Moreirense 0 Sporting CP 3

Moreirense v Sporting CP

Saturday February 21st, 2026

Parque Desportivo Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas

Matchday 23

The Warm Up

There is a common misconception in regards to Portuguese football that goalscorers are ten a penny. Maybe in the upper echelon that rings true to a certain extent but for every place you go down the league, having someone capable of putting the ball into the net on a regular basis gets rarer than rocking horse shit. So the fact that Moreirense have chosen to sell their top goalscorer in the January transfer window speaks volumes to the fact that having to sell to survive in Portugal is a very real problem and one that is unlikely to ever change. At the time of his departure to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Guilherme Schettine had scored 9 in 15 appearances, a marked improvement on his previous seasons tally of 6 in 33. Whilst the fee of £581,000 might not appear huge by todays modern standards, clearly it was an offer too good to refuse for the side from Minho. Where that decision leaves them between now and May we wait to find out. It leaves Sporting-loanee Diogo Travassos as their leading scorer of those who remain with 4 goals to his name in 17 appearances. Unlike similar loans of youngsters in recent years by the lions, this one really seems to be paying dividends for the 21 year old Portuguese who will be hoping the experience puts him up the pecking order when he returns to Lisboa in the summer.

Going into their Monday night game away to Rio Ave, they started the weekend in 8th level on points with Estoril and 2 ahead of Vitória who host Estrela at home on Saturday knowing a win for them would lift them temporarily at least above one or both clubs. After 21 rounds their record reads 9 wins, 3 draws and 9 losses, GF 27, GA 29. Going back to the opening paragraph, selling a player who has scored 1 in every 3 of your clubs goals can surely only have a detrimental impact on them until the end of the season. Their home record reads played 10, won 6, drawn 1, lost 3, GF 15, GA 13. That translates to 63.33% of all their points won coming at home. So many clubs are struggling away from home this season in the top flight. From Estoril with the 7th best record in the division going into this weekends fixtures down, the total points won away ranges from 11 all the way down to just 2 from AVS at the bottom, which covers 12 teams in total. Sporting and Benfica at the time of writing yet to lose a game away, AVS still to win a game home or away. Surely they can’t go an entire season without picking up a single win? If they do that’s one of the worst adverts for Portuguese football you could have. I hope they win at least one, just not against the lions please. I’m generous in nature and spirit, but I don’t want that generosity and spirit crushed.

Of their 27 goals scored 19 have come from open play and 8 from set pieces and they’re outperforming their Xg which sits at 22.1. I’ve already mentioned their top two goalscorers, next on the list is Maracas with 3, Alan has 2 and after that 9 others share a goal apiece. Despite 27 goals seemingly being a rather low number after 21 rounds, as I’ve already alluded to, goals are hard to come by in Portugal and that’s the 7th highest average in the league at 1.3. Their average of conceding 1.4 goals per game the 8th best and they’ve kept 7 clean sheets to date which is only 3 less than the lions. They’re also marginally outperforming their Xg conceded which stands at 31.7. 

They average 3.4 shots on target per game compared to the lions 7 and have failed to convert 23 big chances, again some distance behind the 48 that Sporting’s players have missed between them all. Fifth in the league for most average passes per game with 359.1. Interestingly Braga ahead at the top of that pile by some distance with 546.9 per game. They average just 3 accurate crosses per game, a record only beaten by Rio Ave with 2.2. Sporting’s Sunday night opponents Famalicão with the highest average of 5.2 per game. Moreirense and Sporting have the worst two records for average interceptions per game with 6.5 and the lions bottom of that grouping on 6.4. Top of one table however – most penalties conceded with 10, an unwanted record of ever their was one. Fifth worst accumulation of bookings with 55 in total and 3 red cards in turn.

At the José Alvalade in September they managed to keep the scores level until 15 minutes before the end of the 90 when Suárez scored from the penalty spot. Any hopes of stealing a point were dashed when Gonçalves scored, again from the penalty spot, on minute 89 and Ioannidis rubbed salt in the wounds when he made it 3-0 3 minutes into additional time. The Xg 5.01 to 0.16 and the lions missed 7 of 10 big chances. I think I wrongly wrote that Famalicão had accumulated the most big chances in a single game with 9 but appears I was clearly wrong so my apologies. I may yet uncover a larger total than 10 so if anyone knows any different please drop me a comment below.

It should be noted that the lions lost this same fixture last December albeit under dear old John Pear Tree who couldn't have caught a cold at that point let alone a break. Gyökeres opened the scoring from a penalty on 11 minutes but we're unable to find an answer to goals from Pinto (18) and Schettine (34) who sent the lions packing with their tail between their legs 2-1. 

As I’m writing this ahead of the Famalicão game on Sunday, what follows will clearly already be out of date but should make interesting reading all the same. In all competitions including the Supertaça, the lions in 36 games have recorded a staggering 624 attempts on goal which have resulted in 90 goals scored. That figure is slightly skewed by the totals from the Paços de Ferreira and AVS games which both went into additional time and resulted in 69 of those recorded attempts, but still 534 attempts that didn’t hit the back of the net does take a moment or two to get your head around. Exact data for the early rounds of the Taça da Liga isn’t available past the total team attempts so I don’t know individual player data, but where it is known, Luis Suárez has accounted for 132 of those attempts. Despite missing 12 games through injury or non-selection in the Taça da Liga, Gonçalves has recorded 63 attempts, only 7 less than Trincão. Geny 36 and Araújo 34 make up the remainder of the top 5. Most blocked shots – Suárez and Trincão with 24 apiece. Suárez with the most shots off target with 47 which is more than the total combined for Trincão and Gonçalves (40). No surprise to learn the Colombian has the most shots on target with 60. In terms of big chances across all competitions where data is shown, Sporting have created 110 big chances. Lets take the total chances figure of each player where I do know the data of 544 and that averages out to just under 1 big chance created for every 5 attempts. That reads much better than looking at it that they’ve missed 534 attempts. Yet still of those 110 big chances, they have only scored 46. Again I'm sure it won’t surprise you to read that Suárez with the most big chances with 44 of which he has missed 25. Next Gonçalves with 15 big chances of which he has missed 9. Trincão and Araújo presented with 7 apiece and Ioannidis with 6. Still despite all those big chances missed the Colombian is outperforming his overall Xg of 21.4 and the league Xg of 15.29. 

As I type the dirty pigeons have just beaten Santa Clara 2-1 away to draw level on points with Sporting. I'm starting to worry that the wheels come off for both us and the grape crushers and we both end up with egg on our faces. We should all keep telling ourselves they didn't have a pre-season and had to play in the Club World Cup. Porto of course lost Aghehowa to an ACL injury in the Clássico which will keep him out for the rest of the campaign. I don't want to see any player injured in fairness but it does feel like karma given their shit housery which reached new lows even for them. 

Moreirense's campaign to date 

A reminder of how their campaign began before the two sides met on Matchday 6 - with 3 straight victories! First up a 2-1 home win against newly promoted Alverca with goals from Schettine (26) and Lincon (90+4). Milovanovic equalised from the penalty spot (43). Xg 0.93 to 0 97, Moreirense scored 2 of their 3 big chances, Alverca missed their only one. A Schettine goal after 7 minutes good enough for all 3 points in a 1-0 win away to Santa Clara. Xg 1.51 to 0.63. They missed a whopping 4 of 5 big chances but importantly prevented the islanders from creating a single one. Vitória at home won 2-0 as Schettine scored a brace in just 3 second half minutes (49 + 51) and the goals meant he'd scored in each of their 3 opening games. Xg 1.44 to 0.29. Their 2 big chances converted by Schettine. For the second straight game the opponents without a single big chance and a second clean sheet. 

Back to earth with a 2-0 loss to Gil Vicente with second half goals from the now departed Pablo (48) and Varela (90+1). Xg 0.73 to 0.86, Gil scored their big chance, Moreirense missed theirs. Back to winning ways against Rio Ave at home 3-1 with goals from Travassos (46), Marcelo (60) and Alan (68). They were denied a clean sheet when Luiz scored a consolation goal 7 minutes from time. Xg 2.25 to 1.17, Ave missed 3 of 4 big chances, they converted 2 of their 3. So with 4 wins from their opening 5 games and having just recorded their highest Xg of the campaign hopes would have been high going to the José Alvalade but as we've already learned earlier, those were dented with the 3-0 loss and an Xg against higher than their opening 5 games combined. 

We pick the trail up after the loss to the lions - 

Matchday 7 - Casa Pia (H) Livolant put the visitors ahead with just 6 minutes of the game gone. Schettine equalised 7 minutes later with the winner from Martins (69). Despite the 2-1 scoreline the visitors Xg 1.7 to 0.99 and they missed 2 of their 3 big chances as the home side scored their only one. 

Matchday 8 - Nacional (A) Their second island visit didn't go the way of the first as they ended up the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline. They would have had high hopes when Sousa put then ahead after just 3 minutes. Ramirez equalised front the penalty spot on 20. Kiko restored their advantage on 55. However that lasted all of 4 minutes when Santos brought the game level at 2-2. Sousa was shown the red card on 61 minutes. Their misery was compounded by conceding a second penalty, again converted by Ramirez with 7 minutes to go. Final score 3-2, Xg 2.64 to their 1.97. Nacional scored 3 of their 4 big chances helped of course with 2 of them being penalties. Moreirense scored 2 of theirs, sadly for them missing the other 3.

Taça de Portugal- AD Fafe (A) What must have seemed like a plum tie before kick off proved to be anything of the sort. Little did they know they'd end up losing 1-0 to a side who are now only one game away from a possible final against either the lions or FC Porto. Batista with the only goal on 66 minutes as the lower league side proved to be giant killers, if Moreirense could ever be labelled as such. In this context, sure, why not. Might soften their blow. 

Matchday 9 - FC Porto (H) What you really don't want after a cupset is to host the league leaders the game after. A third straight loss as the game ended 2-1. Alan gave them hope after 17 minutes. Another penalty conceded, converted by Aghehowa (45+3). Gül with the sickener 3 minutes before time. Xg 0.27 to 1.87. Interestingly Alan's goal was just 0.05. Unsurprisingly no big chances created for them, Porto scored both of theirs.

Matchday 10 - Arouca (A) A big opportunity to arrest their slide which they took as Schettine remembered where to put the ball with a brace (11 & 35) in a 2-0 win. Xg 0.59 to 0.68. Doesn't exactly scream classic does it? Arouca missed all 3 of their big chances, Moreirense scored their only one. After taking Alverca to promotion the season before you have to imagine Vasco Botelho da Costa's new employers more than happy with the misters 18 points from their first ten games. 

Matchday 11 - Braga (A) Another penalty conceded and converted. Zalazar opening the scoring on 12 and Horta made it 2-0 on 70. Braga shaken by Maracas' goal with 9 minutes to go but it stayed 2-1. What? you think I'm going to walk past that pun and not bury it? Xg 2.22 to 0.83. Braga scored 2 of their 3 big chances, Moreirense 1 of their 2. 

Matchday 12 - Famalicão (H) Zabiri put the visitors ahead on 20 minutes. Schettine leveled a minute into the second half. Sá restored the leaf for Fama before a leveller from Pinto 11 minutes from time made it 2-2 and the home side had their first draw of the season. Xg 1.41 to 2.25. Fama left to rue missing 3 of their 4 big chances. Moreirense scored 1 of their 2. Maracas was sent off 3 minutes from time for a second yellow card. 

Matchday 13 - Estoril (A) You know what they say, draws are like buses. You wait ages for one and two come along at once. What a bonkers way to share a point as well. Sporting loanee Travassos with the opener with 1 minute on the clock. de Paula (18) made it 1-1. Sanchez (53) and it was advantage Estoril. Begraoui (57) makes it 3. Never score in the first minute, isn't that what they say? I believe they also say never rest on your laurels. Assis (61) and it's now 3-2. 90th minute - plus 6 shown on the board. Cometh the 92nd minute, cometh Semedo and the circle is complete as the game finished 3-3. Xg 1.93 to 2.32. Just 8 chances to 9. Both sides scored 2 of their 3 big chances. 

Matchday 14 - Benfica (H) Again when you need to end a run of 3 games without a win, completing Os Três Grandes on your bingo card is hardly ideal and so it proved. Pavlidis (35, 56 and 69) leaves with the match ball under his arm. Aursnes compounds their misery with a fourth after 75. Despite losing 4-0 the Xg 0.51 to just 1.00. No big chances created, Benfica missed 1 of their 3. 

Matchday 15 - Estrela (A) No win in 4 became no win in 5 as a point shared in a 0-0 draw, the first Moreirense game where neither side had found the net in all competitions. Xg 0.87 to 1.14, 13 attempts to 16 so it wasn't from a lack of trying. The star men missed their 1 big chance, the visitors both of theirs. 

Matchday 16 - AVS (A) When you really need a win whose door is better to knock on than that of poor old struggling AVS. Travassos with the opener again (11). Schettine made sure of all 3 points (49). Xg 0.35 to 1.99, 0 big chances for the home side, 2 of 3 missed for Moreirense.

Matchday 17 - Tondela (H) The other newly promoted side book ended the opening round of 17 which began against Alverca. Another win as the visitors shaken in the 61st minute by Maracas. OK fine I'm getting my monies worth. A 1-0 win, Xg 0.53 to 0.48. 2 big chances missed by the home side but importantly 0 given up. Two straight wins, 2 clean sheets. 

Matchday 18 - Alverca (A) We start again in reverse and Moreirense hoping to complete the double. Alverca hadn't read the script and were helped when the visitors conceded another penalty, converted by Touaizi (59). Not to worry as Rodri equalised 2 minutes later. Lima however made it 2-1 just 7 minutes later which did for the visitors. Xg 2.43 to 1.36. Both sides guilty of not being able to hit a cows arse with a banjo from 5 yards. Alverca missed 3 of 5 big chances, Moreirense 3 of 4.

Matchday 19 - Santa Clara (H) Shake, shake, shake… shake, shake, shake, shake your booty…Maracas. The only goal coming four Minutes from full time. Moreirense complete the double over the islanders. Xg 0.23 each. Moreirense with a whopping 3 attempts. Christ - 1 every half hour. That game will stick in the mind as 90 minutes people will never get back. Unsurprisingly no big chances created across the 90 from either side. Maybe starting to regret the sale of Schettine? 

Matchday 20 - Vitória (A) Another penalty conceded, another penalty scored, this time through Samu (65) to give the side from Guimarães a 1-0 win. Xg 1.79 to 0.57. Moreirense missed both their big chances, Vitória had just the 1 with the penalty. 

Matchday 21 - Gil Vicente (H) Despite the loss of their top scorer Pablo to West Ham, the visitors took the lead through Murillo (42). Want to guess how he scored? Yes you're correct, well done you, from the penalty spot. That coming after Alvaro Martinez was shown a straight red card in the 38th minute. The ten men equalised on 66 when our favourite lion popped up to score his 4th of the campaign. They were so close to seeing the game out despite all odds when Hernández popped up with the winner 3 minutes from time. The mister Vasco Botelho Da Costa clearly wasn't enamoured with David Silva's decision to award a penalty and followed his left back down the tunnel. Presumably he'll be back on the touchline for the game against Sporting. Their Xg their lowest of the campaign at a measly 0.12. Gil's was 2.40. Depending on how you see your big chances glass it was either half full or half empty with 2 of 4 chances converted or missed. You take your pick, plus a total shut out for Moreirense. And so after a rocket start with 3 wins from 4, the reverse fixtures reversed their fortunes with 3 losses from 4. The moral of the story clearly - don't sell your top scorer. 

Matchday 22 - Rio Ave (A) Rodri opened the scoring for the visitors on minute 16. Blesa equalised 4 minutes before half time. Stjepanovic restored Moreirense's advantage on 56, Travossos with the assist and they held on for a 2-1 win. 18 attempts to 6, Xg 1.25 to 0.45. Rio Ave missed both their big chances, Moreirense scored 1 of their 2. Statistically then a fortunate win, but football is all about taking your chances and only the final scoreline counts. 

Winter transfer window 

Incoming 

Kevyn Monteiro from Red Bull Bragantino on loan

Nile John from Feirense for free

Leandro Santos from Benfica for £664,000

Outgoing 

Gabrielzinho to Shanghai Port for free

Bernardo Martins to Kifisia FC for free

Marcelo to União de Leiria for free

Guilherme Schettine to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger for £581,000

Lawrence Ofori to Casa Pia for free

Joel Jorqeura to Real Murcia on loan 

Wallisson to Cortiba either for free or £830,000. Both listed unhelpfully. 

In the markets 

Moreirense 10/1

Draw 4/1

Sporting CP 13/50

Sporting CP Feminino 

Hammarby IF v Sporting CP 

Wednesday February 18th, 2026

UEFA Women's Europa Cup Quarter Final second leg

3Arena

Starting XI 

Wellmann, Cancelinha, Cherry, Barron, Fonseca, Arques, Bonseguendo, Bravo, Hernandez Gray, Santiago and Encarnação 

Substitutes 

Potra, Woźniak, Rodrigues, Fontemanha, Gonçalves, Pérez, Lino, Nave, Armengol, Tomaz and Raphino.

Hammarby IF Starting XI 

28 Loeck, 15 Reidy, 2 Bragstad, 18 Carlsson,  3 Arnardóttir, 17 Lennartsson, 8 Koivisto, 7 Joramo, 6 Sørum, 20 Hasund and 16 Rehnberg 

Team News 

The lionesses unchanged from the first leg as they look to try and overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Portugal. 

First Half 

Sporting all in black with silver trim attack right to left in the opening half

2 Plenty in attendance at the 3Arena and a cracking atmosphere. Unlike in Portugal they clearly taken women's football seriously here 

2 Santiago forces a corner near side 

3 Loeck comes and claims 

4 Crunching tackle in midfield and Bravo comes off worst and requires treatment 

7 Sporting lose possession in the centre and Hammarby break down the left on the counter. Over hit pass and the danger passes

8 ➡️⬅️ Bravo for Pérez. The captain leaves the field in tears unable to continue from the knock in the 4th minute. 

12 Barron wise to a long through ball heads clear 

13 Frustration as the ball pops up onto the hand of Encarnação as the lionesses looked to gain momentum in the final third 

15 Barron mops up at the back again. She's had a great start in defence 

16 Hasund with a lovely ball in from the left met with a header down by Rehnberg from 5 yards that Wellmann didn't know too much about but managed to stop the shot and the second attempt headed over and out for a goal kick. Big chance for the home side 

18 Lennartsson tries from 24 yards but her effort blocked 

19 Joramo shanks one wide of the right post from 20 yards. The home side have been dominant in the last five minutes 

20 In a brief lull from the home fans you hear the noise of the Sportinguista's who are quickly drowned out again

21 Corner far side headed clear and Cancelinha challenged on the halfway line as the lionesses looked to counter 

23 Koivisto heads into the ground from 7 yards and Wellmann saves to keep the scores level. Second time one of their players has opted to head downwards to the fortune of the lionesses 

25 Wellmann misjudged the flight of a cross from the right which clangs off the post and away to safety 

26 Superb save to deny Hammarby again from 14 yards and pushed out for a corner nearside 

27 Lennartsson sends one into the stands from 20 yards 

29 Wellmann is down holding her knee as the rest of the lions take instructions on the side 

33 For the first time in 20 minutes the lionesses have the ball over the half way line and win a free kick in a dangerous position on the right. Not sure Arnardóttir could believe the decision as Bonseguendo went over under the nose of the assistant 

35 Loeck commanding in the box again plucks the ball from the air 

39 Booking to Bragstad for pulling back Santiago 

41 Encarnação spots Loeck off her line and tries from 10 yards inside the Hammarby half but the keeper managed to make a connection and cleared the danger 

43 Carlsson gets a talking to as she goes through the back of Encarnação. The Portuguese clearly not happy as she makes her feelings known in quite vocal terms 

Additional time plus three 

+1 Rehnberg takes a tumble in the box having been dispossessed fairly by Barron. The locals aren't happy but right call from the referee 

Half time

Hammarby IF 0 Sporting CP 0

Hands down the very, very best atmosphere I've ever encountered at a women's football match. After the nonsense at the Clássico and then at da Luz last night in the Benfica v Real Madrid Game, if you are a parent you'd be watching this thinking this is where I want to take my kids to watch football. Hammarby sat back for the first ten to fifteen minutes waiting for the lionesses to present what they had up their sleeves and the answer sadly was nothing. Then like the noise from the stands, the pressure was unrelenting from the home side. The only question is how they've failed to get the ball into the back of the net? Other than the Encarnação chance Sporting have offered nothing. They're going to need a minor miracle to progress to the semis based on the evidence of the opening 45. 

Second Half 

Hammarby's players out early for the second half. The lionesses greeted with boos as they make their way back out. No changes from either side. 

Hammarby get us back underway.

47 Hasund turns the ball over from 8 yards from a cross in from the right 

47 Rehnberg heads over from 8 yards 

48 Encarnação thumps the ground in frustration as she skies over from 14 yards. That's the first time the lions have cut through the Swedes. The youngster drove from midfield and played the ball out wide right and received a perfectly weighted pass back into the area 

50 Hernandez Gray taking no prisoners concedes a free kick 35 yards out which is headed clear 

52 Encarnação fires wide from 19 yards 

52 The lionesses clearly aware their European adventure is in danger of finishing finally taking the game to the home side 

53 Yellow to Hernandez Gray for a blatant shirt pull 

54 Cancelinha concedes a corner near side 

55 Arnardóttir shot from 16 yards blocked and out for a corner far side 

56 Referee blows for a foul on Wellmann 

57 Joramo fires wide from 16 yards. That came from Encarnação chasing to keep the ball in on the far side and in doing so conceded possession and the Swedes wasted no time driving forward 

58 Poor ball goes out of play as Santiago had made a run inside the box 

60 Somehow with an hour gone the lionesses are still in this tie. Can they find a leveller against the run of play? 

60 Rugby tackle on the far side. Not sure how the Swede escaped a booking there 

64 Long ball almost catches Sporting out but Wellmann well outside her box and alert to the danger clears 

65 Bonseguendo tries from what must have been fully 30 yards. File that one under ambitious 

66 Corner near side to Hammarby 

67 Referee calls another foul on Wellmann 

67 Santiago broke down the left but was a good yard or more offside and the referee eventually calls a halt to proceedings 

68 Timely interception from Hernandez Gray in midfield but the lionesses fail to build on it 

69 GOLAZZO Hammarby 0 Sporting CP 1. Encarnação somehow hooks the ball over the head of Loeck from 12 yards to level the tie. Not quite a bicycle kick, but some effort all the same. The lionesses run over to the small travelling support on the nearside in celebration 

74 ➡️⬅️ Raphino on for Santiago and Armengol for Bonseguendo 

77 Raphino draws a save from 10 yards 

78 Shout for handball against Cherry not given. Not sure whether she does touch it or not as two angles appear to show different conclusions. One shows it comes off her head and looks like it avoided contact down onto her arm, the other makes it look like there was contact. No VAR remember so the referees decision is final. No penalty 

80 Raphino and Koivisto with a clash of heads inside the box. The American finally back on her feet. Encarnação had the bit between her teeth and had driven forward again full of confidence and tried a chip pass into the box which both players rose to meet but only found each other 

81 Stop in play as the boos ring out. Fonseca is covered in blood from a bang to the nose and has been told leave the pitch three times for treatment and paid no attention until finally she's ushered off 

83 Six white shirts on the edge of the 18 yard box stop another Sporting attack 

84 Fonseca back on with a fetching cotton wool bud sticking out her right nostril. Sporting back to 11 ladies on the pitch 

85 Encarnação is down with no one around her and the locals are not happy 

86 ➡️⬅️ Nave on for Encarnação who hobbles off grimacing. Had me fooled. Given Nave was stripped off and ready the natives were probably right 

87 Blatant handball from Raphino in midfield rightly called 

88 Sørum effort from 20 yards must have taken a deflection en route as it whistles past the near post and out for a corner

89 Shot from the right pushed out by Wellmann for another corner 

Plus five shown 

+1 Clever from Raphino who forces Hammarby into conceding a throw and the lionesses can catch their breath having been on the back foot for the last two minutes 

+2 Hasund sends her shot over the bar from 16 yards. They had the extra body in a 3 on 2 and that should have been curtains for the lionesses 

+3 Whistles from the home fans as Raphino rightly awarded a free kick for a push in the back

Full time 

Hammarby IF 0 Sporting CP 1 

Extra time first half 

Hammarby get us back underway, lionesses attack right to left 

91 Sporting on the attack down the right. Pull back trying to find Raphino evades everyone 

92 Pérez in the right place twice to nullify the threat from the right wing 

93 They're going to be selling a lot of lozenges in Hammarby tomorrow 

94 Encarnação having to be restrained from the bench. She's a firecracker 

94 Wellman nearly caught out again with a long high ball to the back post which she misses the flight of and must have been relieved to see hit the post and bounce back out 

95 Big save from Wellmann down to her left to deny Hasund 

97 Joramo pulls down Nave 

97 ➡️⬅️ Sprung for Lennartsson and Janzen for Sørum

99 Wellman breathes a sigh of relief as a cross from the right lands onto the roof of the net and not one of her posts this time 

100 Raphino looks happy to win a free kick only to look utterly perplexed as the referee points the other way 

100 Corner far side to Hammarby and the noise rises again 

101 Cancelinha gets an arm into the face for her troubles but she won't be beaten on the left side of defence and wins a free kick

103 Joramo down with cramp not helped by her own player sliding into her. Let's not forget their season hasn't yet restarted 

Plus one shown 

105 Janzen fires over from 20 yards 

Half time 

Hammarby IF 0 Sporting CP 1 

The attendance tonight 6,353 of which I'd imagine 6,300 are Swedes and they've made it feel like there's treble the number with their non stop singing. 

Second Half Extra time 

Sporting get us back underway 

106 Raphino goes down under pressure from Bragstad and tumbles into the box but referee is not interested despite the Americans protests

107 Janzen skews the ball wide from 18 yards out for goal kick with real time and space 

108 ➡️⬅️ Joramo for Sjödahl and Carlsson for Lundgren

109 Wry smile on the face of Fonseca as she's shown a yellow for a late challenge 

111 Sporting win a free kick just inside their own half and play it back instead of forward which suggests they fancy their chances at penalties 

112 Raphino wins another foul inside the Sporting half and again they've gone back instead of forwards 

114 Boos of derision as Hernandez Gray goes down and requires treatment. I think she sensed I really needed a wee 

116 Corner far side to Hammarby 

117 Sporting clear their lines 

118 Sporting win a throw in their own half and we're less than a minute and a half from penalties 

Plus two shown 

121 Cross from the left goes over the head of the Hammarby attacker and out for a goal kick 

122 ➡️⬅️ Wellmann for Woźniak who has the biggest shit eating grin on her face

122’45 Full time whistle blown  

Full time extra time 

Hammarby IF 0 Sporting CP 1 

Well after 210 minutes of football the sides couldn't be separated. Woźniak clearly rated as the better keeper at penalties and if she's nervous then the massive grin on her face as she came on hid it really well. 

Penalties 

Raphino first up. The penalties are being taken in the goal with the home fans behind who jeer and wave trying to put the American off. Loeck went left, ball went right 0-1

Hasund with the calmest of efforts puts it into the bottom left hand corner. Woźniak barely moved. 1-1 

Arques opts for power and blasts into into the bottom left for 1-2

Koivisto puts it into the same corner for 2-2 and again Woźniak didn't move 

Hernandez Gray opts for the same corner and it's 2-3

Bragstad breathes a sigh of relief as Woźniak this time dives to her right but can't get a hand to it 3-3

Cherry sees her shot saved by Loeck 3-3 

Elation from the home fans as Persson makes it 4-3 

No mistake from Cancelinha, who goes top right to make it 4-4

Heartbreak for the lionesses as Janzen puts it into the bottom left hand corner for 5-4 and Sporting's European adventure over.

Full time 

Hammarby IF 0 Sporting CP 1 

Aggregate score Hammarby IF 1 Sporting CP 1 

Hammarby IF progress 5-4 on penalties 

The final word 

I don't know about the ladies from both sides but after nearly three hours of trying to do a minute by minute with eleven Swedes who I've never clapped eyes on before tonight I'm sodding exhausted and it should be noted in addition, gutted in equal measure. In the end I would say the right team won but overall football was the winner and I cannot understate how genuinely impressed I was with the atmosphere in Sweden tonight. At a time where FC Porto and Benfica have dragged the men's game through the mud, someone with a brain cell and a pound note or two in Portugal would do well to have taken notes on how Hammarby did it tonight and try to build something the same. Their fans were sensational. They did not stop singing for more than maybe two minutes cumulatively over the course of the entire evening. Unfortunately I doubt we'll see anything like it in Portugal for five years at least because no one seems to have the want, desire or capability to drive it forward. My kids are all grown up now but if they were little I'd much rather they'd sat through that than either the Clássico with stolen balls and goalkeepers towels, Porto players throwing themselves to the ground and feigning injury or last night's Champions League game stopped for alleged racist abuse against Vinicius Jnr. Only two men will know whether he called him a faggot or a monkey but he's either a racist prick or a homophobic prick. Either way he's a prick. So yes, in short, women's football great, men's football when represented by the other two giants of the Portuguese game, very bad. 

Anyway’s enough about the problems of men's football in Portugal.

Did I mention the right team went through? I think I probably did. Had they been match fit and sharp they'd probably have won by 5 or 6 on another night. I feel like we've all been hoodwinked by the goalkeeper's big smile when she came on. She might have guessed the right way for the final three but she didn't get close in truth. Must be a Swedish tradition to stay to the left. You wonder what Wellmann is thinking having kept a clean sheet. I'd like to tell you about both ties but UEFA like Portugal has no desire to grow the women's game and frankly if that wasn't enough of a disgrace, Sporting didn't even post highlights to their channel. A lot of people need to take a look at themselves and ask are we doing enough to grow the game? Well the easy answer is no. It's disgusting. 

Sporting were maybe too tentative at points during the game. They gave it all but the gap to a well organised women's team was just too great to bridge but they came close. You can have no complaints with their efforts here tonight and they did the badge proud. Like the men in the Champions League it's all part of a learning curve and they should keep their heads high. Encarnação my player of the match. 

Moreirense v Sporting CP 

Teams news 

Starting XI

Silva, Araújo, Inácio, Diomande, Fresneda, Morita, Hjulmand, Guilherme, Trincão, Geny and Suárez 

Substitutes 

Virgínia, Vagiannidis, Quaresma, Mangas, Bragança, Simões, Faye, Gonçalves and Ioannidis 

Moreirense Starting XI 

13 Ferreira 

17 Martinez

26 Maracas 

66 Batista 

76 Pinto 

8 Stjepanovic 

21 Rodri 

10 Bondoso 

11 Alan

7 Teguia 

99 Lincon 

Nel started for Sporting B against Maritímo and thus drops out of the matchday squad. Pedro Gonçalves picked up his fifth booking of the domestic campaign and is therefore suspended. Mangas drops out, Araújo drops back into the left or the back four. Guilherme swaps to the left and Geny comes back in on the right. Top scorer Luis Suárez comes back in to lead the line. Ioannidis returns to the matchday squad.

For Moreirense Kiko is replaced by Martinez and Teguia comes in for Travossos unable to play against his parent club. 

First Half 

The lions in black and silver trim tonight. Not that I'd actually know because nowhere in England is showing the game and I'm about to miss my first match since Marco Silva was in charge.

7 Guilherme and Suárez combine to set up Trincão whose shot from ten yards is saved by Ferreira and somehow goes wide of the right hand post and out for a corner. 

14 Maxi Araújo picks out Trincão with a cross from the left but the Portuguese can only head into the arms of Ferreira from 6 yards 

37 Diomande booked

45+3 Guilherme finds the run of Suárez at the near post but the Colombian can only steer the ball wide of the left hand post 

Half time 

Moreirense 0 Sporting CP 0

Second half

45 Excitement as I watch Fresneda sprint down the right wing and the feed vanish behind a pay wall. 

51 GOAL Moreirense 0 Sporting CP 1. Moreirense lose possession in the centre of midfield and Guilherme collects. He sends Araújo clear on the left of the box who cuts the ball back to Trincão to slot the ball into the bottom left hand corner from 16 yards 

55 GOLAZZO Moreirense 0 Sporting CP 2. Geny doubles the lions lead. Trincão with the assist. The Mozambique cuts onto his left foot and smashes home from 20 yards on the right of the area into the top left hand corner of the net. 

62 ➡️ ⬅️ Morita off for Bragança 

63 ➡️ ⬅️ John for Bondoso, Landerson for Rodri and Semedo for Lincon

64 A minute after coming on substitute John leaves lions hearts in mouths as his shot from 8 yards bounces up off the legs of Hjulmand and onto the bar. 

74 Corner far side to the lions 

74 GOAL Guilherme's corner headed on by a defender and fell fortunately to Luis Suárez. The Colombian smashes it from 8 yards from out on the left of the box back across goal into the net on the right. Moreirense 0 Sporting CP 3.

78 John brings a save from 14 yards wide easily dealt with by Silva 

77 ➡️ ⬅️ Fresneda for Vagiannidis. Ioannidis for Suárez and Faye for Geny

79 ➡️ ⬅️ Santos for Pinto and Assis for Stjepanovic 

82 ➡️⬅️ Simões for Guilherme 

+3 shown

Full time 

Moreirense 0 Sporting CP 3

The final word 

Bollocks. Can't say much more than that really. Finally found a feed to watch the game on after an hour. Saw the Suárez goal. Lost the feed again and saw about the last seven minutes. Joys of kicking off the same time as the dirty pigeons. Still the win takes us a point of Porto at the top although you have to imagine they beat Rio Ave at home. Final XG 1.38 to 0.37 in favour of the lions. Sporting missed 2 of their 3 big chances, Moreirense failed to create a single one.