels of quality between Italy and Portugal then we saw it in the space of 10 seconds when Napoli went from box to box to make it 1-0. That was a brutal footballing lesson but in truth it's the only thing that has really separated the two teams in terms of overall quality. No I lie, that and the save from Silva to keep the score at 1-0. It was probably written that a player Amorim couldn't get a tune out of would make it 1-0. The world works in mysterious ways. 

Good call from Borges to play Doris up front. He's impressed me a lot leading the line as a solitary figure which can be a thankless task. Fresneda must clock up some kilometres on the pitch getting up and down the flanks. Again really impressed with his performance and Quenda on at least three occasions should have utilised him on the overlap. The youngster working hard when out of possession but he is lacking that killer instinct when it comes to the final third. I'm still waiting for his breakout performance that isn't against a side with U21 behind their names or from Kazakhstan. 

The lions can get something from this game if they're smart. The danger as we saw is that one mistake and this Napoli side will punish you. I'd like to see what the pace of Alisson could do second half down the left and Geny swap out to the right where I think he'd utilise Fresneda's support to better effect. 

Second half 

➡️⬅️ Suárez and Gonçalves on for Geny and Trincão 

Napoli get us back underway 

Well shows me what I know with Geny going off. Big surprise with Trincão though

45 Napoli straight on the attack. Inácio tests to see if Silva awake with his header back which he was thankfully as he scrambled to collect 

46 Napoli smell blood already. This could be a long half for the lions. 

48 Quaresma quick to the danger once more to clear the lines for Sporting 

48 Politano fires over from 23 yards. McTominay involved in the buildup. I'd forgotten he was playing, I genuinely don't remember hearing his name once tonight 

49 Strong from Simões in midfield to win possession. He drives forward and his shot is blocked from 20 yards 

50 Araújo involved in handbags on the near side. Referee keeps his hand is his pocket once more. Not sure who the Napoli player was but they're like rutting stags in mating season head to head. Spinazolla I think but don't quote me

53 I wonder if they've been out with towels at half time because the puddles seem to have vanished that were so evident first half 

53 Quaresma concedes a free kick on Højlund 30 yards out.

54 Another shot skied, this time from 17 yards by Beukema 

56 Napoli appeal for a penalty. Referee again not interested. Fresneda with the contact with his arms tucked behind his back. Referee is making the stance to show a Napoli player why he's made the call and it was the right call 

57 KDB goes for the curling effort from 19 yards headed out by Inácio for a corner far side 

58 Simões wins possession back again this time on the left flank. He's had a great game 

59 Araújo floats a ball to the back post but Napoli cleared their lines 

60 Sporting with their best spell of possession again. We saw what happened last time with it…PENALTY. Well that was better than the last time clearly.

60 Gonçalves shot blocked initially. Ball came out to Araújo who was felled in the box by the Napoli skipper Politano. Referee with no hesitation pointing to the spot 

61 GOAL Napoli 1 Sporting CP 1. Suárez sends the keep the keeper the wrong way 

63 Great defending from Araújo who throws his body to cut out a pass 

63 Quenda finds… the advertising hoardings. Do not try sell me any notion he's the next big thing to come out of Portugal 

64 Sportinguista's making themselves heard again no doubt somewhere up in the Gods 

64 Quaresma down on the far side. Buying time for a substitution me thinks as Debast is getting his shirt on 

65 ➡️⬅️ Debast and Alisson on for Ioannidis and Quaresma 

66 Big chance for the Brazilian youngster to impress. Great performance by Quaresma by the way

68 Suárez concedes a foul harrying the last defender

68 ➡️⬅️ Politano off and David Neres on. The Sporting fans will give him a warm reception I'm sure as an ex Benfica player. McTominay for Noa Lang

73 Højlund fires snot out of his nose. Not sure if that was on target. Vile and not what you needed a close up of from the Editor in studio 

74 Quenda fires in a low shot from 20 yards saved easily by Milinkovic-Savic

75 Awful from Gonçalves. Napoli left him unmarked and he doesn't even hit the target. That was the chance. Came from Alisson down the left, quick pass onto the edge of the box and moved to Pote who should have made it 2-1

77 ➡️⬅️ Morita for Simões. I've just stood up to applaud him coming off. Don't judge me OK. Brilliant performance tonight 

78 Corner far side taken quickly. GOAL Napoli 2 Sporting CP 1. Silva came to the edge of his six yard box and didn't connect. Højlund with his second from a header. KDB with the cross. The two combine again to deepen the lions misery 

80 ➡️ ⬅️ KDB and Gutiérrez off. Gilmour and Olivera on

81 Gonçalves will be seeing that miss in his sleep tonight

82 Araújo adheres himself to Sportinguista's even more as he gives Neres a shove off the ball and he goes down like Jenga. Referee tells him to get up 

84 Debast almost finds Araújo in the box who incredibly was the furthest player forward for the lions 

84 Sporting encamped in Napoli's final third lose possession and bums were twitching as the little donkeys break but this time Sporting clear the danger 

86 I'm regretting predicting 2-1 in this game now. There speaks the man with OCD. 

87 Every player bar Silva in the Napoli half now but the lions cannot unlock this defence 

88 How long to add on? Five minutes might be wishful thinking 

89 ➡️⬅️ Højlund for Lucca. Jesus how tall is that fucker?

Plus four shown

90 Now or never for the lions. I'm guessing it's going to be … never... Inácio almost picks out Suárez on the edge of the area with his leg at full stretch

+1 Alisson causing danger again down the left. Suárez shot from the edge of the D blocked. Corner Sporting far side 

+2 Napoli break and I think it was Alisson who made the tackle deep inside the Sporting half 

+3 The lions need a miracle. Debast with a great run into the box dispossessed 

+3 Hjulmand header scooped out from 7 yards. That's won them the game. Nothing wrong with the header from the captain. First decent ball in from Quenda all night 

Full time 

Napoli 2 Sporting CP 1

The Final Word 

Football really can be the cruellest of mistresses. There's always a danger that you can come across writing these pieces as being incredibly biased but for me Sporting deserved a point from that game and could have come away with all three. Note that's could not should. Napoli clinical when it counted the most. KDB reminding us that he's lost none of his talent and why he's one of the most highly rated players in Europe and world football over the last decade combing twice with Højlund for their goals. 

You cannot criticise Simões for losing the ball on the edge of the Napoli area for their first goal because there's no way you can predict they'd go down the other end and score. Other players lost possession in what would appear to be fair more dangerous positions and didn't get punished and he was incredible throughout tonight. Kochorashvili has looked street smart in some performances and in others like he's a yard off the pace. Morita has yet to find his form this season. In one cameo appearance off the bench and in tonight's performance I think Simões has proven he should be the second midfielder alongside Hjulmand in the league. What a talent and just 18 years of age. Tough in the tackle, not afraid to run at opposition defences. Maybe I should say he's really bad, don't send scouts to look at him. What I've just written is all lies. Like anyone pays attention to what I write though they might do. Stranger things have happened. 

Silva with a brilliant save first half, should probably have done better for both goals. That's the life of a goalkeeper and you've got ten players in front of you who can effect the ball before it even comes anywhere near your goal. At 2-0 at half time there's probably no way back for Sporting. He'll be disappointed I'm sure. 

Superb performance also from Quaresma. Really interesting that Borges affords him his two starts in the campaign in the Champions League. Now there may be an obscure player quota on starting XIs like there is with the squads and there's a reason for it but both games he comes away with credit in the bank. He's going to be the successor to Diomande or Debast long term let's be fair and for now has to make the most of every opportunity which he has done with abundance. 

Inácio is my blind spot in the rear view mirror. He tries a long pass to Araújo second half which was so easily read, has a dodgy header back to Silva and other than playing the ball sideways and backwards which makes his statistics always appear better than he really is I don't know what else to write. 

Fresneda and Araújo, again sterling performances. Both highly effective in defence and offensive areas. Araújo wins the penalty for the equaliser. You wouldn't want to drink in a pub with the bloke because it would erupt into violence at some point during the night but he's bloody good value and a difference maker at this level and this is a player ever who was only a winger before coming to Sporting and been converted into a wing back. Fresneda ran his socks into the ground. Time and time providing the overlap on the right wing and having to get back into position after the wrong option by Quenda. 

Geovany Quenda. When will we see your breakout performance young man? No other player has frustrated me more since Gelson Martins as this kid. I'm going to give him credit for his defensive work tonight which was impressive but other than the last pass for the Hjulmand header and his shot on target which never really troubled their keeper he was really, really poor. Sometimes you just need to make it simple but do the simple stuff really well. I'd like to see him close up to see where he's looking when in possession because he appears to be a magnet for running into trouble. 6 for effort, 4 for execution in the final third and that would have been a 2 were it not for the ball into Hjulmand.

Speaking of the Dane no real complaints from his performance and could have been the hero in additional time. One of those performances where his work probably allows Simões to shine and go unnoticed.

Geny looked dangerous when in possession and the difference between him and Quenda is that he doesn't hesitate when he receives the ball in the opposition half. Is it confidence? Benefit of age? Am I just biased? Could be a combination of all three and more if I'm being totally honest but I was much happier with his performance than I was with Quenda's which is nothing new. 

Trincão coming off might have been a shock but partly that's probably just because it's who he is. He wasn't amazing first half but there were plenty of great performances around him but would have been the right call had Gonçalves taken his chance, but he didn't. Would Trincão have scored it? Maybe. Maybe not. We will never know but it would have been on his preferred side whereas we generally find Pote on the left. He's a touch of the Nuno Santos about him in that he has to compensate for a deficiency in his game by adapting his technique in certain areas...for Nuno Santos it's the rabona and with Pote it's the finish with the outside of his right foot. Had the chance come from right to left I think he scores from that side of the pitch. 

I was really impressed with Doris and that's the first time I've gone - oh that's why we brought you. Comfortable with the ball at his feet, two or three times he ran past the defence but with no support he needed someone closer to him to be able to take advantage of the play. 

Debast like Inácio looking for that pass which splits the midfield or the defence and both were guilty of losing the ball but sometimes it's the manner that it doesn't come off.  The pass Inácio tries to find Araújo with which was three yards wide of them player at straight to a Napoli midfielder simply isn't good enough. He'll do his famous trick of being injured or suspended for PSG and Bayern so as not to ruin his supposed transfer value by the world having eyes on that he's not actually that good a centre back. 

Suárez gets another goal, cool under pressure even when the spot kick was delayed. He's paid to score goals and as long as he's doing that he doesn't need to be the man that he's just replaced he just needs to keep finding the back of the net. He's certainly helping his own chances of going to the World Cup next summer if he does that. 

Morita isn't yet at the races. Maybe part disappointment at being with the club for one more year, part lack of match fitness, part coming back from another injury. The midfielder clocked up a ridiculous amount of traveling time as Japan qualified for the World Cup throughout the last campaign. Catch 22. How do you give him a months well earned rest but get him up to full match fitness? Answer is you can't. 

Which leaves Allison Santos. Another great cameo appearance from the Brazilian. Another performance where he's done more to effect the game than Quenda did across a full 90 in an attacking sense and maybe a defensive one if that was him running back from the corner as the last line of defence. It's not just his pace that causes defenders issues. It's equally when he slows everything down like your TV has gone on the blink and you want to smash it on the top. OK maybe you can't do that with a modern TV but those of an older age will get my point. The Gonçalves chances comes from him slowing down the tempo, putting the defender in two minds as to whether he might try to put the after burners on but his head is up, he makes the simple pass into the centre that led to the quick switch to Gonçalves. If you see the goal Braga conceded last in their defeat Sunday then I'd say he has got to start on the left flank this weekend. 

Have I missed anyone? Probably. Oh well apologies if I have. Man of the match time. Final four choices are Simões, Araújo, Quaresma and I'm going to go Doris by an inch over Fresneda. I could give a choice of five quite happily. Question is who wins it. Oh no he's going to play Guess Who isn't he your saying. Yes, yes I am. OK not Doris or Fresneda. Not Quaresma. That leaves Araújo and Simões. The Uruguayan wins the penalty but… Nope not enough. Simões gets man of the match. Left it all out there tonight and his reward should be a start on Sunday and the same for Alisson.

Overall a pleasing performance. Borges got his selection pretty much spot on, made the right substitutes at half time at the right point to have an effect. We lost because of two quality moments from Napoli and that's the difference at this level. Defeats OK if you can learn and grow from it. They're Serie A Champions for a reason with a squad assembled in the hundreds of millions with one of the best coaches in European football. Sporting should hold their heads high. No shame in that performance or the loss. 

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