Sporting CP v CD Santa Clara

Sporting CP v CD Santa Clara

Saturday April 4th, 2026
Estádio José Alvalade 
Matchday 27

The warm up

We pause for the march international break with a host of lions called up for their respective international sides for a mixture of qualifiers and friendlies. Those selected are as follows;

Simões and Muniz - Portugal U21s

Gonçalves, Trincão, Inácio and Rui Silva - Portugal 

Suárez - Colombia 

Debast - Belgium 

Vagiannidis - Greece

Fresneda - Spain U21s

Hjulmand - Denmark 

Araújo - Uruguay 

I'll update with news of their respective exploits as and when they happen though in the case of those involved with the Seleção that won't probably be much more than an unused substitute though the mister Roberto Martinez was in evidence at the 5-0 remontada against Bodø/Glimt so you never know. Amazingly Pote avoided being injured before the international break as has been his want and misfortune in recent times. 

Rest bite for Morita who hasn't been called up for Japan's internationals. Ioannidis remains injured and therefore unavailable for selection for the Greek national team alongside Vagiannidis as is also the case with Kochorashvili with the Georgian national team. Quenda who has been a mainstay of the Portugal under 21s is at least set to return to action with the lions following rehabilitation with Chelsea in London.

The postponed match against Tondela has been rescheduled for April 29th. No surprise to learn I'm sure that Porto are threatening to take legal action. I wonder how many lawyers they keep on retainers? Imagine having that little confidence in your playing staff to win you the Championship that you constantly have to try gain an edge through the Portuguese courts whilst continuing your propaganda war on Sporting through plants in the media questioning the mister Rui Borges. Varandas having won another term of office post elections has now opened talks to extend the contract for him and his support team. The Portuguese FA should really consider docking Porto points for continually bringing the game into disrepute and tarnishing the reputation of the game. If you were a multinational company with a budget to burn you'd not want to associate yourself with Porto and it must be costing them financially through lost revenues at a time where Sporting's continued run in the Champions League is keeping the euros rolling in. Following the continued success of Portuguese clubs in Europe the top two at the end of the season are set for automatic qualification into the group phase of next season's competition with the 3rd place side with an opportunity to enter via the playoffs. 

Last season we saw the lions doing some of their summer transfer business early with the signings of Alisson Santos and Kochorashvili but they're yet to follow suit this campaign however talk continues in regards to possible exits for Hjulmand, Diomande, Geny and Fresneda who've all been linked with the Premier League. Napoli have the option to make Alisson Santos' loan move permanent so we'll wait and see whether they exercise that option. 

The lions will face Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Estádio José Alvalade on Tuesday April 7th, with the return leg at The Library on Wednesday April 15th. A reminder that should Gyökeres play in either game, the lions will be the only Portuguese side that the former Swedish talisman has never scored against. Given his somewhat acrimonius departure in the summer I had been hoping that we would avoid having to face him but sometimes you just cannot hide from your destiny. 

Before then all eyes will be on the home game against Santa Clara, a fixture that has turned into a grudge match after a series of high profile incidents in recent fixtures, mostly it should be added, owing to the gross incompetence of Portuguese match officials to the detriment of both clubs but mostly Santa Clara if we're being honest and I'll give them the right to be miffed. 

The two sides last met on December the 18th when Portugal experienced the longest VAR check known to man only for the lions to be awarded a penalty after 14 minutes of deliberation for a non-existent foul on Hjulmand which Luis Suárez converted 15 minutes into additional time at the end of the 90 to make the score 2-2 and take the game into extra time by which point the islanders had also been reduced to ten men following the sending off of Paulo Victor on 88 minutes. João Simões had opened the scoring on 11 minutes assisted by Fresneda. Lucas Soares made it 1-1 on 27 and when Gabriel Silva put them 2-1 ahead with five minutes to go at the end of the 90, the current Taça de Portugal holders where heading for an early exit from this season's competition. With the game taken into extra time, an Ioaniddis goal six minutes into the first half assisted by Hjulmand gave the lions an unlikely 3-2 win. The result only exacerbated the controversy from their first meeting in the league which had taken place the month previously.

Saturday November 5th saw matchday 11 played out under the lights of the Estádio de São Miguel in Ponta Delgada with the needle surrounding Sporting's win there in April still looming large. That being the fixture where post final whistle Conrad Harder had been sent off for gratuitous use of the word ‘Yeah.’ That doesn't get any less bizarre any time I've subsequently typed it in. Anyways to avoid repeating myself from previous posts which I'll add a link to below at the very bottom of this post, both sides I'm sure will have been hoping to avoid any additional controversy. Vinícius gave the islanders the lead with just four minutes on the clock. However the current Portuguese champions (use it until you lose it folks) equalised just after the half hour mark to make it 1-1. That scoreline stood right up until the 89th minute when referee João Gonçalves decided to light a match and send the entire game up in flames. First he showed Maxi Araújo a red card to reduce the lions down to men. Then he awarded Sporting a corner despite the ball having come off a lion last and as is the way with these things, Hjulmand powered in a header in the 93rd minute to make it 2-1 to Sporting. Santa feeling a tad miffed as you'd expect saw themselves go down to ten men when Adriano was shown a second yellow and would finish with nine men when Sydney Lima was shown a second yellow two minutes later. Move along folks nothing to see here. 2-1 the final result and the lions would have to wear just the suspension of Araújo but with three points in their pockets. Karma served some might suggest for the histrionics that led to the scenes at the end of the game in April and Harders expulsion. Not me though, but some might do. 

So yes, in short, this game has a tendency to deliver more drama than your average EastEnders episode. 

In the last sixteen meetings the two sides are yet to draw. The lions with the upper hand of 14 wins to 2, their last win coming last season in this same fixture when they won 1-0 in what was João Pereira's first league match in charge following the departure of Ruben Amorim to Manchester United. That had followed off the back of the 5-1 drubbing of Arsenal and you'll be forgiven for thinking history has a way of repeating itself, only this time the video tape is being rewound and we'll face Arsenal the game after and not before. Everything is cyclical, everything a carbon copy of what's been before.

As I write Santa Clara are set to face Gil Vicente in the teatime kick off in their last fixture before the international break. They'll be desperate for a positive result with the bottom of the Portuguese league currently tighter than a ducks arse with Alverca in tenth separated to Nacional in 16th by just seven points. AVS's still bottom with ten points have 8 fixtures to try and avoid the unwanted record of being relegated with the fewest points in history from the Portuguese top flight which I believe stands at 16.

Away from home Santa have played 13, won just twice, drawn 5 and lost 6. GF 11, GA 17. Ahead of matchday 27 they sit 14th just 3 points above Nacional who occupy the relegation play off berth. Played 26, won 6, drawn 7, lost 13, GF 23, GA 31. Such a hugely contrasting campaign to the last which has seen them finish fifth and qualify for European competition, this following on from their promotion back to the top flight the summer before. Averaging less than a point and goal scored per game is frankly a recipe for disaster, not helped by failing to win a single game between December 15th and March 1st. Neither does failing to meet your Xg help which stands at 28.3. 

Of the 23 goals scored 8 have been from open play, 7 from set pieces, 1 free kick, 6 penalties and our dear old friend own goal has stuck one in for them as well. Top scorer Vinícius with 5, Gabriel Silva and Serginho have 4 apiece. 9 others have a solitary goal apiece not including the own goal. Despite their lowly league place and inability to score goals, they still boast the seventh best defensive record at the time of writing in terms of total clean sheets kept - 7 and the total number of goals conceded. Regular readers will be aware of my utter distain and loathe for having to watch Santa Clara which I rate as being akin a criminal offence and an afront to my senses. You can expect ten men behind the ball, time wasting from the first minute and a reminder that this is your life and it's ending one minute at a time. If you get another offer, whatever that offer is do that instead. You can thank me after and read my minute by minute as I describe in fine detail the torture I'm sitting through on your behalf and not asking you for a penny for in return. However if you have small children who misbehave frequently remember as punishments go, making them sit and watch Santa Clara play for 90 minutes, even possibly just 45, is good enough to make most kids decide to behave themselves. 

They average 3.4 shots on target per match with a shot conversion rate of just 7.3% not helped by failing to convert their 30 big chances. They have however converted all 6 penalties awarded. In turn conceding 7 of which only 5 have been scored. Their Xg conceded is 27.8 vs the actual conceded total of 31. Ranked 3rd for most fouls per game with 15.2 behind Famalicão and Casa Pia. Second most yellow cards with 74 behind Casa Pia with 78. Fourth most red cards with 4 in total behind Arouca with 9 and Nacional with 6.

Given we last played in the Taça de Portugal I’ll pick their season back up from the match after that.

Matchday 15 – Arouca (H) The two sides played out a 0-0 draw with neither side able to fashion a single big chance. Xg 0.46 to 0.36.

Matchday 16 – FC Porto (H) The league leaders left with all 3 points with an Aghehowa goal enough to secure a 1-0 win. Santa again failing to create a single big chance, Porto scored with their solitary one. Xg 0.26 to 1.08.

Matchday 17 – Nacional (A) Despite taking a 2-0 lead first through Vinícius after 3 minutes and Victor on 14, Santa found themselves going in at half time with the scoreline 2-2 after Ramirez first made it 2-1 on 20 and equalised from the penalty spot on 35. He further compounded their misery when completing his hat-trick on 49 minutes to turn the game on its head 3-2. Manoel secured a point with a goal 4 minutes after the end of the 90. The 3-3 draw sees the islanders without a win in all competitions now in five games. They’re guilty of missing 3 of 5 big chances, Nacional scored both of theirs. Xg 1.88 to Santa’s 2.64.

Matchday 18 – Famalicão (H) More misery as their winless streak stretched to 6 matches as a Sorriso goal on 75 enough to secure the visitors all 3 points. Xg 1.23 to 1.42. Santa missed their only big chance, Fama missed 2 of 3.

Matchday 19 – Moreirense (A) A Maracas goal 4 minutes before the end of time was enough to condemn the visitors to a 1-0 defeat. Moreirense managed a total of 3 attempts over the course of the 90 but despite that were able to come away with the 3 points. Santa registered 8 but both sides finished with an Xg of 0.23 and neither you’ll wont be surprised to learn created a single big chance.

Matchday 20 – Estoril (H) A third straight defeat, their winless streak now sitting at 8 games. Their heaviest league defeat to boot as they eventually lost 4-2. Estoril lead 2-0 from goal from Begraoui with a penalty on 33 and Marques with the second 6 minutes later. Santa drew level with goals from Calili on 51 and Silva on 64. However Guitane made it 3-2 on 73 and Begraoui made it a brace with a second penalty 3 minutes before the end of the 90. Xg 1.58 to 2.31. Estoril scored all of their 3 big chances. Santa on the other hand missed 3 of their 4.

Matchday 21 – Estrela (A) A fourth straight defeat. Ex-lion Jovane with the games only goal on minute 58 to give the Stars of Estrela all 3 points. Xg 0.94 to 1.26. Santa missed both their big chances, Estrela importantly scored 1 of their 3.

Matchday 22 – Benfica (H) Five straight defeats as the dirty pigeons took a 2-0 lead into half time with goals from Pavlidis on 15 and a Victor own goal on 37. Paciencia pulled one back a minute into the second half but the game finished 2-1. Santa with an Xg of 0.28 to 1.19. 0 big chances for them, 2 of 3 missed for Benfica.

Matchday 23 – Alverca (A). A point away in a 1-1 draw at least stopped the rot after 5 straight defeats but Santa still without a win since they beat Casa Pia way back on December 6th some two and a half months ago. Milovanovic put Alverca 1-0 up before Santa equalised 15 minutes before time through Fernando. They missed their 1 big chance, Alverca missed 1 of 2. Xg 1.28 to 0.59.

Matchday 24 – Tondela (A). Another point away, but another game without a win making it 12 in total. They fell behind to a Bebeto penalty on 9, Silva made it 1-1 5 minutes later. Conçeicão made it 2-1 to the yellow and greens before Araújo rescued a point from the penalty spot 3 minutes before the end of the 90.

Matchday 25 – Vitória (H) Finally after 3 months and 2 days of trying, Santa ended their winless streak with a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Lima on 5 and a Charles own goal on 13. Unlucky for some as they say. Xg 0.61 to 0.99. Santa missed 1 of 2 big chances, the side from Guimarães missed their solitary one.

Matchday 26 – AVS (A) Wins are like buses, you wait 3 months and then 2 come at once, though caveat that with the benefit of playing the top flights worst side. Still you can only beat what is in front of you and that they duly did 1-0 with a goal from Silva on minute 67. Xg 0.23 to 1.40. AVS created 0 big chances, Santa missed their solitary one.

Winter Transfer Window

Clearly fearful that their stay in the top flight may well be a short lived affair Santa were busy in the winter market.

Incoming

Vitinho from Palmeiras for free
Henzo from Desportivo Brasil for free
Evertow from Internacional for free
Andrey from Avai FC for free
Darlan Mendes from Wuhan Three Towns for free
Marcos Victor from Bahia for free
Luis Fernando from Cruzeiro for free
Guilherme Romao from Atletico GO for free
Goncalo Paciencia from Sport Recife for free
Welinton Torrão from Athletic Club for free

Outgoing

Jader Barbosa to Atletico GO on loan
Wendel to Ceara on loan
Daniel Borges to Uniao de Leiria on loan
Adriano to Wuhan Three Towns for free
Luis Rocha to Vizela for £108,000
Ewandro Santos to Caldas SC on loan
Matheusinho to Ceara on loan
Denivys to Betim Futebol for free
Luquinhas to Radomiak Radom for free
Antony Carter to Farense on loan
Jader Barbosa to Atletico GO on loan
Alisson Safira to Juventude for free
Matheus Pereira to Toronto for £664,000

In the markets

Sporting CP TBC
Draw TBC
CD Santa Clara TBC

Previous match reports

December 18th Taça de Portugal

https://outsideofthepride.blogspot.com/2025/12/clube-desportivo-santa-clara-v-sporting.html

November 8th Liga Portugal

https://outsideofthepride.blogspot.com/2025/11/cd-santa-clara-v-sporting-cp.html