F.C. Alverca v Sporting CP
Sunday March 22nd, 2026
Complexo Desportivo do FC Alverca
Matchday 26
The warm up
If we could all learn to temper our expectations like the tide
of the sea so that in the moments when they rise we should naturally allow them
to fall again, then life as a football fan would generally become a lot easier
to deal with when things don’t go your way. I write two days after the loss away
to Bodø/Glimt which some of us took a lot better and with more grace than others have.
There aren’t many benefits to getting older, but if there was one to cling to,
having been there and seen it all before, and, on numerous occasions, then
surely that has to be one of them. It
does however feel so much nicer to be able to concentrate back on affairs closer to
home and write once more about domestic competition because the post for the return
leg Vs Bodø wasn’t one I enjoyed having to try write about any more than I imagine it
was to have to read. This by rights should have been the Tondela post but that
game was cancelled and is yet to be re-arranged so just like in the 2023/24 season
when the match away to Famalicão was re-arranged, we are set to have a game in
hand for the next few weeks. That being said being about to be knocked out of
the Champions League will open up a few dates no doubt where the game can now
be squeezed into. See every cloud has a silver lining. So instead of Tondela, I’m
back writing about Alverca the other of last seasons two promoted clubs, who we
have incidentally met twice already this campaign, having done so in the space
of four days, both at the José Alvalade at the end of October when finding
dates for fixtures was less of an issue.
The first game between the two sides was played out in the Taça da Liga and
finished 5-1 as Salvador Blopa made his debut which came with it a brace,
Quenda was still a fixture in the matchday squad and he himself got another brace and even Ioannidis
was fit and added the fifth goal for good measure before Sandro Lima scored the
consolation 6 minutes before the end of the 90. In the league on the Friday
night, Ioannidis scored the opening goal as late as minute 67, Gonçalves added
a second on 73 and the lions won 2-0. And so now Alverca will be looking to extract revenge on the lions, or at least avoid making it 3 of a kind.
If you’d asked me where Alverca were in the table before I just looked I
genuinely wouldn’t have been able to tell you which might be a slight on my character,
true, but felt like a good thing because like most people I glance at the top
and bottom of the table but pay little attention to what’s sandwiched in
between. So by all accounts if they hadn’t been on my radar since the last time
we met, then by the law of averages they must be doing reasonably well all things
considered. Turns out they’re currently tenth going into the weekends games so
I would say that yes, not bad at all as it happens, especially for those of you
with a memory like an elephants like myself who’ll remember that of the squad
that they were promoted with, only one player had remained.
Futebol Clube de Alverca to give them their full name, are based in Alverca do
Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira on the west coast of Portugal just 32 km
north-east of Lisboa. They play their games at the Complexo Desportivo do FC
Alverca. It’s so innocuous and insignificant that it doesn’t even have its own
Wikipedia entry and other than listing it’s capacity as 6,900 I can’t tell you
much more than it’s not much to look at. One main stand and then an uncovered
bowl on the other three sides of the ground. Great if the suns out but a bloody
nuisance if it happens to be raining. Still it does seem to have come on since
the days where there was a high sided bank behind one of the goals and a dirt
track around the side of an oval pitch. What that was used for is beyond my
guess.
Unsurprisingly promotion to the top flight has brought with
in an influx of bums on seats. Last season saw a total of 17,086 spectators at
an average of 1,005 over the 17 home games. No, none of that is a typo. After
13 games this season they’ve had 33,233 spectators and are averaging 2,556 per game. You imagine
if they’re got any sense they’ll allocate the uncovered sides to the lions and
let them treat it like a home game and bank the money and leave any other
feelings on the table in the same way Wigan Athletic did frequently when they
were in the Premier League many moons ago.
As previously mentioned they sit 10th in the
table ahead of their next fixture to away to Gil Vicente on March 14th, though chances are by the time you’re reading this they’ll have already played
that. Played 25, their record reads won 7, drawn 7, lost 11, goals for 24,
goals against 39. Their home record reads played 13, won 5, drawn 4, lost 4,
goals for 11, goals against 16. It should be noted that they list 11 forwards
within their squad so you have to imagine there’s a lot of finger pointing
going on as to why they’re not managed more goals at home at least between them
all. Of the 24 times they have found the net home and away, 13 have come from
open play, 5 from set pieces, 5 penalties and our old friend own goal has
chipped in with 1. Top scorer it Marezi with 7, Figueiredo and Lima have 3 apiece and
then 9 players have 2 or less between them including Sporting old boy Gonçalo
Esteves who has subsequently departed for Catanzaro in Italy. That leaves
goalkeeper André Paulo as the only ex-lion now amongst their ranks, although his
Sporting career amounted to not much more than one appearance in each of the
2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, albeit he did make 32 appearances for Sporting B.
They’re way off their Xg of 30.6.
Equal fourth worst record for goals scored per game with Rio
Ave, seventh worst record for goals conceded per game with fellow promoted side
Tondela, they’ve kept a total of 6 clean sheets to date. Fourth worst average
possession totalling 44.6% per match, fourth worst record in terms of average
shots on target with 3.4 per game and a conversion rate of just 10.2%. They are
8th in the list of big chances created on 51 but we’ve already
learned that they’re not great at converting those so sadly nothing to crow
about there. Third in terms of long balls per match with an average of 23.5 per
game and a success rate of 44.2%. Given how low three of the stands are you
imagine there are more than a few spectators who leave with sore necks after
home games. Sixth most penalties awarded in the league, eight in total, with a
conversion rate of 62.5%, one more than the lions who have a conversion rate of
80%. I have a vision of Hjulmand missing one earlier this season with an
appalling attempt which must account for the one chance we’ve missed unless
that was last season or not in the league and I’m at the stage of the campaign
where everything has started to blend into one. Like their Xg for goals scored,
they’re also struggling at the wrong end of the pitch with their Xg conceded
which stands at 34.8 and yet have conceded 39 times to date. They’ve conceded 6
penalties, only 4 of which have been converted. They average slightly more fouls
per game than the lions with 12.8 to 12.6 and have 2 fewer bookings with 55 to
57, however they have seen one more sending off with 4 compared to 3.
They're coached by Custódio the former Sporting player made captain in the 2006/07 season under the mister Paulo Bento before falling out of favour and being sold to Dynamo Moscow.
Let’s recap their start to the season before the two sides first met in the
league. They lost 2-1 away to Moreirense on the opening day and followed that
with a 3-0 home defeat by Sporting Braga. They picked up their first point of
the season with a 2-2 draw away to Estrela, then made it 3 defeats in 4 with a
2-1 loss at home to Benfica. Joy as they won their first game 1-0 at home to
Tondela, but then lost away to Santa Clara 2-1. Back to back victories were to
follow, first at home to Vitória 2-0 and then away to every sides favourite
punching bag AVS winning 3-1 away (all except Estoril of course). A 4-2 defeat
away to ten men União de Leiria on penalties put paid to any hopes of a run in
the Taça de Portugal. Gil Vicente then whacked them 4-0 at home before the
lions spanked them 5-1 in the Taça da Liga and as we already know beat them 4 days
later 2-0 in the Liga so as you were.
Matchday 11 – Rio Ave (H) Clayton opened the scoring for Ave on 34 minutes.
Lima equalised on 76 minutes to claim a point in a 1-1 draw. Xg 1.59 to 0.69,
Alverca missed 2 of 3 big chances, Rio 1 of 2.
Matchday 12 – Casa Pia (A) Lincoln opened the scoring for
the visitors on 75, Milovanovic scored 8 minutes into additional time at the
end of the 90 to give Alverca a 2-0 win. Xg 1.47 to a paltry 0.17 in favour of
the away team who missed 3 of 5 big chances, Casa Pia failed to register a
single one.
Matchday 13 – Nacional (H) Milovanovic the man for a late goal again, this
time coming 3 minutes before the end of full time to secure back to back wins,
1-0 the margin. Xg 1.90 to 0.96, 1 of 2 big chances missed by the home side,
Nacional missed their only one.
Matchday 14 – Arouca (A) Lee scored the games only goal just before the hour
mark to give Arouca all 3 points in a 1-0 win. Alverca not helped by Sandro
Lima’s red card after 17 minutes. Xg 1.61 to 0.22. 0 big chances created for
Alverca, 2 of 3 missed for Arouca.
Matchday 15 – Porto (H) A brace from Sainz (28 and 68) sandwiched a goal from Varela
(56) as the league leaders won 3-0. Xg 0.78 to 1.16. 1 big chance missed for
the home side, Porto scored both of theirs.
Matchday 16 – Estoril (A) Another heavy defeat, this time 4-1 away. Amorim scored
a consolation goal on 66 after the home side had been the beneficiary of 2 own
goals from Meupiyou on 35 and 59. Begraoui scored a brace on 42 and 47. Xg 1.30
to 0.81. 1 of 2 big chances missed for the home side, Alverca missed their only
1.
Matchday 17 – Famalicão (H) Alverca left it late again for a 1-0 win with
Chiquinho scoring a penalty 4 minutes into additional time at the end of the
90. Xg 2.10 to 1.10, Fama missed all 3 of their big chances, Alverca thankful
for having converted at least one of their own 3.
Matchday 18 – Moreirense (H) For the third time this campaign Alverca followed
up a win with another one. Just like buses hey. 2-1 the final score, Touaizi
put them ahead with a 59th minute penalty, Rodri made it 1-1 just 2
minutes later to piss on their chips but Lima scored the winner 7 minutes after
that so all’s well that ends well. Xg 2.43 to 1.36. 3 of 5 big chances missed
for the home side, 3 of 4 for the away team.
Matchday 19 – Braga (A) Having discovered the winning touch, they then lost it
getting spanked 5-0 away to the Fraggles. Carvalho, Zalazar, Pau Victor and
Horta (pen) put them 4-0 up at the break. Navarro added the fifth 12 minutes
before time. Xg 3.42 to 0.28, Braga scored all 3 of their big chances, Alverca
created 0, but on the positive side, they didn’t miss any either.
Matchday 20 - Estrela (H) Van Hooijdonk put the
visitors ahead with a penalty 10 minutes before the end of time, Garcia secured
a point 6 minutes later in a 1-1 draw. Xg 1,12 to 0.91, Estrela scored their big
chance, the home side missed 1 of 2.
Matchday 21 – Benfica (A) Schjelderup gave the dirty pigeons the lead after 15
minutes, Figueiredo put the cat amongst the dirty pigeons with the equalising goal on the half hour mark. They were close to a point before Cabral scored 5
minutes before the end of the 90 for a 2-1 defeat. Xg 1.97 to 1.14. Both sides
missed 1 of 2 big chances.
Matchday 22 – Tondela (A) Milovanovic scored with just 3 minutes on the clock
to give them a 1-0 lead. Meupiyou, he of two own goal fame, became he of two yellow
cards fame on 66 minutes to be given his marching orders. With his colleagues
down to ten men they held on until 11 minutes before the end of time when Silva
made it 1-1 but they clung on for a point. Xg 1.67 to 0.66. 1 big chance missed
for the visitors, 1 of 2 for Tondela.
Matchday 23 – Santa Clara (H) Milovanovic quick off the mark for a second
straight game converting a 5th minute penalty. Despite finishing
with 11 men they still couldn’t hang on for a win drawing 1-1 after Fernando’s
equaliser on 75. Xg 1.28 to 0.59. 1 of 2 big chances missed for the home side.
Santa missed their single big chance.
Matchday 24 – Vitória (A) A third straight 1-1 draw. Samu put the home side 1-0
up straight after the restart in the second half. Figueireido equalised on 64.
Xg 1.50 to 1.98. Both sides missed 2 of 3 big chances.
Matchday 25 – AVS (H) A fourth straight draw, making it 5 in 6 games and no win
in 7. The game finished goalless, the only one of the campaign where neither
side has scored. Xg 0.92 to 0.41. 1 big chance missed for the home side, AVS
didn’t create a single one.
Matchday 26 - Gil Vicente (A) Some truly woeful defending from both sides. First from Alverca on the edge of the area to allow Moreira to collect and open the scoring after 31 minutes. Lima equalised after capitalising on a mistake on 51. Moreira with a well taken second on 70 restored the home sides advantage. Into time added on and with the keeper sent up, Naves headed home to make it 2-2 on 90+3 and the points shared. Xg 0.68 to 1.83. Gil missed their big chances, Alverca 1 of 2.
Sporting B
Feirense v Sporting CP
Sunday March 22nd, 2026
Matchday 27
Starting XI
Callai, Moreira, Ramos, Muniz, Dias, Justo, Lucas, Couto, Gonçalves, Cardoso and Anjos.
Substitutes
Silva, Tanlongo, Rômulo, Costa, Felicíssimo, Mendonça, Kissanga, Bafdili and Silva.
Four straight defeats for João Gião’s men coming into this game against tenth placed Feirense who sit three points behind the lions in Liga 2.
Disastrous start for the lions who fell behind with just 4 minutes on the clock having conceded a penalty and converted by Arriba. Feirense had their keeper to thank after a clawed away and 18 yard goal bound effort from Justo on 20 minutes. Rodrigo Dias assisted Paulo Cardoso to bring the sides level on 32 when his header crept inside the near post from a cross from the right helped over the line by their keeper. Sporting should have made it 2-1 with an effort that hit the post on 37. Feirense could have taken the lead in the first minute of additional time when a Lopes free kick crashed against the bar. Felicíssimo and Rômulo were brought on with 20 to play for Muniz and Rayan. Bafdili then replaced Gonçalves with 8 minutes remaining. The sides looked to be heading for a draw when Lucas Anjos gave the lions the lead with 5 minutes of the game remaining. Feirense were claiming for a penalty against Dias who handled inside the Sporting area before clearing the line to the Belgian Bafdili who with a wonderful run and pass in between two blue shirts sent Cardoso clear on the left wing. His inch perfect pass into the area was met from 8 yards and sent into the bottom left hand corner. Cameo appearances for Mendonça and Costa on for Dias and Couto two minutes past the 90. Lopes brought a save from Callai from another free kick seven minutes into additional time. The lions held on to claim their first win in 5. Full time Feirense 1 Sporting CP 2.
Sporting CP Feminino
Torreense v Sporting CP
Sunday 22nd March, 2026
Matchday 14
Starting XI
Wellmann, Fonseca, Barron, Cherry, Cancelinha, Arques, Pérez, Neto, Hernandez Gray, Bonseguendo and Santiago
Substitutes
Potra, Eaton-Collins, Fontemanha, Rodrigues, Martins, Armengol, Bravo, Lino and Encarnação.
The lionesses fell behind to a goal from Jenna Tivnan on 35 and went into the half time break 1-0 down. Any hopes of a comeback were finally dashed when Paloma Lemos added a second 2 minutes after the end of the 90 to give the home side all 3 points with a 2-0 win. The defeat puts to bed their slim title hopes now eight points behind Benfica.
In the markets
FC Alverca 9/1
Draw 4/1
Sporting CP 27/100
Team News
Starting XI
Silva, Fresneda, Quaresma, Inácio, Santos, Hjulmand, Morita, Geny, Trincão, Gonçalves and Suárez.
Substitutes
Virgínia, Debast, Vagiannidis, Diomande, Mangas, Simões, Bragança, Faye and Nel
No place in the matchday squad for Flávio Gonçalves, Callai and Couto who were all included in the starting XI for Sporting B away to Feirense. Nel who scored his first senior goal at home to Bodø does however retain his place with Ioannidis still unavailable through injury. No Araújo through suspension so Nuno Santos returns to the starting XI. Otherwise as you were with Quaresma once more preferred at the heart of the defence to Diomande.
Alverca Starting XI
13 Gomes
33 Meupiyou
5 Gómez
4 Naves
12 James
18 Lincoln
26 Rhaldney
2 Touaizi
10 Chiquinho
91 Lima
20 Figueiredo
First Half
Alverca have failed to find the net on 7 occasions to date this season (26.92% of league matches played) including the 2-0 loss in the José Alvalade and average exactly one goal per game. Sporting have found the net at least once in every league game to date. The lions in their traditional green and white horizontal stripes. Nuno Santos runs with his mascot clearly full of beans to be back in the starting XI as showing the man he is away from the pitch. João Pinheiro the man in the middle who fans of other sides claim to be a Sportinguista, for those who follow the lions - the devil in disguise. Delay to the start of the game as an issue with one of the corner flags of all things on the nearside. Several of the photographers behind Rui Silva's goal deciding the action more likely to be at the other end and are decamping before a ball has been kicked.
A rainbow behind one of the stands as we still await the corner flag to be sorted. Double rainbow now. We finally seemed to have sorted the issue with the corner flag. Seven minutes late Alverca get us underway, the lions will attack right to left in the opening 45.
1 Quaresma with a sliding tackle on the edge of the area stops any chance of an early attack developing for the home side
2 Gonçalves brings a save from Gomes at his near post from the narrowest of angles. (Post game edit - not shown as a chance so possibly went out of play)
4 Chiquinho chases down a lost cause on the left as Rui Silva comes to the edge of his area and calmly plays the ball out for a throw far side
5 Nuno Santos has his marker on toast on the left wing and left him for dust. Gonçalves has his foot stamped on with a challenge from behind with the defender wrapping his foot around Potes leg and no foul given. You can see why the Sporting fans detest Pinheiro
8 Cross into the six yard box from the right looking for Suárez claimed by Gomes
9 Suárez has the ball nipped off his toes one on one with the last defender on the edge of the area
10 Gonçalves tries to run clear into the box but Naves dispossessed him and clears
11 Alverca defending with six at the back and an additional man screening the defence five yards in front
11 Trincão with a poor effort from 20 yards goes sailing harmlessly wide of the left post
15 Geny with a big chance from 20 yards brings a save from Gomes. Not the most convincing from the keeper who maybe misjudged the flight of the ball and pawed the ball away with his right hand
18 Morita effort from 22 yards strikes the back of Gonçalves who was a yard inside the area and the ball deflects wide of the right hand post
18 Quick feet from Figueiredo on the right of the lions area but he can only send the ball into the arms of Silva
20 Lincoln puts a Trincão pass out for a corner far side
20 Alverca player down in the box claiming contact. Referee blows for a head injury. If he was touched it must have been from his own player
21 GOAL Alverca 0 Sporting CP 1. Gonçalves bends the ball into the bottom right hand corner from 12 yards wide left. Morita had chased a ball down to the goal line and cut it back only to find a blue shirt who could only find Gonçalves in turn
23 Yellow to Inácio who clips Touaizi on the right wing. I say clipped, the replay suggests he's not touched him at all
24 Free kick 2 yards outside the area is flicked over by Figueiredo from 8 yards
25 Nuno Santos goes down with no one around him and looks close to tears with his hand across his face.
26 Replay of Figueiredo just connecting with the back of his thigh and whilst not the heaviest of contact enough for his night to be over
26 ➡️⬅️ Vagiannidis for Nuno Santos
27 Clear hand ball from James stops a Fresneda cross on the right. Close up of Nuno Santos, pink training top over his face on the bench
29 Free kick worked short to Geny who passed to Gonçalves on the edge of the D who shanked his shot well wide
30 Lincoln with the home side's first chance brings a save from Rui Silva from 36 yards. File that one under ambitious
31 Great ball found Gonçalves open in acres of the space to run into but the defender just got back to nip the ball away and avert the danger
32 Shot blocked from Figueiredo 16 yards out centrally
33 Lima with Alverca’s best chance of the night glances a header from 6 yards wide of the far post from Touaizi’s cross from the right. In truth Rui Silva never troubled by it however
35 Chiquinho penalised for a hand into the face of Fresneda inside the area
36 Fresneda caught by Chiquinho again who slipped and catches the heal of the Spaniard and takes the back of his boot all the way down. Felt that one
38 Foul on Suárez who I'd forgotten was even playing
38 Well timed tackle takes the ball away from Geny two yards from the Alverca goal line
39 Suárez tries a pass forward and loses the ball on the edge of the box with Vagiannidis with time and space to write his memoirs to his left wide open
40 Corner far side Alverca as James cross cut out by Fresneda
40 We're treated to a replay of Figueiredo mugging off Inácio with a flick over his head as we wait for the corner to be taken
41 Rhaldney with a volley he won't want to see again from inside the D puts it out for a Sporting goal kick
43 Alverca with a flat line of five defenders and yet Vagiannidis still can't beat the offside trap despite them drawing a straight line for him to follow
44 Vagiannidis heads clear inside the lions box and takes Figueiredo down in the follow through who in fairness doesn't make much of it
Plus two shown
45 Trincão dances into the box but Lincoln the man in the right place takes the ball off his toes
+1 Trincão penalised for a foul on Chiquinho
Half time
Alverca 0 Sporting CP 1
After their efforts on Tuesday night a somewhat listless performance from the lions and yet they go into the break a goal to the good through Gonçalves superbly taken opener. The real story the injury to Nuno Santos on his first start in over a year. Thankfully not to his knee but looking at a four to six week layoff you'd imagine all the same. Alverca with the one half chance, that Lima's glancing header but the cross had no power on it and went harmlessly wide. That being said they do have the higher Xg of 0.51 to just 0.24 but largely on account of having recorded 7 shots to the lions 5. Not much else to summarise in truth. Luis Suárez has offered next to nothing up front with no chances to speak of. Alverca defending in numbers as you'd expect either with a back 5 or 6. Sporting as always could do with another goal just to make sure as things stand. I imagine we'll see Bragança at some point in the second 45 and see if he can unlock something from the centre.
Second Half
Geny enjoys a little dance to Mambo number five as the lions await the return of Alverca to the field. I'm embarrassed to say my toes are tapping as well. Close up of Nuno Santos walking to the Sporting bench which is something at least compared to the last time we saw him forced off by injury.
The lions get us back underway. No changes to either side.
45 Suárez one on one goes down inside the box but doesn't appeal for a penalty. He hurdled Gomes and the speed plus his landing took him down
47 VAR is checking for contact and Pinheiro has gone to the sides. Didn't look a penalty to me and the fact Suárez didn't appeal either. I'm wondering if Pinheiro had given it which would be odd as Suárez didn't appeal for it
49 Suárez shown the yellow card for simulation which is frankly a fucking joke because he didn't even claim contact and was waving his hand to suggest there was no contact
49 GOLAZZO Alverca 0 Sporting CP 2. Luis Suárez stares down Pinheiro like a man possessed after he rifles the ball home from 20 yards. He's still staring at the referee surrounded by his teammates
53 Silva off his line to take the ball of Figueiredo on the edge of his six yard box wise to the potential danger
55 Touaizi unmarked can only send his effort wide of the right post from 12 yards. Huge miss from Alverca
56 Gonçalves sends Suárez through on the left but he can't wrap his foot around the ball and scuffs his shot wide of the right hand post from 12 yards
60 Lincoln takes no prisoners as he smashes through the back of Geny and sends him out of play
61 The Sportinguista's have turned up the volume and enjoying themselves in the away end. If the home fans have made any noise I've not heard them at all and hour in
62 Lincoln with an elbow into the back of Gonçalves. Free kick awarded
63 Fresneda cross to the near post comes back out to Hjulmand whose shot is blocked from 18 yards
63 Suárez with a deft flick to Vagiannidis inside the box but the defender can only send his effort wide of the far post from a narrow angle
65 ➡️ ⬅️ Lincoln, Chiquinho and Lima off
Gui, Moreira and Marezi on
65 Trincão effort goes over from 20 yards whose taken out in the follow through by Gui and still no yellow shown
67 GOLAZZO. Alverca 0 Sporting CP 3. Geny smashes the ball home into the bottom right hand corner corner from 20 yards. Dropped the shoulder on James and used the space to perfect effect
71 ➡️⬅️ Debast and Bragança on for Inácio and Morita. Little hop from the Belgian as he makes his way on
72 Marezi effort from 20 yards goes all of about 3. That was fucking woeful
73 ➡️ ⬅️ Figueiredo for Clairica
74 Free kick central to Alverca headed down by Gui and saved by Silva at his near post
76 Vagiannidis draws a save from 17 yards which Gomes palms away
77 Trincão pokes the ball forward on the edge of the area for Suárez to run onto but Gomes quickly out to claim
79 ➡️ ⬅️ Baseya on for the Alverca captain Gómes
81 ➡️ ⬅️ Fresneda and Suárez off. Mangas and Nel on. The Colombian gets a big kiss from the mister Rui Borges as he waves to the away fans who chant his name
82 GOAL Alverca 1 Sporting CP 3. Marezi with a smart finish into the bottom right hand corner from 12 yards
84 Finally we see the yellow shown to an Alverca player as Mangas has both his legs taken out by Touaizi on the edge of the area. That's a fucking appalling challenge
84 GOLAZZO Alverca 1 Sporting CP 4. Gonçalves 1 yard outside the 18 yard box far side curls the ball past the two man wall into the near corner from 15 yards
87 How is it not 5-1? One off the line, post and then another effort blocked from 8 yards from Nel. Nel it was with the first chance, the blocked effort fell to Mangas who could only hit the left post from 3 yards. Not sure how much Nel knew about the first one as Meupiyou bundled into the back of him and the movement sent the ball forward
89 Meupiyou effort from 12 yards into the hands of Silva
Plus five shown
90 Sporting with two players down. Trincão and Gonçalves. The latter took a knee to the back of his thigh. Trincão hobbles off to the sidelines. Gonçalves comes off with the two physios
+2 Trincão hobbling around which isn't a great sign
+3 Poor first touch from Borges stops the ball but it spins between his legs
+4 Shot of Gonçalves on the bench as they finish with ten men having used all five substitutes
+5 James cross deflects off Geny for a corner nearside. Geny went down in discomfort. Lions dropping like flies
+6’35 Corner is cleared and the final whistle blown
Full time
FC Alverca 1 Sporting CP 4
The final word
I try not to be critical of refereeing because it's a bloody hard job but where João Pinheiro is concerned I'm happy to make an exception. As always he's desperate to make it all about him. It's about time he retired quite frankly. I'm assuming he did award the penalty only to overturn his own decision upon review on the touchline. Luis Suárez, a man famous for making a meal of things when contact is made, went down, didn't appeal for a penalty. He didn't claim once that any contact was made. In fact it was the total opposite and yet is shown a yellow card for simulation. Explain to me how that one works because if he was trying to con the referee he would have gone down appealing for a penalty. His reaction to then smash home the second goal and then stare at Pinheiro will go down in lions folklore and the fact he continued to do it with his teammates around him in celebration was quite frankly comedy gold and worth the admission fee alone.
As always Pinheiro seemed hellbent on keeping his card in his pocket for any challenges on a Sporting player but you can bet your bollocks to a barn door he wouldn't have hesitated to send a Sporting player off given the slightest opportunity. Think Reis and Diomande against FC Porto. We've seen Nuno Santos forced off after a knee to the back of his thigh. Trincão finished hobbling and was taken out three times over the course of the 90. Gonçalves took a knee into the back of his thigh, Fresneda had his foot stamped on and none of them warranted a yellow card and finally five minutes before the end of the 90 he booked Touaizi for what could have been a red card as he took both of Mangas’ legs away. Geny had an elbow smashed into his back and cleared out of touch with the force of the follow through. I've probably even missed more examples. Still goals 106, 107, 108 and 109 of the campaign gives Sporting a vital three points and takes us into the international break. I did write in the Santa Clara post already online that Gonçalves had avoided injury before going away with Portugal. I might have put the kiss of death on him.
In the end Sporting scored 4 but ironically they missed all 4 of their big chances and the scoreline should have been a carbon copy of the 5-1 in the Taça. Other than the neatly taken consolation goal, Alverca didn't offer anything other than a hindrance to the physical health of the lions players. Sporting barely got out of first gear for the entire 90 minutes and they didn't need to in truth. They showed some superb finishing for the shots that did go in and that was more than enough to swat away Alverca without needing to break into a sweat. Given their efforts on Tuesday night you wouldn't have expected the same sort of effort here but the gulf in quality meant that they got by with the minimum of it. Alverca on that type of showing will be thankful that they've got a cushion over some of the other sides at the bottom because on that type of showing you'd have to say they could be in big trouble.
Other than the goal where Quaresma was caught flat footed and in fairness the finish was well taken, the defence were more than equal to anything thrown at them. Other than the poor refereeing the only thing to really discuss is the quality of the finishing. Gonçalves opener was smartly taken with the curl into the bottom corner. Suárez's goal was proper box office and shades of Wayne Rooney against Newcastle in that is was spurred on by pure anger from the Colombian. Gomes should really have done better with Gonçalves free kick but that's not to take away from the finish. Geny's goal gave him no chance and the drop of his shoulder to lose his marker was top drawer. Four finishes from Portugal's best team albeit not reflected in the league table.
So four choices for man of the match. Luis Suárez whilst absent for the entire of the first 45 came to life in the second half and alongside his goal provided plenty of smart linkup play and his touch to send Vagiannidis clear was as good as anything else we saw other than the goals over the course of the 90. The goal and celebration will both live long in the mind. Hjulmand ran the midfield, claimed an assist, completed 84 of 88 passes. He gets my second vote. Geny industrious on the right, fine finish for his goal. Not his best performance of recent weeks but what he did well came with his usual level of quality and a superbly taken goal. Final choice has to be Gonçalves. Came away with a brace, two great finishes for his goals. I'm tempted to give it to Suárez just for the look he gave Pinheiro alone but Gonçalves takes it for his overall performance over the 90.
So into the international break we go. Santa Clara awaits first then Arsenal in the Champions League who this afternoon lost their first attempt at silverware of the campaign losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the league cup.
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