FC Porto 0 (0) Sporting CP 0 (1)
Wednesday April 22nd, 2026
Taça de Portugal Semi Final Second Leg
Estádio do Dragão
The warm up
When you become a parent and your darling little offspring have reached a school age, come their birthday there is the unwritten rule that the entire class has to be invited. That means that there is always one snot nosed little shit who you'd quite happily decapitate given half a chance. If the Liga was a birthday party, then that kid's name would be Porto.
In my last post for the Dérbi I tried to recall anything memorable about Benfica's season off the top of my head and quite frankly I failed miserably although I did at least remember a few bits and pieces. This game is of course the second leg of the Taça de Portugal semi finals so how much do I remember about the first leg? Other than the scoreline of 1-0 not a lot which would suggest that neither side put the Classic into Clássico. In reality it's not like I don't remember parts of the three games that the two sides have played this season, I'm just struggling to separate which parts belong to which game. I've an image of Costa feigning injury in the box, another of Costa smashing into Bednarek and injuring his own player. Was that the league game at home or this one in the first leg? There were some ludicrous claims post match that Suárez assaulted Bednarek running past him despite the fact their keeper was the one who actually did him some damage when they collided later. Never let facts get in the way of your bullshit. Porto should have that inscribed into their shirts in Latin. ‘Numquam sine ut facta ineptiis tuis obstent.’ I think Google may have changed bullshit for foolishness but the point stands.
The hiding of the balls and the towels, that was the Clássico at the Dragão along with the changing room nonsense and the fireworks over the hotel. Fresneda's cross being handled and Suárez’s missed penalty would have been the same game. No, I've got nothing definitive other than the scoreline. Does anyone else want a go? Whilst that may come across as being facetious it's not meant to be, the first game feels like it was played so long ago now that it could have been last season. This is a another game we don't need to watch and therefore by extension that I don't need to write about so don't blame me, I'm a firm advocate for just the one leg on natural ground in the same manner as the Taça da Liga and I said that before the first leg of the game against Rio Ave last season, I said it before the first leg of this tie and had we lost both games I'd have still have said it. By the time this game kicks off we'll have played matchday 29 in the Liga, 12 Champions League games, the Supertaça, 2 rounds of Taça da Liga and 5 rounds of the Taça de Portugal. So by my maths this is the lions 50th game of the season. If I got paid by the word I'd have been retired by now but as always I'm doing it for the love of the game. I say love, maybe it's only out of habit but someone keeps reading them around the world. I mean no one in Portugal which always amuses me greatly but then again why would you when it's written in English? It could also be language learning models for AI trying to crack what the fuck I'm on about, you never know. Anyways if you're reading this I genuinely appreciate you so thank you.
As I write it's the day after the Champions League exit to Arsenal which doesn't feel any easier to take than when I went to bed last night, or when I woke up with it this morning. As usual the Rui Borges haters have resurfaced like moles from wherever they've been buried since the Bodø/Glimt defeat in Norway. Moles? Maybe trolls from under a bridge? Insert your own suggestion. Anyways, it transpires as always that they're almost as exhausting as Porto have been this season with their vitriolic nonsense on a weekly basis. If you read my Arsenal away post you'll know that I did a breakdown of the cost of the team that started against Arsenal at the José Alvalade in the home leg and when you included the two substitutes it still cumulatively didn't add up with the cost that the Gunners paid for Declan Rice. Since the start of Arteta's reign they've had a billion pounds lavished on the squad. A BILLION POUNDS. Would you like to have a fucking word with yourselves? 180 minutes of football and the only thing that could separate the two sides was a single gap in concentration. This is a side who turned João Pereira's Sporting over 5-1 a little under a year and a half ago. At the end of the first leg the English media was asking the question of whether Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world? I think he answered that unequivocally in the return leg though to be fair. That's a no by the way for the avoidance of doubt. The lions best chances over two legs came from the wide men. Araújo with the effort tipped onto the bar in Lisboa and Geny's header which was clawed away by Raya and then in North London the Geny effort which hit the post. Large suaves of the English media again questioning why we weren't given a penalty for the shove on Araújo in the second half last night. The answer is I don't know, but we'll wait until hell freezes over for a communication from Porto decrying the unfairness of it. I thought it was a mature performance in both legs, they showed plenty of heart and can take credit from both legs. What they lacked was pace and ironically someone like Gyökeres. That's the Gyökeres that left Lisboa, not the imposter who played in the two legs here. If you wanted to criticise anyone then your ire should be aimed at Suárez, Gonçalves and Trincão who didn't muster a shot on target between them over the 180 minutes. Criticising a coach in the early stages of his career that's taken Sporting in his first full season to the brink of the Champions League Semi finals really does beggar fucking belief in my book. I watched my first game 40 years ago this month and in those 40 years I can unhappily tell you that I have sat through some absolute fucking dross during that period and watched / endured some of the most shameful and embarrassing performances I've ever seen. However none of those have come under the mister Rui Borges. Tottenham Hotspur haven't won a single fucking league game in 2026 and today is April the 16th. Four and a half fucking months. For those who persistently moan at Borges, why they don't fuck off and take up lawn bowls or knitting instead is beyond me. If your enjoyment comes from being desperate to say that you were right despite the evidence clearly showing you've been incredibly wrong then you need to take a hard look at where your life is going wrong.
We might well win the sum total of fuck and all this season. Just suck it up. Amorim got 74 points in his follow up season to his first title win. Rui Borges is currently sat on 71 points with six games to play. If he gets 11 points from the 18 available he'll equal last season's title winning total. If he won all six he'd finish 1 point beneath the tally of the 2023/24 title winning season. This season hasn't been a disaster in fact it's most likely going to come down to 3 lapses of concentration, 2 against Braga and 1 against Arsenal. That's how fine the margins are on football. All those hours of football and whether your trophy cabinet gets added to or not defined by three touches of the ball. Bonkers when you simplify it isn't it?
Vitória winning the Taça da Liga felt like a good thing for Portuguese football in the same way that Porto have spent the season torching the reputation of the Portuguese game which makes their behaviour a bad thing. Remember that to date a billion pounds has brought Arsenal an FA Cup win. Porto might win the league this season but Farioli isn't going to be there long term and Porto cannot sustain that type of football. Just like Arsenal its fucking horrendous to watch and their two misters are cut from the same cloth. Seriously, would you rather watch Sporting under Rui Borges every week or Porto under Farioli? Or even Arsenal under Arteta? Yes we've only scored 1 in the last 3 games but in fairness 2 of those were against the Premier League leaders who'd conceded 5 times in the previous 10 Champions League games. It was always going to be a tall order. But we've seen well over 100 goals already this campaign in all competitions and that's minus Gyökeres. We've beaten the current European Champions for fucks sake. Have we ever been able to say that? Well probably if we beat Porto or Benfica the season after but you know what I mean.
Sporting are shopping for players in lesser markets with the outlook simply to churn through them and raise a profit. That's Portugal's modus operandi, not just Sporting's, that is not going to change. Stop kidding yourself that changing the mister is going to bring about a 10% improvement when you get to the point of the season where you're now 50 games in. Our record signing is from Almería, a place most famous for being where they shot some of Laurence of Arabia. I've said it all season that he's not good enough and two legs against Arsenal did nothing to dissuade me from that opinion. It's not the misters fault his star forward falls apart like a fucking jigsaw puzzle when one on one with the opposition goalkeeper. I'm still a pragmatist. I waited years to see one title win. Three in the space of five seasons was more than I could ever wish for. Watching ‘this’ Porto side be crowned Champions is hard to take and perhaps that's the problem? It's not so much Rui Borges, it's simply the snide prick in the bench opposite and that ginger cunt sat in the Gods watching down thinking he's Nero. Whoever bullied AVB at school quite frankly has a lot to answer for.
If watching this iteration of Porto win the league is hard to stomach with them having to try referee games after the final whistle through the courts in matches they've not even played in, then you really don't need any extra incentive to see them not have the chance to do the league and cup double. The first leg advantage remember is with Sporting. Christ I really don't remember anything about the first leg other than the scoreline. If they play like they did in North London last night then we'll book a place in Jamor. That will give you the added bonus of me scrambling to find something out about either AD Fafe or Torreense which will be nice for us all won't it?
Right I've finally succumbed and watched the highlights of the first leg back. So this was the game where Suárez was accused of air quotes trying to break Bednarek's ribs. Alberto Costa should have seen red for two yellow cards. He may well still see an extended suspension for his alleged spitting at Sorriso. Suárez scored from the penalty spot and Fresneda really should have had a brace. No wonder I didn't really remember it. The Xg from that game was 2.02 to 0.32 and Farioli's side failed to create a single big chance whereas the lions scored one of their two. The meeting in the Dragão in the league was 1-1 with Suárez scoring in the 9th minute of additional time from the penalty spot. Xg 0.81 to 1.47 with Porto again failing to create a single big chance and the lions missing one of two. Way back in August Porto won 2-1 at the José Alvalade. Here they created two big chances, missing one, the lions missed their only one and their goal came from a Pérez own goal when they were already two nil down. No big chances in the last 180 minutes the clubs have played is a pretty damning statistic. The lions should have enough to progress through to the finals on paper. Whether they have physically after the Champions League and the Dérbi remains to be seen. Still a 0-0 will do.
First leg post
https://outsideofthepride.blogspot.com/2026/02/sporting-cp-v-fc-porto-taca-de-portugal.html
In the markets
FC Porto 5/4
Draw 9/4
Sporting CP 11/5
Team News
Starting XI
Silva, Quaresma, Diomande, Inácio, Araújo, Hjulmand, Morita, Geny, Trincão, Quenda and Suárez
Substitutes
Virgínia, Vagiannidis, Debast, Mangas, Kochorashvili, Bragança, Guilherme, Gonçalves and Nel
Porto Starting XI
99 Costa
20 Costa
5 Bednarek
3 Silva
4 Kiwior
8 Froholdt
13 Rosario
10 Veiga
7 Gomes
27 Güi
77 Pietuszewski
The mister Farioli makes four changes to his XI from the 2-0 win over Tondela. Most notable the absence of Pepê and the inclusion of evergreen Thiago Silva in defence.
First half
Sporting in their traditional green and white horizontal stripes will attack right to left. Porto get us underway.
1 Costa with a wild shot from distance cannons off the head of Morita and out for a corner near side. Rui Silva comes to claim.
1 Kiwior goes through the back of Geny and free kick awarded
2 Off the ball Hjulmand is having a shoving match with a Porto player under the nose of the referee
3 Gomes with an appalling challenge on Araújo
3 Yellow card showed to two of the technical staff, one from each club but incredibly not to Gomes for the challenge which was reckless
4 Gomes smashes into the leg of Inácio and then rolls into the box. Frankly I've now seen it all. Inácio looks in real trouble. That's two appalling challenges in the space of a minute and neither penalised with a booking. You could have added one for simulation. Debast is warming up
7 Inácio is back on for now
7 Pietuszewski with a forearm smash into the back of Quaresma
8 Debast set to come on if my limited Portuguese is correct
8 Hjulmand fed up of the decisions not going the lions way takes retribution as he smashed Rosario to the ground. Another challenge not accompanied by a yellow
9 Farioli is booked
10 ➡️⬅️ Inácio is down again receiving treatment and finally departs for Debast. Porto fans classy as ever whistling him off
10 Good defensive work by Quaresma as he cuts out a cross into the box
11 Gomes has the beating of Araújo for pace but his shot from wide right is poor and easily saved by Silva
12 Good work from Diomande and Quaresma hunting as a back to win back possession in the centre
12 Porto holding a high line some 12 yards inside their own half. Plenty of space for the lions to get balls in over the top if they can find the right pass
13 One down from each side. I think Hjulmand is the Sporting player. Someone is going to get seriously hurt tonight. Scrap that we've already lost Inácio. More than one player.
16 Debast is stood over a free kick 30 yards out but Costa claims
17 Quenda starting to stretch the Porto defence down the left wing. His low cross into the box is cleared
18 Brilliant from Quaresma again who shakes off his marker and carries the ball up the field
19 Morita with a grin a mile wide as Costa throws himself to the floor. He knew!
20 I can hear the Sporting fans. They drowned them out deliberately last time out
20 Geny thinks about unleashing a shot but instead we see the lions patient and recycle the ball to try find a better opening which doesn't come but no complaints about that type of play. All too often we see blocked attempts and those off target
21 Costa with another late challenge on Hjulmand penalised with a free kick
22 Rosario booked for a deliberate hand ball as Morita tried to find Geny on the wing
23 Gül tries from 32 yards and another player with a huge future in either Gaelic football or the NFL awaits
25 Incredible from the lions who transition from their own area and down the centre of the field. The ball ends up with Geny wide right whose cross was air kicked by Quenda who missed it entirely. What a move all the way up to the final execution
28 The lions playing keep ball for the best part of two minutes before Porto finally regain possession
28 Gomes leaves another one on Araújo and still the referee keeps his hand in his pockets
30 Half hour played and the lions yet to have a single attempt but they have the benefit of the goal from the first leg
30 Costa runs into Debast having lost control of the ball and appeals for the penalty and his appeals quickly waved away by the referee who was several feet away. The Belgian stood his ground and just made himself strong to take the impact.
32 Suárez pass from the right cleared. He's static in the final third. There's zero movement from the Colombian in and around the box, zero effort at all. I've seen 20 stone fat bastards shift quicker and put in more effort
32 Acrobatic Geny shot from 16 yards blocked
33 Booking to Hjulmand who gives a shake of the head. Pietuszewski runs into the back of him on the first replay. In fairness he should have actually been booked for the Rosario challenge. Can't work out if that was accidental or quite deliberate from the Dane even with his back to the opponent
34 Free kick from 30 yards straight into the arms of Silva. Cheats never prosper
35 Kiwior with a cheap trip on Quaresma. He knew exactly what he was doing there
35 Referee runs to the sidelines. Not sure what he's discussing with someone in a suit.
36 After a minute break in play we're back underway
37 Again a deliberate trip on Geny wide right sends him flying
37 The Sporting bench is being attacked with whatever they were using for the pre game tifo which presumably is what the referee went over to the sidelines for
38 Pietuszewski tries from 40 yards and Rui Silva catches the ball almost on the edge of the Sporting area just as a pointer to how bad that effort was
39 Gonçalves doing kick ups taking the piss on the sidelines with the blue and white screwed up card
40 Rosario concedes a corner far side
40 Quenda fails to beat the first man and Porto head clear
41 Geny tries to pick out the run of Trincão but the ball runs through to Costa
41 Double chance for Porto. Veiga shot blocked from 8 yards by the back of Debast who knew nothing about it sat on the floor. Rosario saw his follow up effort from the edge of the box blocked. Pietuszewski actually then had a third chance that was heading for a throw in it was that off target
42 Play acting from Gomes again as he runs into the back of Quenda. He could have been booked for six different offences this half alone
42 Red card to one of the technical staff
43 Veiga booked for a trip on Geny which saw his left boot fly off. Not sure what he was complaining about there
Plus four shown
+1 Quenda buys a foul from Gomes and that's being polite
+1 Gomes points to his badge as he continues the verbals with Quenda. I'm presuming Quenda mouthed back two times Champions
+3 Veiga steps over the ball which went straight to Quenda rather comically
+3 Froholdt shot blocked from 14 yards
+3 Rosario sends one into the stands from the D.
Half time
FC Porto 0 (0) Sporting CP 0 (1)
With my sincerest apologies I had expected Suárez to be fully up for this game and as it stands if I was Rui Borges he'd not be coming out for the second half and would do well to avoid the teacup I launched at his head. It's been an ugly half of football. Farioli's side make Conçeicão’s team look like prime Guardiola Barca by comparison. How the fuck Gomes has not been booked for either simulation (twice) or late challenges (at least four times) is utterly bemusing. Seven attempts from Porto who are now yet to create a single Opta defined big chance against the lions in 225 minutes of football. Their finishing has been as dreadful as Suárez's movement in the final third. Bring Nel on the second half because frankly I've had enough of him already and shank Quenda off for Guilherme whilst you're at it. As it stands Sporting doing what they need to do. Rui Borges probably the calmest man in Porto as Farioli does a Mourinho and sends his technical staff out to remonstrate with the referee taking it in turns and they've seen a succession of bookings and even a red. We've seen the playbook a hundred times or more. Porto have zero class and I mean absolutely fucking zero.
Second Half
Porto enter the field first, they need to find a goal to at least take the tie into extra time that none of us need to see. Sporting just need to not concede. If they score you feel this tie is over.
The lions get us back underway. It could be my eyesight but I'm pretty sure the top tier on the stand opposite is not in use. Even Porto fans already sick of Farioli ball.
46 Diomande wise to the run of Gül plays the ball off the forward for a throw in
46 Hjulmand down on the floor requiring treatment. Borges has gone all the way down the wing to talk to Bragança
47 Porto fans behind Silva's goal have launched a display of pyrotechnics presumably to distract Silva and steal his towel
47 Play is back underway with Hjulmand back on for now
48 Suárez twists and turns in midfield and promptly gives the ball away. He needs to get his head out of his arse and fast
49 The end where Costa is in goal is now fully obscured by smoke
49 Kiwior takes out Geny on the right
50 ➡️⬅️ Hjulmand replaced by Bragança who also takes the captain's armband. Which idiot said more than one player will end up hurt in this fixture?
51 Porto happy to again sit with their defence some 12 yards from the half way line. The lions happy to sit back and play possession football when they have the ball and let Porto do the chasing
51 Morita with a sliding tackle on Gomes concedes a corner far side
52 First ball in headed clear and the second trying to find Kiwior at the back post too high and goes out of play
53 The lions with a rare foray over the half way line breaks down with an under hit pass. Disappointing. Interesting that Geny and Quenda were both out wide right
54 Gomes cuts inside Araújo on the edge of the area and promptly curled it out of play for a goal kick
55 Quenda is back out wide left and the last break was purely coincidental
56 Quaresma grins at Pietuszewski who tried to claim for a throw but kicked it straight out of play
57 Bednarek yellow for a foul on Suárez with a hand into the face. Colombian has brought that one
57 ➡️⬅️ Silva for Varela
59 Huge sliced shot from the substitute Varela from 30 yards which looked just like me on the golf course
60 Rui Silva comes to collect another cross from Gomes on the left. Seems incredible this lot are top of the table
61 Pietuszewski the latest to stick one on Geny smashing into his hip. Free kick awarded but again no booking
62 Awful ball from Trincão. I'd forgot he was playing
63 Froholdt smashed his hand into the ground in annoyance as his effort from ten yards is straight at Silva
63 Araújo sticks his backside out to check the run of Gomes. Free kick awarded
64 Rosario shot from 17 yards blocked by Diomande and out for a corner near side
66 Gomes shot blocked by Morita and Valera with the follow up from 20 yards into the stand behind Silva
67 Sporting patient once more around the Porto area but again frustratingly comes to nothing
68 Gül shot blocked from 20 yards
68 Better from Trincão inside the box who found three Porto defenders in the way of him and Suárez stood at the near post. Corner near side to the lions
69 Froholdt throws himself at a cross in from the left by Pietuszewski and somehow it evaded everyone
70 ➡️ Mora, Pepê and Moffi on
Pietuszewski, Gül and Veiga off
72 Pepê the latest player to take a chunk out of Geny. Medical department is going to be busy tomorrow back in Alcochete
74 Corner near side to Porto. Bednarek penalised for a foul.
74 Araújo down needing treatment inside the area.
77 Not sure if it's just me or all of Portugal but everything has gone jerky with the coverage
78 ➡️ ⬅️ Guilherme, Mangas and Gonçalves on
Trincão, Araújo and Quenda off
79 ➡️ ⬅️ Fofana on for Porto, that's all their changes made
81 Debast heads clear for a corner far side
81 Moffi header from 7 yards cannons off the back of his head and out for a goal kick
82 Rui Silva picks up his second yellow in two games for time wasting and puts his kick straight out of play and then acts like he's pulled something. Wait for him to go down needing treatment in the next five minutes
83 Kiwior cross from the left evades everyone. Called it spot on as Silva is down needing treatment. Didn't even need to wait five minutes. Surprised Farioli isn't clapping that one. Straight out his play book
85 Sporting fans making all the noise as whistles continue from the home fans. Silva is back on his feet
85 Inácio watches on from his own little world on the bench
85 As always Porto unable to generate any atmosphere need the stadium announcer to start a chant. Shit club, shit fans
86 Varela yellow for a foul on Suárez. That's a fucking awful challenge. I think he's got to go for that surely
87 Referee is indeed going to the monitor. This is going to get upgraded. With his right boot studs up he goes right on the back of the calf or Suárez.
88 Varandas unmoved watching on, scratch of the ear from AVB as Varela is shown the red card and quite right too
89 Definitely the Sportinguista's you can hear now and yes we're shown them in the Gods
Plus nine shown
90 Mora tries with a flick of the outside of his right boot from 18 yards which Silva collects
+1 Suárez one on one with Costa. Can you guess the outcome? Costa is 12 yards off his line, the Colombian from 18 yards fires straight at him. Corner near side. Shit from the penalty spot, shit one on one. How anyone could even claim he was anywhere near Gyökeres' level is a fucking mystery to me. *Post game apology - Was apparently Guilherme and not Suárez who went one on one.
+3 Again with the guy over the Tannoy to try get some atmosphere into the home fans. Fucking pathetic
+4 Bragança somehow misses Suárez with a long pass. Porto have everyone bar Costa and one defender in the lions half
+5 Mangas concedes a free kick with a foul on Pepê who threw himself to the ground after a hand on the shoulder. Pathetic.
+5 Free kick from 32 yards ends in a Sporting free kick as Bednarek fouls Debast
+8 Mangas heads clear with Froholdt behind him for a corner far side. One last chance and Costa has gone up
+8 World class save from Rui Silva from a Muffi header down to his right and the follow up goes over the bar. The whistle goes with Silva in the Sporting net being congratulated by his teammates. Muffi from 7 yards sends his header low down to Silva's right and he's at full stretch to palm it away one handed. Morita is first to the ball but can only send it up into the air and somehow Froholdt with a header from no more than two yards sent it clear over the bar
Full time
FC Porto 0 (0) Sporting CP 0 (1)
The final word
The Sportinguista's in attendance are bouncing and there's no drowning them out tonight... although just as I write that Porto whack on the music and attempt to do exactly that over the tannoy. Sporting are going back to Jamor. If they stay with the coverage long enough they'll probably turn the sprinklers on them as well. They did it when Gyökeres tore them a new one in the 2-2 draw.
This is going to get a complete contradiction in terms but never have I enjoyed something as much as I've not enjoyed something. A master class in defending from Rui Borges’ side for 98 minutes and 50 seconds and this time they weren't to be denied with Rui Silva's world class save right at the very death. I don't think Porto fans are going to have Farioli for much longer even if he delivers them the title. They're awful to watch. The stadium far from full for a semi final. The home fans silenced and once more needing the PA to rouse them into any signs of life over the Tannoy system. Suárez should have put the game to bed and again fluffed his lines. (** See note above - Guilhereme was the one through on goal. At least you know when I say I don't edit these post games to make myself look clever I'm not lying. Please note I was watching on a phone with no commentary and he was about 2mm high.) In truth it was the only real chance the lions had but it didn't matter. Gandalf levels at the back - you shall not pass. You really wouldn't want to sit through it again. The highlights could be edited down to that Silva save, the sending off and the Suárez miss and if you weren't watching then you've missed absolutely nothing. Porto will put out communications galore about the match officials tomorrow or even tonight. We've had to put up with their shit all season long and karma has come back and decreed that the lions go back to Jamor to face either AD Fafe or Torreense in the final. After heartbreak in North London and in the Dérbi you wondered what they had left in the tank. In the end they didn't really need much it has to he said. Apart from that last gasp effort Porto were toothless in attack suffering from the same issue as the lions with a lack of back up options up front. I thought Pepê was the new Galeno and my figure to throw my ire at but Gomes takes that mantle. Some of his challenges were frankly appalling and twice we saw simulation in the box go unpunished. By the same letter of the law Hjulmand should have been booked for his first challenge on Rosario and would have seen red when he did pick up a yellow. Geny had lumps kicked out of him all night long down the right wing. It wasn't a pleasant watch. Sporting are finally learning from the play book of misters like Farioli and Mourinho. The hens are coming home to roost. I don't want to see it from any of our players but sometimes needs must and two can play that game. Nothing is guaranteed in football but Rui Borges won't have a better chance of silverware as he takes his side to Jamor to face off against lower league opponents. I've a lot of prepping to do on one of them and I've absolutely zero issue with that despite not having the foggiest clue about either side.
It's already 2318 hours. If I'm not careful I'll be here all night writing so I'll try wrap this one up sharpish and you can thank the TV companies. Note it's 0022 as I'm now doing my final edit and corrections where autocorrect does me a cropper in real time.
Poor from Suárez, Trincão and Quenda. The Colombian can quite frankly fuck off in the summer I'm done with him. I'd be amazed if he even covered 4 kilometres total in that game and produced 1 sprint. If they can get their money back on him then get him gone. Hjulmand was poor and frankly had he stayed on in the second half would most likely have gotten himself involved with something he didn't need to do and gone off another way. I didn't think Bragança offered much when he came on and neither did Guilherme, Mangas or Gonçalves. I'm not sure other then Gonçalves juggling act on the sidelines that he even touched anything that remotely resembled the ball. I might be wrong. That was probably the best bit of entertainment other than watching Farioli slowly lose the plot on the sidelines. The sooner he fucks off from Portugal the better.
Solid performances from Araújo and Debast if not spectacular. Geny was terrific value down the right hand side again and Porto had to do everything outside of the rules of the game to stop him from playing and from an attacking sense once more, just like in the Dérbi he was the lions best outlet. Morita was Mr linkup once again. Wonderful little turns and deft touches that you'd miss if you blinked they were so quick. He's signing off in some style it has to be said and now back to his very, very best. Someone is going to get the bargain of the century when he goes in the summer. Diomande was solid throughout and a thorn in the side of Gül and it was no surprise to see him shanked off in the second half. I'm going to count Geny out of the reckoning and go first vote for man of the match to Morita. I'm going to go Diomande for my second vote. He was a Colossus in defence all night. Which leaves two slots which go to Rui Silva and Eduardo Quaresma. Silva made three saves but only the last one saw him under any pressure and I'm not underselling it when I say it was world class. It genuinely was world class. How he got a hand to keep that out I'll never know but thank Christ he did. Was strong to claim in the air throughout. We saw some play acting that I called before it happened, that we didn't need or the time wasting. But other than that a flawless display. Which leaves little Eddie Quaresma. Fuck me he loves a Clássico this kid. I think Fresneda if he was watching is now seriously worried because he was fantastic tonight. Not afraid to carry the ball out from defence and with some aplomb too. I wonder if you could play the kid in midfield? In fact you could probably pair him with Debast next season and save yourself an awful lot of money. Competed 94% of his passes. He was an animal and a pure joy to watch. He is truly one of Sporting's most beloved sons and one of our own. He is my man of the match.
So off to Jamor the lions go. You love to see it don't you.
Comments
Post a Comment