Clube Desportivo Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 3

Clube Desportivo Santa Clara v Sporting CP 

Thursday December 18th, 2025

Estádio de São Miguel

Taça de Portugal Round 5

The warm up

It's estimated that the human brain deals with a staggering eleven million bits of information per second. Thankfully we all have built in filters that sort all that information into manageable parts of data so our brains don't melt. I'm sure you'll all have heard of the expression that first impressions count and there's sound reasoning behind this well used adage. Your brain is applying a filtering system and when you meet someone new it quickly needs to ascertain whether that person is a threat to your wellbeing. This is particularly handy when walking through somewhere busy and you instinctively know by looking at a stranger that you should avoid them even if you don't know why.

Think of someone you know where your opinion of them differs vastly from someone else's opinion of them and you're left perplexed as to the reasons why. Chances are any two parties who hold differing opinions of a third person met them at a different time and in doing so have formed very different opinions by that first initial meeting. Say person A met them when they were having a really bad day, well their default opinion has been shaped by that outcome, nothing that other person does shifts their default position. Whereas person B met them on a good day when they were full of smiles and happiness. Even though person A might actually be right in that generally their demeanor is of someone miserable for example, person B always gives them the benefit of the doubt because their initial meeting was a positive one. Now imagine a footballer for me where your opinion differs vastly about them to someone else you know. You're sat thinking what game are you watching while I'm watching this one? Are you second screening? For example I've never seen Jude Bellingham have a good game for Real Madrid. Now admittedly I've probably seen him play at most 4 or 5 times which is a poor sample size but still I've never seen him have any impact on a game that I've personally watched, I've Jude blindness. The first game I ever saw him play in I looked up at half time to find out why he wasn't playing only to find out he'd been on the pitch for the full 45 minutes. Huh. Rarely if ever do our opinions change of a person. Most people live in an echo chamber and we seek out others who share our opinions rather than search out the possibility of someone with an ability to highlight errors in our judgement. Admittedly it's not just Jude blindness that I suffer from. I'm 47 years old now and I'm not going to list every player that falls under that category because we'll be here for an incredibly long time. However I'll give an example of an ex-Sporting player in the form of Paulinho who I'll often see posts for online questioning why he's not in the Portugal national squad to which my default thought was always that he'd not make it into my Sporting squad let alone get anywhere near the Portugal squad. However opinions can change, we can grow to see people in a new light. We're all fickle let's be honest. I grew to love Sebastián Coates despite all the seasons he carried his invisible caravan on his back before developing into the leader of men he became as club captain. I wasn't overly sold on Maxi Araújo for the first few months and then was able to change my opinion. I watched Fresneda against Atalanta and was guilty of writing him off and it was an appearance on the left wing in the Taça da Liga where I went wow, maybe I jumped the gun too early. You're probably now asking yourself what has any of this got to do with the forthcoming fixture against Santa Clara? Well as I pointed out first impressions count and I fucking hate Santa Clara and couldn't think of a fixture I'd like to sit through less than this one. I don't think anything can dissuade me from that opinion. I'm like a Blackpool stick of rock with the words fuck Santa imprinted all the way down my insides. The team from the Azores are the very definition of anti-football. They suck the life and soul out of you vampirically over the course of 90 minutes or if you're really unfortunate over the course of 120 minutes. This is a game of football that none of us need to sit through. They should play it in a closed stadium and not televise it and save us the pain and misery and just tell us what the end scoreline was. I've written more disparaging remarks about Santa Clara than any other team in the league and that includes the dirty pigeons across the road. My genuine reaction to seeing the draw was oh fuck off. That being said maybe you know someone who supports Santa Clara, maybe you enjoy watching Santa Clara, maybe you are a Santa Clara fan? If so maybe I'll see about having you sectioned under the Mental Health Act for your own sanity. 

So yes, our reward for beating AC Marinhense at home in round 4 is a tie in the Azores against Santa Clara. Rather incredibly this is a year to the day since we played them in the same round of last year's competition which ended with the 2-1 win after extra time. Now I like a coincidence as much as the next person but this one I could have clearly done without. If it also goes into extra time I'll wish my brain was trying to process all eleven million bits of information every second and begins to melt and leak out through my ears and nostrils. 

OK so there's a chance they might pleasantly surprise me, however I very much doubt it. You know the script before the first whistle has been blown. It'll be a low block with ten outfield players holding strict lines in a concentrated space of about 18 yards from front to back. There'll be time wasting from the goalkeeper from every goal kick and who’ll go down injured at least three or four times during the game to receive treatment to non-existenent injuries. We'll invariably see one half where they don't offer a single attempt on goal. Mind you in the interests of fairness we did do exactly that in the second half of the last Dérbi de Lisboa so I'm not suggesting we're perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Trying something once and it working is great. Trying it another three times and it doesn't work would suggest they maybe you should try a different tact and approach. People are paying their hard earned money to be entertained, not to watch one side park the bus over and over and over. They could just go to the bus station and watch that for free. 

This fixture is fast becoming a magnet for red cards. Three came in the 2-1 away win in November, all coming after the 89th minute when the home players absolutely lost their heads. That followed the infamous sending off of Conrad Harder in the previous seasons 1-0 away win where a player from each side received their marching orders after the final whistle. The Dane's crime - saying Yeah. This same fixture one year ago to the day ended with the dismissal of Esgaio who hadn't even been playing and St Juste in extra time. Seven red cards in 300 minutes of football between two teams is some going especially given it's not a Clássico or a Dérbi. 

Since the two sides met in the Azores near the start of last month the islanders have played three times. Their first game after was the Taça tie that qualified them for this fixture, a 3-0 home win against UF Comercio e Industria. No me neither. Wendel opened the scoring with a first half penalty, with second half goals from Vinícíus and Calila. Next an away league game to Rio Ave where they fell behind to a Clayton goal on 23 minutes after the Brazilian striker had missed an earlier penalty. Santa equalised through a penalty of their own 8 minutes before half time from Sergio Araújo. The game finished all square at 1-1. Santa scored from their only big chance and that penalty kick contributed 0.79 to their overall XG of 1.04. The same naturally applied to the home sides XG of 2.10 though they created 5 big chances, missing 4 of those so Santa fortunate to come away with a point. Last game they beat struggling Casa Pia who are out of the relegation places only by virtue of goal difference at the time of writing. Santa missed two of their three big chances but the one they took through Venancio in the tenth minute was enough to secure a 1-0 victory. The XG 1.39 to 0.29 and the visitors restricted to just five attempts over the 90 minutes. Next up for Santa an away trip to Braga on the Monday which will mean two days less rest than Sporting however the lions will have played six times in the space of the two fixtures between each other compared to Santa's four, two of which were Champions league games and the other a Dérbi. 

Monday update

Santa Clara fall to a 1-0 defeat away to Sporting Braga. Ricardo Horta swept home from close range just before half time to give the home side the lead. Santa managed just two attempts after the restart as Wendel saw his shot from a tight angle towards the near post saved and Brenner put his effort somewhere down the mountain side if it ever dropped. Just the 1 big chance for either side and a combined 11 attempts throughout the match. 1,007 passes combined between the sides on the night. 

Federico Varandas confirms his intentions to stand for reelection in 2026. 

Tuesday update 

Not often we have to say obrigado to the neighbours as their B team draw away to Maritímo. The point takes the islanders clear for the first time at the top of Liga 2 but it could have been worse. Sporting B do now have the game in hand and will look to get back to winning ways after their 1-0 defeat to Vizela. 

In the markets 

Santa 11/2

Draw 29/10

Sporting CP 12/25

Team News

Starting XI 

Virgínia, Fresneda, Quaresma, Inácio, Reis, Hjulmand, Simões, Araújo, Trincão, Alisson and Suárez 

Substitutes

Silva, Vagiannidis, Kochorashvili, Rômulo Jr., Mangas, Gonçalves, Blopa, Ioannidis and Ribeiro.

A raft of changes from the win over AVS. In goal Virgínia replaces Silva. At the back Fresneda for Vagiannidis and Quaresma for Diomande who is now away with the Côte d’Ivoire. Mangas swaps out for Reis and a double swap in the centre with Kochorashvili and Morita out for Hjulmand and Simões. Finally with Geny away with Mozambique, Alisson takes his place. On the bench Rômulo Jr is called up whilst Gonçalves and Blopa with a potential chance to impress once more. 

Santa Clara starting XI 

12 Neneca, 94 Silva, 21 Venancio, 23 Lima, 42 Soares, 35 Araújo, 65 Tavares, 32 Nunes, 28 Luquinhas, 17 Costa and 10 Silva

First Half 

Sparse crowd for this early kickoff. Most do however seem to have gotten the memo that it's Christmas next week. Still light on the Azores as Queen blasts out over the stadium Tannoy. I swear the Portuguese FA did a deal in the 80s and 90s they can't get out of. Two women share a bag of popcorn so big that even with two of them they clearly expect extra time. We appear to have ref cam in Portugal. All we fucking need. 

Sporting in green and white halves get us underway and attack right to left. 

1 First shot falls to the visitors from outside the area towards the top left hand corner but was never going to trouble Virgínia who brings the ball down

3 Soares fires from a yard outside the D and brings a save low to Virgínia's left and out to safety. If Santa play like this all game I promise I'll be nice to them 

4 Luquinhas throws himself onto the floor with a hand on the back from Reis. They're making it very hard for me to be nice 

5 First attacking intent for Sporting comes from Alisson down the left hand side. It ends with Tavares having the ball smashed into his face from a sliced clearance from a defender. Referee stops play as Trincão was aiming to shoot

7 Araújo goes down in the box in the far right corner but the referee rightfully uninterested 

8 Araújo the filling in a Santa sandwich, this time popping up in midfield. He's been given a licence to roam it appears 

11 GOAL Santa Clara 0 Sporting CP 1. Simões scores his second ever goal. He collects a pass in from the right from Fresneda. First touch to control and the youngster spins and volleys home into the bottom right past a flat footed Neneca from 12 yards. Wonderfully adaptive finish 

13 Old fashioned hoof from the lions in their area and all the players charge up the field in the direction of the ball. 90s football at its best 

14 Luquinhas with a first touch like a trampoline inside the Sporting box sends it out for a goal kick 

15 Alisson just wising up that the referee expects the theatrics if you want a free kick as he goes down and wins a free kick 

15 Quaresma with a sliding tackle blocks a shot out for a corner and his teammates surround him like he's just scored 

16 Corner to the near post punched clear by Virgínia who commanded his box well 

17 Clash of heads between Lima and Inácio with the former headbutting the defender on the back of the head

18 Whilst the players are down injured we're treated to a replay of the goal. With Simões first touch the ball stays in the air before he connects with the volley on the turn. Wonderful technique from the youngster 

19 Virgínia all in yellow looks like a throwback keeper from a time where all sides hoofed it clear and why not if it cuts out 20 passes to move down field 40 plus yards 

20 Silva wins a corner far side which doesn't even beat Fresneda this time as he heads clear. Fast break from Alisson whose pass into the area is intercepted by Tavares who slipped and somehow only got his chest on it with his hands on the floor 

22 Hjulmand looks incensed as a Santa player throws himself to the ground and the referee blows up. Never a foul, the Dane was just stronger which I'm pretty sure is just life 

23 Santa shout for handball in the area but the game continues

24 We've another Santa player rolling on the far side like he's dead. Henrique the player down. They're clearly told to throw themselves to the ground under any contact. Fucking get up you cunts. I said I would try be nice. That's pathetic 

25 Virgínia is wearing black boots that's what makes him look so retro alongside an all yellow kit

26 Replay suggests Simões did touch the ball with his hand in the area but it was by his side 

27 I'm not sure Suarez has even touched the ball and I'd forgotten he was even playing 

27 GOAL Santa Clara 1 Sporting CP 1. Shake of the head from Inácio who then decides he should clap and try gee his teammates on. Soares pinged it into the bottom right hand corner from 24 yards. I wondered if Virgínia had gotten done by the bounce but in truth he just was late down and nowhere near it.

30 Araújo wide on the right with a series of step overs inside the area, floats a cross in towards Suárez which is headed clear. I think Santa would have been in trouble there had it not been for the defender getting that touch 

31 Alisson tries from 20 yards and Neneca takes no chances and puts it out for a corner 

32 Tavares late challenge on Araújo who reacts really badly. That was right in front of the referee and both have escaped a booking there 

33 Trincão floats the ball into the area looking for the head of Suarez again but the defence once more alert to the danger 

34 Finally Alisson has started to just slow things down again on the left and making more of a difference as he does so 

35 For those of you who read all of these posts - goalkeeper down injured. Quelle fucking suprise. Every fucking time 

38 Trincão twists and turns his way on the right wing, eventually the ball runs out to Alisson on the left whose shot is blocked from 17 yards. Lima on the floor claiming he's got a broken rib from Suárez who actually touched the ball this half. I saw it with my own eyes 

40 Yellow shown to Suárez who's clearly bored as he was back in midfield and pulled back a shirt 

41 Yellow shown to the Santa Clara coach

43 Yellow to G Silva for a late challenge on Inácio 

Plus five shown 

45 Anyone would think Santa Clara were playing with that amount of additional time. Oh wait they are 

+2 Two balls on the pitch. That's a new one even for them 

+4 Corner lions nearside. Alisson fails to beat the first man and headed out for another corner. This time claimed by Neneca. Both balls in sum up the quality of this half nicely

+4 Slip from Quaresma puts himself in danger so he concedes a foul in the follow up play. Free kick from wide right curled in and a header goalwards is the last action of the half 

Half time 

Santa Clara 1 Sporting CP 1 

I've been saying ever since this draw was made that this is a game that no one needed or wanted to see. There's virtually no one in attendance and the game has been tepid to put in politely although we have seen two first half goals. To compound the misery we've got ref cam which really is the shittest of inventions and can fuck off back to Serie A. That we had five minutes additional time proves nothing changes with the opposition - time wasting, throwing themselves to the floor under any contact whatsoever, they can fuck right off.

I was surprised to see Suárez start over Ioannidis. Whether the Greek is still struggling for full fitness I don't know but after an invisible first half from the Colombian where he's had about two touches and a yellow card I can only hope he gets shanked at half time and the two swap over. 

Other than the Quaresma block and goal from Simões I'm struggling to find anything positive from the lions first half performance. As it's a kind of magic rings out over the Tannoy it couldn't be anything further from it in truth albeit both goals had great finishes. 

All I ask is that this doesn't go into extra time. 45 more minutes plus another seven for feigning injuries will be more than enough. We'll see at least one more from the keeper I'm convinced of it.

Second half

We've been treated to 2unlimited at half time which frankly just made me feel old. Then It's My Life which has all the atmosphere of a tampon advert. 

Santa get us back underway, no changes from either side

45 Santa break down the left and a ball into the centre comfortably cleared by Inácio 

46 Alisson with a ball into the six yard box strikes a defender and it narrowly misses the far post and out for a corner. Suárez and Araújo with hands on their heads. From the corner Alisson with a blocked shot from outside the area 

48 Araújo penalised for handling in the area as he loses his balance under pressure from a Santa defender 

48 Last ditch defending from Quaresma to clear the ball inside the Sporting area after a poor first touch by him almost presented an opportunity but he recovered well 

50 Online we were all laughing at a Manchester United fan post yesterday that claimed they were scouting Maxi Araújo as a right winger but that's exactly where he's been operating tonight. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction 

51 Great run from Reis down the left, his cross missed Trincão who slipped but the ball carried on into the path of Araújo whose shot from 15 yards centrally saved low to the right by Neneca and pushed out for a corner 

52 Alisson flashes a shot well wide of the right hand post 

53 Whoever keeps doing the Rick Flair Woos from the crowd needs taking outside and giving a good kicking 

54 Alisson crosses towards Suárez who misses it completely with an attempted header. Harder would have scored it. Just saying 

55 Earthquake in the Azores? Only explanation as one of the Santa players falls over with Reis looking utterly perplexed as to how the free kick was awarded 

57 Someone please find a goal. I can't sit through extra time. 

58 Fresneda and Simões with some great touches between them but the move breaks down with an Alisson foul

58 ➡️⬅️ Venancio and Lima off. Rocha and Victor on

59 Tavares chops Trincão down on the right rather savagely but escapes a booking  

63 I'd forgotten Hjulmand was playing as the captain comes into view in the centre 

65 Suárez with his first chance of the night can only send it behind. A long ball from Reis into the box, Suárez rounded Neneca but was about a yard from the goal line wide left when he shot  

65 ➡️⬅️ Alisson for Ioannidis 

66 ➡️ ⬅️ Soares for Duarte and Costa for Lucas

67 Reis found himself in space and went for glory from 20 yards. That might have ended up in the ocean it was struck that hard and rising 

69 Fresneda pass into the area bounces off a defender back to Hjulmand whose shot from 20 yards is deflected for a corner 

70 The lions looked for the flick on from Reis that worked so well against AVS but how he's supposed to flick it on from 2 yards off the floor is anyone's guess 

70 The weather is matching the quality of this game. Miserable. The rain is belting it down now. 

70 Suárez chases down a loose ball but Neneca beats him too it 

71 Virgínia down quickly to cut out a cross from the right 

71 Trincão slips as he connects trying to find Suárez and the ball comes off the Colombians thigh onto the hands of Neneca

73 Yellow to Luquinhas as he recognises Fresneda as a star in the making and tries to steal his shirt 

74 Santa look to break but Inácio on hand to mop up and gets a push from Bremner for his troubles 

75 ➡️⬅️ Blopa and Kochorashvili on. Simões and Reis off 

76 Fourteen minutes for someone to save my sanity. Right now I don't care who scores, just someone score 

77 Suárez pull back from the left found Araújo whose shot from 8 yards out for a goal kick

78 Maybe for the first time all night the lions just starting to assert themselves in an attacking sense. Santa will point to the fact they only played three days ago as they maybe begin to tire

79 Tavares down claiming cramp. The time wasting also started from goal kicks 

80 ➡️⬅️ Tavares off for Ferreira

81 The referee gets in Hjulmand's way as he can't latch onto a pass. No ref cam there to show his ineptitude I note 

82 Kochorashvili has a coming together in midfield and takes a whack from G Silva who slipped

83 Coming together on the far side between Araújo and #80 and the assistant intervenes 

84 Game stops as the ball hits the referee. His positional play last five minutes has been shocking 

85 GOAL Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 1. Be careful what you wish for as the ball deflects up and past Virgínia into the net. G Silva with the shot from 20 yards hits the leg of Quaresma and flies into the net. We've seen that from him before in the Champions League although I think Silva will be credited with the goal

87 Trincão fires a shot in from 20 yards. Neneca winces. He'll be down in the next five guaranteed 

87 Handbags as Sporting have a player down on the floor. Referee has a yellow in his hand. Fresneda booked. Red shown to Victor. So the run of sending's off in this fixture continues 

89 ➡️ Fresneda for Mangas and Gonçalves for Araújo 

90 Trincão curls the free kick in but Santa clear their lines easily enough. Hjulmand goes down with a hand in the face. Get up man 

Plus six shown 

+1 I can't quite believe VAR is even checking that. Get on with the game 

+2 Still checking the foul. Santa coach getting frustrated on the sides and you can't blame him. That's not a penalty 

+3 Varandas’ facial expression in the box hadn't changed in a good 20 seconds, he wants to go home 

+4 We're still stood waiting. This is fucking ridiculous. What the fuck are they doing? 

+5 This is farcical 

+6 Seriously what the fuck are they checking. Has someone gone for a shit? How can we be six minutes into additional time and they've not kicked the ball once?

+7 Have they done an NFL and gone to an ad break of epic proportions 

+8 We are now eight minutes without any action. I've never seen anything like this 

+9 NINE MINUTES. Nine and a half minutes and the referee is running to the monitor 

+10 Zooming in on the hand into the face of Hjulmand 

+11 Still watching the replays 

+12 Referee finally walks back to the centre circle. Penalty 

+12 Red to the Santa Clara coach. Referee has been hit by something thrown from the sidelines*

+14 I'm hoping this penalty is missed. I'll still be here at midnight otherwise 

+14 Suárez spots the ball. The referee instructs him on my whistle. Suárez nods. 

+15 GOAL Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 2. Fucks sakes. Six minutes for someone to find a winner. 

+16 Santa restart with ten men let's not forget. We must have five minutes still to play 

+17 Time wasting from Neneca. Really? Not sure your teammates need an extra half hour 

+17 Trincão cross looking for the head of Suárez out for a goal kick 

+18 Blopa fires in a ball to the near post looking for Suárez but cleared 

+18 Finally Sporting trying to win this game

+19 Final whistle blows. Where did the six actual minutes go?

Full time 

Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 2 

Bastards. I said please no extra time. Maybe it wasn't the coach who got sent off for Santa. 

First half extra time 

Sporting attack right to left and get us back underway 

91 Trincão gets it all wrong and send his shot from 17 yards flying into the stand behind Neneca

92 Sporting with three players closing Bremner down. I've actually got sympathy for a team I loathe. Wow must be the Christmas spirit or sixty minutes of VAR checking broke my will 

93 Mangas who became a father this week clearly wasn't firing blanks nine months ago, sadly he is tonight as he shanks a shot over from 8 yards

94 ➡️⬅️ Adriano for G Silva 

96 Neneca down injured. Anyone call that? 

96 Neneca time wasting. Anyone call that?

97 GOAL Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 3. Doris heads the lions into the lead. Cross from the right from Trincão flicked on by Hjulmand and guided into the bottom right hand corner. Hjulmand with arms wide out in the same corner that caused all the issues last time out in their last meeting 

101 Incredibly we've already had the full 30 minutes additional time with the VAR farce. Sadly those 19 minutes don't count 

103 Corner nearside for Santa. Inácio took the ball into the face. Not sure what the delay in getting the physio was there if it's a genuine head injury. 

Plus two shown 

105 Bremner rifles a shot from 20 yards over Virgínia and out to safety

+2 Trincão goes past two defenders but his shot from the D wide of the post 

Half time 

Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 3 

Second Half extra time 

Well the feed I was watching have clearly had enough as they show Porto going 2-1 ahead. Santa get us underway again 

107 Blopa with his legs as long as a giraffes out paces the Santa player to mop up at the back 

108 Gonçalves with the best delivery of the night finds the head of Kochorashvili but the Georgian puts it over from 4 yards 

110 Blopa down in the box and is shown a yellow. Connected with the defender but that was more defender running into his go go gadget leg. Certainly zero malice 

111.11 What is it some say? Oh the angels. Maybe they'll come take me away from this misery 

112 So after the corner that never was in the league fixture we've now had the penalty that for me that should never have been. I don't think they're going to build a statue of Hjulmand in the Azores it's fair to say 

113 Wonderful skill in and around the box by Gonçalves finally getting a chance to shine in the first XI

114 Corner far side to Santa conceded by Mangas. If there was any justice in this world the home side would find an equaliser 

114 Kochorashvili and Inácio down on the floor. Corner taken a second time. Virgínia claims 

116 I can't believe this game started nearly three hours ago. NFL games have lasted a shorter time than this one. Probably games with a penalty shootout where no sides miss have gone on for a shorter period of time . Thank fuck it did kick off at 1845

118 Quaresma clears for a throw to stop a half hearted counter attack down the left 

119 One more minute… one more minute 

120 Two seconds after the 120 the referee blows. The time by my watch 2139. Fuck me 

Full time after extra time 

Santa Clara 2 Sporting CP 3 

The Final Word 

I genuinely don't have any qualms with writing that I think the wrong side won that game. If it takes you twelve minutes to decide whether something is a penalty then it's not a penalty. It looked soft. If have been super pissed if it was awarded against us I have to say. Had it finished 2-1 after a deflected winner I'd have had no complaints. It happens, could have shrugged my shoulders and moved on. Instead we're left with a game of little to no quality which lasted close to three full hours. Those words that came out of my mouth when the draw was made - here's a game no one wants to watch. You can condense that entire game into a two minute highlights package and struggle to find a third minute. Only show one angle of each goal and do it in a minute and a half. You hear and read all the time fans of smaller teams saying they've been robbed and if their fans didn't die of boredom and take to social media to say just that then I'd be in full agreement. I appreciate the delay in awarding the penalty isn't directly the fault of the referee. Maybe the audio will have him saying what the fuck is this delay or maybe something politer. It is inexcusable from the VAR team though. 

All my posts about Santa Clara and Sporting CP are now basically highlighting how this has inadvertently become the most controversial fixture in Portuguese football. Brighton and Crystal Palace have a rivalry that no one outside of the two clubs can understand and this one is about to join that club. Every meeting brings with it new flash points. If the Contad Harder sending off was bizarre that VAR check might top it. Oddly that sending off for which he served his ban was overturned which served no purpose and then was appealed by the Portuguese FA and only finally brought to bed yesterday. Tonight's game feels like it might have gone on as long to determine. Simões opener felt like it was scored on Tuesday Night it already feels that long ago as it just turns six minutes past ten and I try to summarise the game. I've been alluding on social media to the fact we played this same fixture a year ago to the day and making a joke out if it. If we're drawn against them on the same day next year I might stop watching football altogether. Sadly we've still got to play them again at game in the José Alvalade. I'll be honest I didn't even celebrate the equalising goal I'd already had enough. 

So let's try find some positives from that game? It won't take long because there weren't many. Flávio Gonçalves treated us to a wonderful little cameo. From the snippets I've seen of him this season he's clearly a talented player. Calm on the ball, great with both feet and I think he could be the next real break out star from the academy. Time will tell. 

More game time for Blopa and his super model legs that could have graved a catwalk in the 90s. True story I once met Claudia Schieffer in a branch of Woolworths. I was leaning over the buggy talking to my kids who were toddlers at the time and looked up and followed this pair of legs that seemed to go on forever and when I finally got to the face there was one for the world's leading supermodels. Her husband is tiny. Anyways, where was I? Ah yes young master Blopa. His debut won't have helped him scoring twice in terms of expectations and similar to Alisson when we've seen him of late there's not really been a lot to write home about but I look at it as all being good experience and this is how you learn and grow, with time on the pitch. 

The winning goal for Ioannidis who really should have been starting if he was fit enough over Suárez. The Colombians contributions not much more than a booking, rounding the keeper and ending up close to the Portuguese mainland before he finally shot and a goal from a penalty. Had he not been handed the ball for the penalty he could still have been playing at 2am and not put it in the net. Some will argue it doesn't matter as long as he's scoring goals. I'd argue Doris would have had a chance over the 90 and put the game to bed. Still, pleasing that the Greek scored again. 

Simões goal would have probably been a contender for goal of the month had the keeper dived and it flew into the top right hand corner. It didn't and the keeper was caught flat footed which is a shame because I'm clearly a snob but it was an incredible finish and again well deserved. I'm enjoying him grow with every game and he'll fill one of the places left by Hjulmand or Morita in the summer. 

*Puffs cheeks out. Erm. Sporting won. What you can't see is me doing an impression of a Portuguese VAR official as I thought about it for two minutes and decided I've got nothing. Oh - the games finally finished. Big positive. 

So man of the match time and my four to choose from. Long time readers will know I've not had to play a Guess Who style game of elimination for a long time but I'm going to have to tonight. Definitely wasn't Virgínia or Suarez. I wasn't overly impressed with Alisson or Hjulmand so that's four down. Quaresma played himself into danger on at least two occasions although he did have that great block early on. Jesus it shouldn't be this hard. OK I was impressed by Gonçalves cameo so he gets my first vote. I thought both Reis and Fresneda did well in comparison to other players on the pitch. Trincão had the odd flash of something resembling entertainment but it wasn't enough. His cross led to the Hjulmand flick on but still no. So Reis second choice, Fresneda third. Got to be one of the goalscorers, so Simões or Doris. Or maybe Araújo… no. Doesn't really matter does it? Either/ or. Man of the match, I'm going to say Fresneda. Well done if you've made it this far. 

Next up Vitória away.  

* According to ABola it was Venâncio and Soares who were both sent off having both been substituted. Unlike Esgaio at least they'd been on the pitch prior to being dismissed from the sidelines.