Sporting CP 3 Gil Vicente 0

Sporting CP v Gil Vicente
Saturday May 16th, 2026
Estádio José Alvalade
Matchday 34

The warm up

There's definitely an argument to be made that I should be writing this post after we've played Rio Ave on Monday night and Benfica have faced Braga, but I have a full time job to work the next day and whilst it appears to most I'm sure that these things write themselves I'll assure you that sadly they don't and neither are they written with the assistance of AI. They remain very much a labour of love and something to keep me out of mischief but each one does take an inordinate number of hours from the initial preparation, through the games minute by minute breakdown and finally the post game summary. With every season Sporting keep finding more success which means more games which of course means more match reports. I've not copied all the posts in one file to see how many words I've written since the start of the 2023/24 season but at a guess I'd say it's well over half a million. That's the best part of five full free books worth of reading you can get on Sporting Clube de Portugal with no annoying adverts, no one asking you to buy them a coffee and the only penalty being just lots of plenty of annoying words from me. But if you are reading this and not scraping it for data or testing it using AI for some language research model then thank you it does mean a lot. Hopefully in a world of eight billion people I'm not the only person who gets something from them. I might be though so maybe I'd better get on with it. 

Other than time constraints the real reason for not hanging on until everyone has played on Monday night is I suspect Benfica will beat Braga and win their last game to boot which makes whatever we do against Rio Ave and Gil Vicente inconsequential which is a beautiful word in the English language but quite ironically it means in this context that whatever Sporting have done it'll be of fuck all use to them. No one destroys such a beautiful language in such a non poetic way when it comes to writing about Sporting CP as me but I'm nothing if not honest. There's a real danger I fall down the slippy slope of what ifs: Braga home and away, AVS away, Tondela home and Benfica home to name five games just off the top of my head but there will be plenty of time for post season analysis come the end of the season. This might be the lions last league game of the season but they've still one more to play afterwards against Torreense in the Taça de Portugal Final in Jamor which means I've got some serious studying to do because I know more about their women's team than I do the men's which isn't saying much to be fair and the only other fact I know about them is my friend lives there so maybe I'll ask her to write a piece. Would save me a lot of time and effort. 

Maybe I'll be wrong about Braga. I do keep my errors in, one for the comedy value so you get to laugh at my stupidity because I'm a firm believer that you have to laugh at yourself in life and two because on the odd occasion I do get it right, it does at least make it believable and that I've not just done a Johnny Come lately and added something in to make myself look clever after the event. I've always been told I'm too smart for my own good so I don't need assistance on that front, plenty of people have wanted to disconnect my head from my shoulders for my smart mouth over the years. One day someone might succeed so if these ever stop one day that's where you should put your money. 

I write a day after Braga lost to Freiburg in the semi finals of the Europa League therefore meaning I'll probably never know how them winning the competition would have effected their ability to play in the Champions League because I seemed to be the only writer paying attention to the fact they're owned in part by PSG meaning unless that part ownership is held in a blind trust then PSG and Braga couldn't both have played in the Champions League anyway. See, I'm not as daft as I like to let the majority of people think I am. I do find life's a lot easier that way. 

I watched the Freiburg opening goal several times on repeat late last night and if that didn't kill their spirit ahead of Monday night against Benfica then the German's second goal and their overall victory over two legs surely must have done. I don't now how they pick themselves back off the floor after all that and certainly not sufficiently enough to get anything from a game where Benfica are now two games away from an invincibles season. The thin slither of hope is that Benfica do a Bromley. Do a what you say? Do a Bromley? Yes I imagine that's the first time the League 2 side in England have ever gotten a mention in respect of the top flight of Portuguese football but that's how I roll and my brain goes off on tangents no physicist or mathemacian could ever measure or work out. If you're not familiar with the work of Bromley then I at least forgive you because why would you if you're currently reading a blog on Sporting Clube de Portugal? They've just won the League Two title thus securing promotion to League One, the third tier of English football. Whilst they didn't go the entire season unbeaten, they were the only side to go unbeaten at home and in the latter stages of the campaign played for all intents and purposes to maintain that unbeaten record rather than go for the jugular and try to take all three points. Hence the comparison to Benfica however they in theory do need to win. A draw would count for shit if Sporting win against Rio Ave taking them two points clear. We've seen what can happen first hand when one side has to win and goes for it, ironically enough against Benfica who left the Estádio José Alvalade with all three points. For all Braga's disappointments last night they're still an incredibly capable team and are quite adapt at punching you squarely in the mouth on the break and after the 90 minutes as we've found out twice now to our own detriment this season. I'm on that slippy slope I was trying to avoid earlier but context is key. In short I expect Benfica to win as I say but it's not a forgone conclusion. Football is not played on paper and in a week that Portuguese referees have dominated the headlines again anything can happen. Which is also true of our game against Rio Ave. We saw what happened against AVS and CD Tondela before the 5-1 against Vitória and fuck me I've fallen into my own trap and covered the lot haven't I? Sometimes I'm fighting an internal battle in my head I wasn't aware I was even in until I lost. If anyone wants a brain swap please do let me know. 

I could have just said to avoid having to do all the possible connotations I'm going to say Benfica win both games. Hindsight, wonderful thing isn't it. Never mind, my sincere apologies.

Monday update - Rio Ave 1 Sporting CP 4. Benfica 2 Braga 2. The lions do therefore leapfrog Benfica into second place thus only requiring a win. Note the fixture has been changed from Sunday to Saturday by the Portuguese authorities. Sporting have won each of their last five final games of the season by an aggregate score of 16-2. Four of those coming at home by an aggregate score of 14-1. Gil Vicente in their last six final games have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 4. Benfica play Estoril in their last game. Sporting need to match their result but it's easier to confirm a win will see them second and finish in the second automatic qualification spot for the Champions League. A win for the lions in the Taça de Portugal final will see Braga qualify for the Europa League. 

The old footballing cliché goes - it's a game of two halves. In the roosters case it's been a season of two halves. Sporting and in particular Rui Borges have been subjected to a relentless media campaign all season long especially in regards to the misters records in the so called big games. That line as to what constitutes a big game had been stretched to include Gil Vicente in January and will have vanished by the time the two sides meet again in week 34 which just adds weight to that point. Yes there's no denying that the last time the two sides met they were flying in the league relative to their status and size. But let's not get carried away. It's not like they were top of the table type flying and this is Portugal, we all know how the final four ends. We know Braga take the fourth place finish, we just don't know what order Os Três Grandes finish in between first and third. Let's not try kid ourselves here. 

At the time of writing going into Monday night's game they sit in sixth place and the only team they can now trade places with would be Famalicão two points above them. Of a possible 45 points in the second half of their season they've collected a total of 22. Six wins, four draws and five losses. Their overall record prior to Arouca on Monday night is played 32, won 13, drawn 11, lost 8, GF 46, GA 32. So let's do the maths to work out where they were after the 1-1 draw to Sporting at the half way mark of the season. Wins - seven, draws - seven, defeats - three = 28 points. Mind you having written all that there's that wonderful mathematical quirk that proves sometimes you're better off throwing everything at a win than drawing games because if they win their remaining two games they'll have equalled their points tally from the first half of the season. That's a big if by the way because it wasn't a case in the 1-1 of Gil Vicente having been great, it felt very much like Sporting were poor and that was the root cause. We've already thumped one Gil this week that being Gil Lameiras the Vitória coach. Just touching quickly on that game I think it was their midfielder Samu who quite proudly stated after the game and forgive me for paraphrasing here, that he was proudly pointing to the fact that they as players hadn't given up their playing philosophy despite being thumped 5-1 and their goal coming from a Debast own goal who I nearly called Bas Dost there. It was a sharp finish from 18 yards to be fair to the Belgian. Anyways back to Samu, I was thinking if I was a Vitória fan I'd be thinking what the actual fuck can someone shut this dickhead up please? Casa Pia a couple of seasons back did the same thing with their system and got played off the park 8-0. At some point for the sake of your travelling fans who might have already left at 3-0 in fairness Monday night, you should change the system and shut up shop. My dear boy you're not Bayern fucking München. Yes admittedly at home in the rain when Rui Borges had just fucked off from Vitória to Sporting you had a packed stadium full of irate fans and came from 3-0 down to lead 4-3. Yet even then you didn't learn and allowed Trincão to make it 4-4 on 94 minutes. The game is imprinted on my mind. Learn to separate the games my man. Let it go. I'll paraphrase what their mister said post match and it wasn't well done for sticking to their principles I can assure you of that. It was along the lines of if I'm still here next season then that will not be happening again. Things have got to change. Well there you go. See what I was saying about going off on unmeasurable tangents. I write these things so I can try sleep at night so they don't formulate in my head when I'm trying to doze off. This isn't a Vítoria blog so back to the Gil I should have been actually writing about. 

So it transpires that Gil's two halves of the season could come down to optics and that their league position at the time of the first meeting made it feel better than it really was. Because to me they feel like they've had a massive drop off ever since they sold their top goalscorer at the time Pablo to West Ham United where he's carried on his fine goalscoring run with another 0 goals. Oh. Ah. Moving on. West Hams erm, gains have erm clearly been Gil Vicente’s loss. Maybe they kept the receipt and can return him in the summer? Mind you he might look quite good against some Championship defences next season. He looked OK against a few Portuguese ones in the opening 17 games so… there's hope yet for the lad. They've been their own worst enemy at times drawing 2-2 against CD Tondela with the equalising goal coming deep into stoppage time. Yes well done who am I talking about? Well ironically both teams which goes to prove that every side is fallible on their day. Even Benfica despite them being unbeaten who threw away a 2-0 lead against Famalicão who in fairness always now score two at home to Benfica, they just dont normally concede any goals. Rui Costa talked of a conspiracy against Benfica after the full time whistle. No conspiracy RC your side just happens to be consistently shit against the lads from Famalicão and on behalf of everyone at Sporting CP thank you for continually digging us out of a massive hole every season. One day they'll want the bill settled. I'll start a whip round now for them. You can tell why these things take a long time to write now don't you and why generally I try do them after I've finished work on a Friday and not late at night when my brain likes to do a massive word dump. 

So back to Gil Vicente, of their 46 goals scored, 21 have been from open play, 15 from set pieces, 2 free kicks and 8 penalties. They're marginally out performing their Xg of 44.5. Top scorer Murilo with 11, 6 coming by way of the penalty spot. Second top scorer is still Pablo with ten goals. Varela and García have 6 apiece and the remaining goals have been scored across 8 other players. Their away record stands at played 16, won 4, drawn 8, lost 4, GF 19, GA 18. Those away wins coming against Nacional, Braga, Alverca and Moreirense. Noting they've drawn 1-1 away to bottom side AVS, the 2-2 previously mentioned against Tondela, a 1-1 against 3rd bottom Casa Pia and 2-2 against fourth bottom Estela. Yet some sort called expert pundits were trying to say in January that Borges had failed to beat a big side after their 1-1 draw. Do me a favour and fuck off. 

They score on average 1.4 goals a game, conceding just a solitary goal on average to boot. Twelve clean sheets in total, they average 4.6 shots on target per game and have missed 34 Opta defined big chances after 32 games exactly half of the total the lions have missed. Ten penalties awarded and as we already know they've scored 8. Their Xg conceded 33.4 so pretty much where they should be having conceded 34 times. 

Third for accurate long balls per match on average with 23.4. Fifth for accurate crosses with 4.3 per match. Seven penalties conceded of which only 4 have been scored. Twelfth for average fouls per match with 13.6 collecting 76 bookings and just 4 red cards. 

Winter window transfers 

Incoming 

Gil Martins from FC Porto B for £191,000 

Seems an apt name to go with his new club if ever their was one. 

Weverson from Fortaleza for free

Héctor Hernández from Corinthians for free

Lucao from Red Bull Bragantimo for free

Outgoing

Thomas Luciano to Velo Clube-Sp for free

Andrew to Flamengo for £1.2m

Hadn't realised he'd gone. He joins the old Sporting coach Leonardo Jardim 

Pablo to West Ham for £19m. 

Is that right? That's £10m than I thought and Fotmob have his value listed at £1.5m which is truly saying something in this day and age given they value Andrew at £3.1m. 

Head to head the roosters haven't beaten Sporting in any competition since December 1st, 2019 that coming in a 3-1 win. The last time Gil Vicente won at the Estádio José Alvalade was way back on February 4th, 2012 in the Taça da Liga. 

Since the two clubs met in round 17 played on January 2nd where Luis Suárez had given the lions the lead on the stroke of half time and the home side only equalised 4 minutes from time, the roosters season has been a mixed bag of results which have gone like this -

Matchday 18 – Nacional (H) Gil Vicente followed up their draw against the lions with a 2-1 home win. Murilo opened the scoring on 18. Vitor however made it 1-1 just 3 minutes later. Garcia with the winner on 56. Xg 1.51 to 1.57. Both sides missed 1 of 2 big chances.

Matchday 19 – FC Porto (A) A penalty converted on 36 by Aghehowa gave the league leaders the lead. After the break goals from Fernandes (74) and Gomes (85) gave the home side a 3-0 win. Xg 2.25 to 0.59. Both sides missed 2 big chances, however Porto created 4 to GV 2.

Matchday 20 – Famalicão (H) Huge win for the roosters who had to wait until 43 minutes gone to open the scoring before the floodgates finally opened. Murilo put them ahead from the penalty spot after the visitors had been reduced to ten with Mathias de Amorim given his marching orders. Buatu made it 2-0 on 52, Varela scored on 79 and 83 and Garcia completed the visitors misery a minute before the 90 for a 5-0 thumping. Xg 2.69 to 0.11. SEVEN big chances for the home side scoring 5. 0 for the away side who recorded 4 attempts all game.

Matchday 21 – Moreirense (A) Two wins in two. Alvaro Martinez saw red for the home side on 38 minutes and coach Vasco Botelho da Costa followed him shortly after down the tunnel. Murilo opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 42. Sporting loanee Diogo Travossos made it 1-1 on 66 minutes despite the numerical disadvantage to the home side. However they couldn’t hold on and Hernández scored 3 minutes before time for a 2-1 away win. Xg 0.12 to 2.40. The home side creating 3 attempts all game, 0 big chances. GV missed 2 of their 4. I’d like to tell you what out boys goal looked like but all I can tell you it was scored from way outside the box. It’s like the old days when someone accidentally taped over something on VHS. Cannot find it for love nor money online.

Matchday 22 – Braga (H) The roosters make it a third straight win despite Horta making it 1-0 after 20 minutes. Varela made it 1-1 on 64, Garcia with the winner 9 minutes later for a 2-1 win. Xg 1.21 to 0.65. GV scored both their big chances, Braga missed their only 1. No penalties for them either. Just saying.

Matchday 23 – Estoril (A) A heavy defeat on the road, this despite a Murilo penalty on 14 given them the lead. Bacher made it 1-1 on 21 minutes. Begraoui with a second half brace (73 and 79) gave the home side a 3-1 win. Xg 2.60 to 2.62. Both sides created 5 big chances, the difference being the home side took 3 of theirs, GV missed a whopping 4 of theirs.

Matchday 24 – Benfica (H) A second straight loss for the home side. Silva put the visitors a goal up on 34. Hernández levelled 5 minutes after half time. Schjelderup with the winner on 72 for a 2-1 win. Xg 0.88 to 0.75. GV scored their 1 big chance, Benfica missed their only 1.

Matchday 25 – Estrela (A) Gil Vicente unable to buy a win right now. Murilo gave them the lead after 13 minutes from the penalty spot. The ex-lion Jovane equalised on 53. Marcus made it 2-1 on 66 turning the game on its head but GV regained a foothold in the game just 2 minutes later through García. 2-2 the final score. Xg 1.22 to 1.91. Estrela missed 2 big chances of 4, GV scored both of theirs created.

Matchday 26 – Alverca (H) The home sides recent struggles continued as they dropped more points. Moreira scored a brace (31 and 70). Lima made it 1-1 before Naves made it 2-2 three minutes into injury time and heartbreak for the Roosters. Xg 0.81 to 1.98. GV missed their only big chance, Alverca 2 of 3.

Matchday 27 – Santa Clara (A) Both sides looked to have settled for a point but Vinícius had other ideas scoring 4 minutes after the 90 for a 1-0 win to the islanders. Xg 0.45 to 0.86. Both sides guilty of missing their only big chance in the game.

Matchday 28 – AVS (H) A winless run of 6 games finally put to bed against Portugal’s bottom side. A Varela brace (10 and 79) and a third goal from Murilo (33) gives the home side a much needed 3-0 win. Xg 2.01 to 0.40. 2 of 4 big chances missed for GV, AVS failed to create a single one.

Matchday 29 – Tondela (A) It wasn’t just the lions who fell victim to a late Tondela equaliser in the latter stages of the Primeira Liga. CD went ahead on 14 minutes through a Lopes goal. Murilo equalised from the penalty spot on 28. They probably thought they’d secured all 3 points when Eduardo scores with a minute left of the 90. However the Irishman Joe Hodge eventually made it 2-2 seven minutes after the 90 but not before his penalty was saved and he knocked in the rebound from close range. In the end a point shared apiece. Murilo had a goal ruled out following a VAR check on 24 minutes. Xg 1.82 to 1.64. CD missed 3 of 4 big chances, GV scored both of theirs although technically I’d argue they had 3 and missed 1 but I don’t work for Opta.

Matchday 30 – Vitória (H) A Silva goal on 65 minutes enough for all 3 points to the side from Guimarães with a 1-0 win. Xg 1,38 to 0.82. GV miss both their big chances, Vitoria missed their only one.

Matchday 31 – Casa Pia (H) Two goals from Murilo on 30 and a penalty on 72 sandwich an equaliser from Casa Pia 6 minutes into additional time at the end of the opening 45 to give the home side a 2-1 win. Xg 1.88 to 1.21. GV score, or miss 2 of four big chances depending on your point of view, Casa Pia score their only one.

Matchday 32 – Rio Ave (A) The two sides play out a 0-0 draw. Xg 1.40 to 0.70. Rio Ave miss all 3 of their big chances, GV failed to create a single one.

Matchday 33 – Arouca (H) Kuipers put the visitors ahead on the hour mark. Their lead lasted all of two minutes when Esteves equalised. Barbero made it 2-1 Arouca just four minutes later in six bonkers minutes of football. Fukui secured a 3-1 away win scoring 9 minutes from time. Xg 0.77 to 1.32. The roosters missed both their big chances, Arouca scored both of theirs. 

Wednesday update - For the second straight season Sporting have started their transfer business before the end of the season. Outgoing Diogo Travossos to Braga for €5.5m with add ons set to reach €1m plus a 10% sell on clause. Incoming the other way the lions have made 26 year old Rodrigo Zalazar their record signing for €30m on a five year contract. Both deals to be officially confirmed after the Taça de Portugal final. 

Across the city Benfica will be looking for a new coach as José Mourinho heads back to Real Madrid. Could the Ex-Sporting coach Marco Silva about to be the man to replace him in the hot seat? 

Friday update - Debast ruled out for the rest of the season and increasingly looks like he's set to miss the World Cup. One man definitely not going will be Hidemasa Morita, incredibly not picked in his countries squad for the tournament. To think last season he carried injuries pretty much through it because of all the additional travel and game time to help them qualify. They must have some midfield then given his form in the final weeks of the season. On behalf of our boy I think you'll all join me in saying - Fuck Japan.

Sporting CP Feminino 

Sporting CP v Racing Power 

Sunday May 10th, 2026

Matchday 18

Starting XI 

Potra, Eaton-Collins, Barron, Fontemanha, Cancelinha, Arques, Bravo, Hernandez-Gray, Bonsegundo, Armengol and Santiago 

Substitutes Used 

Neto, Martins, Rodrigues, Nave, Pérez 

In a game where the lionesses finished with 75% of the possession neither side really created any chances of note over the course of the 90 minutes. Racing though they'd taken the lead after just 11 minutes only to see their effort ruled out. The lionesses scored in the 69th minute as Cancelinha bundled home from inside the six yard box only to see her effort also ruled out. In the end points shared in a 0-0 draw. The point was enough to secure Racing a place in the league for next season as they finished one point above the bottom three. Sporting finish the season in second place. The game will be remembered as the last for Rita Fontemanha as she announced her retirement at the tender age of just 32. A wonderful servant to the club we wish her the very best with her future endeavours. 

Thursday update - The Mister Micael Segueira has renewed his contract until 2028. 

Sporting B

Académico Viseu v Sporting CP
Saturday May 16th, 2026
Matchday 34

Starting XI

Callai, Moreira, Muniz, Mota, Couto, Oliveira, Besugo, Cardoso, Gonçalves, Guzmán and Mendonça.

For João Gião's men results on Matchday 33 had gone their way meaning they managed to avoid automatic relegation back to Liga 3 after just one season. They had led the table for so long but 2026 had proved to be a disaster with one defeat after another dragging them from one end of the table all the way to the other end. They travelled to Viseu who started the day in second place, 90 minutes closer to promotion to the top flight. A draw for them would be enough to secure this, a loss and it would possibly let Torreense, the lions opponents next Sunday in the Taça de Portugal leapfrog them into second place. For Torreense everything went perfectly, leading 1-0 at half time, they added 3 further second half goals to secure a 4-0 thumping of Vizela at home. However neither side could break the deadlock here and the points shared in a 0-0 draw. Gião made a change in goal at half time offering Pedro Migueis to impress as rumours continue to circulate about Callai's departure in the summer. David Moreira was also swapped with Costa. The mister had the services of Nel on the bench but opted not to use him. Momade came on for Couto with 4 to play. 

So in the end Académico Viseu win promotion to the top flight. This there first season since 1988/89 when even I was still a young man. In the end Sporting finish 12th, 5 points above third bottom Portimonense who head into the relegation play offs. Oliveirense finish bottom, Paços de Ferreira join them in Liga 3 next season. Marítimo had already secured their promotion back to the top flight. They had previously played for 38 consecutive seasons before falling to relegation in 2023. So often the islanders have proven to be a thorn in the side of Sporting. No one will ever forget the 2-1 defeat on the last day of the 2014/15 season which proved one of the catalysts of the attacks at Alcochete. 

The draw put to an end a run of 6 straight defeats which included back to back losses in the previous 2 games 1-0 first to Benfica B and then FC Porto B. They'd not won since March 22nd when they defeated Feirense 2-1 away. Between December 14th and January 26th they lost six straight. They rallied briefly to win 3 straight, but in their last 12 games they won once, had today's draw and ten losses. It ends as a season of what could have been and one to be grateful for that in the end it could have been worse.  

In the markets 

Sporting CP 2/9

Draw 19/4 

Gil Vicente 9/1

Team News 

Starting XI 

Silva, Vagiannidis, Quaresma, Inácio, Araújo, Hjulmand, Morita, Geny, Trincão, Gonçalves and Suárez 

Substitutes 

Virgínia, Mangas, Kochorashvili, Bragança, Blopa, Felicíssimo, Quenda, Guilherme and Nel

At the back Vagiannidis comes in for the suspended Diomande who picked up a bizarre fifth yellow against Rio Ave on Monday night. The return of Hjulmand in midfield for Bragança in the last time he and Morita will share the centre of the Estádio José Alvalade with both men set to depart in the summer. Wide right Guilherme drops to the bench and Geny returns. Nel who was on the bench for Academico Viseu is now named for the first eleven bench. 

Gil Vicente Starting XI 

Figueira (99)

Zé Carlos (2)

Konan (3)

Buatu (39)

Gilbert (4)

Garcia (95)

Cáseres (5)

Moreira (27) 

Fernandes (11)

Murilo (77)

Varela (89)

César Peixoto makes two changes from the 3-1 loss to Arouca. Zé Carlos for Cáseres and Esteves for Fernandes. 

First Half

The games have finished at the bottom of the table before we kick off at the Estádio José Alvalade. Estrela come from behind to draw with Braga and secure their place in next season's competition. Casa Pia couldn't hang on to their 1-0 lead against Rio Ave and drew 1-1 meaning they'll play off against next week's opponents Torreense. Tondela return to Liga 2 after just one season in the top flight.

Sporting in their traditional green and white horizontal stripes. The stadium stands to applaud Morita and Quenda both presented with farewell momentos. My friend has just walked behind Rui Borges. Never gets any more normal. 

Godhinho the man in charge. The lions get us underway and will attack right to left. 

1 Vagiannidis wins a corner far side

2 Hjulmand whips a shot past the left hand post from 16 yards. He took that like a man who knows I've got him at 2/1 to have a shot on target tonight 

8 Gil Vicente sat in a flat back 4, 20 yards from the half way line. We've seen in both the last two games how Vitória and Rio Ave made the same mistake 

9 Whistles from the home fans as the time wasting starts from goal kicks again from Figueira

9 Gonçalves is down on the near side receiving treatment after a challenge from Garcia 

10 Gonçalves back on his feet gets shoved out the way rather comically by the Gil Vicente player trying to take a throw in from just in front of him

12 An attack from the visitors down the right sees Murilo dispossessed in the box. He had no options in support and ran into a sea of green and white shirts 

13 Sliced clearance inside the lions box causes consternation until the flag was raised late for offside 

14 Gonçalves wins a corner near side off Zé Carlos

14 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Gil Vicente 0. All season I've moaned about how bad we are from corners. Sporting's favourite son rises unmarked at the back of the six yard box to guide it into the back into the net on the far side. Eduardo Quaresma loves a goal against Gil Vicente and we've scored from a corner. Got to love it 

16 Whatever the opposition game plan was, it's now gone out the window. Presumably it was to try to suffocate the lions. 

17 Long ball from Inácio to Gonçalves on the left but the latter can't control it. There's far too much space being left behind for Sporting to exploit

18 Gil Vicente constantly sat in an area of mo more than 18 yards from front to back. It's like a football game with a glitch 

19 Araújo cross from the left agonisingly evades everyone and goes out the other side

21 Late challenge on Gonçalves by Cáseres. Free kick 27 yards out 

22 Five man wall. Gonçalves over the ball. He went short to Suárez who held off two defenders and cut it back to Hjulmand. Big save with the feet from Figueira to keep it at 1-0 from 3 yards and deflect it behind. That's my bet won at least. Thank you Morten 

23 Corner near side is played into the same area as the goal but headed clear this time 

25 Cries of handball on the edge of the box. Play continued. Suárez picked out Geny but the ball stolen off his toes 

25 The mister has gone smart casual tonight in jacket and jeans 

26 Good work from Suárez with three men in front of him gets his shot away but could only fire wide of the far post from 18 yards 

27 Geny shanks one into the stands from 16 yards 

27 ZOLF the one word logo on the Gil Vicente misters T shirt. Not a clue. He's wearing a cardigan. Criminal fashion choices from the misters like a pair of Dads at a family barbecue 

28 Geny shot blocked from 17 yards. Good job it didn't go in because I think there was a handball in the buildup 

29 Gonçalves with a lovely turn inside the box but fires wide from ten yards. He'd originally found Vagiannidis inside the area but the Greek miss controls the ball and forced wide. He cut it back and Pote with a deft touch cut it back to create the space for the effort

30 Suárez takes an arm into the back of the head 

31 The Colombian looks like he doesn't know what day of the week it is as he sits up

32 We're back underway. 

32 Clearly showing no signs of ill effect as the Colombian bombs into the box down the left and his cross is somehow scrambled clear. He's looked really good wide left last two games …

33 GOLAZZO …So good has he looked that he smashes the ball home to make it Sporting CP 2 Gil Vicente 0. He has absolutely leathered that home from 16 yards. Morita with the assist with the biggest of smiles as the Colombian embraces him

35 Keeper has come miles out of his area to claim the ball. He takes out Vagiannidis on the follow through but got to the ball first 

36 Deafening whistles from the home fans. Not sure why there was nothing wrong with that

37 VAR check complete game back underway. Benefit of replays sat at home 

38 Nice threaded ball through the lions defence but Silva alert to the danger 

39 Beautiful move from the lions with a series of crisp passes. Unfortunately Geny puts it into the hands of the keeper with the final ball. Had there been a goal at the end of that move you'd have been talking about one of the team goals of the season. That was the Jogo Bonito 

40 You have to think if the lions keep this up they'll come away with another four goals tonight. The visitors have offered nothing. They've been every bit as bad as when we went in against them 4-0 up a couple of seasons ago 

41 Finally an effort from the visitors. Bending effort from 24 yards pushed round for a corner by Silva on the near side. Esteves the man with the shot. Hollywood save from Silva made the chance look better than it was. 0.02 on the Xg 

44 Beautiful raked ball out to Geny who has the same problem as Quenda from the Vitória game as it bounces under his foot and out of play 

Plus three added 

+1 Araújo shot blocked from 16 yards 

+1 Geny beats Esteves to the ball but somehow concedes the free kick. Not sure about that one 

+1 Suárez finds the stands from 20 yards

+2 Godhinho gestures towards the Gil Vicente keeper rather comically. Not sure what that was about but would make a good gif

+2 Trincão shot blocked by the flying foot of a defender from 20 yards and out for a corner near side 

+3 Poor from Gonçalves who puts it out of play. Not sure what he was trying there 

Half time 

Sporting CP 2 Gil Vicente 0

XG 1.37 to 0.02 tells it all really at the half time interval. The roosters have been dreadful to watch. Not a complete performance by the lions but a fully deserved lead at half time all the same. I'm not sure if Luis Suarez was in full anger mode when he scored but he certainly felt aggrieved at the challenge a minute before the goal which left him needing treatment. We'll add that to the list alongside his goal against Alverca and Rio Ave on Monday night all coming from moments he's turned into the Incredible Hulk. Someone should hide his lunchbox before every game. Not sure if the Morita back heel took a deflection en route to him for a clean assist and if it did then it feels like a wonderful way for him to sign off at the José Alvalade stadium. Hjulmand really should have scored from close range. Great instincts from the keeper. His only other notable contribution the charge of the light brigade outside of his area to clear from Vagiannidis, to pick the ball out of the net twice and the constant time wasting from the goal kicks. If the lions win we don't need to know the result in Estoril. I'm not going to bother checking. There are more goals for Sporting in this game you feel. Expect to see Quenda for a farewell appearance in the second half.

Second Half 

The roosters are going to need something special if they're to take anything from the second half. Sporting just need to ensure they don't do anything stupid. 

➡️⬅️ Augustín is on for Fernandes 

45 Gil Vicente get us back underway 

46 Rui Silva has his hands stung. We've seen more from the visitors in a minute and a half than we did in the entire opening 45. Esteves with a shot a half yard outside the area from inside the D. He's angling for a shop window display to get him away from this dreadful side 

48 Augustín shanks a low shot wide from half a yard outside the area 

49 Gil Vicente now defending six yards from the half way line. Trincão shot blocked from 8 yards and a corner far side. Headed clear. The lions cut through them like a hot knife in butter there to move from their own half into the Gil Vicente area. Suárez with a heavy touch inside the area but somehow recovered to find Trincão open but the defender just managed to get his body in the way 

51 This half looks tailor made for the pace of Guilherme. The lions are just going to ping long balls to run onto. We've seen it in both the last two games 

53 30 yard shot blocked from the visitors. Gilbert with the effort. File that away under ambitious. Didn't make it past the edge of the box 

54 Corner near side to Sporting. No - offside called against Geny. Sporting felt they should have had two free kicks in the buildup there but neither given 

57 Whistles as Gil Vicente awarded a goal kick with their defender claiming the last touch 

57 Geny bumped off the ball inside the box but can't see anything wrong with that challenge. Had he gotten a touch to the ball first however you suspect Gil Vicente might have been in trouble there 

60 Murilo heads over from 6 yards, just couldn't get over it. 

61 Hjulmand penalised for a hand ball. Clearly hits his chest as he points out to Godhino. Free kick 30 yards out. 

62 Justice done as Murilo finds row 1P and one of the fans with a diving save tips it down the stairs 

62 Yellow to Zé Carlos pulling back the shirt of Suárez 

63 Big save from Figueira to deny Trincão from 17 yards. He leathered that shot. Corner far side. Even with gloves on his hands they will be stinging there like holding a snowball in winter 

66 I wonder what Morita is like at penalties?

66 Bicycle kick from Varela flies into the stands from 16 yards 

67 Confusion in the Sporting end. Morita was fouled on the edge of the box. Silva then took down a Gil Vicente player inside the area with the ball free but Godhino had already blown for the foul 

70 Quenda and Guilherme both come to the sides. I'll go Gonçalves and Geny off

71 The lions playing keep ball. Triple substitution incoming if the ball ever goes out 

72 ➡️ ⬅️ Geny for Quenda. The stadium erupts and is on its feet for Morita to be replaced by Bragança. Gonçalves for Guilherme. Tears from the Japanese midfielder as Rui Borges embraces him. Might have had watery eyes myself there. Shhh don't tell anyone 🥲

72 ➡️ ⬅️ Zé Carlos for Santos and Hernández for Varela 

77 Quenda is wide right, Guilherme wide left 

78 Garcia shanks one behind from 20 yards, that followed a Murilo blocked effort from just inside the lions box

80 The visitors set for a double substitution 

80 ➡️ ⬅️ Zé Carlos on for Cáseres and Berjemo for Murilo. Not all confusing having two players called Zé Carlos. Mind you no worse than four Gomes' at Wolves 

84 Free kick 34 yards from goal. Gilbert punished for a foul on Hjulmand and the danger passes. Wry smile from the Gil Vicente mister sat on the bench 

85 That Trincão chance for 3-0 feels a long time ago now as this game fizzles out 

88 We have had 88 goals from the lions this season can we make it 89?

88 Esteves with time to shoot from 20 yards and converted for the extra point 

89 ➡️⬅️ Trincão for Blopa and Vagiannidis for Mangas. The former doesn't show signs of waving goodbye to the home fans 

Plus three shown

90 Do not do a Tondela gentlemen

+1 Hug and a handshake as Esteves takes out Hjulmand. The Dane spoons the forward. All a bit R rated 

+2 GOAL Sporting CP 3 Gil Vicente 0. At the third attempt on goal tonight Hjulmand signs off in style. He puffs his cheeks out. Passes into the far corner from 12 yards past the last defender and the keeper. Little wave to the crowd behind the goal

Full time 

Sporting CP 3 Gil Vicente 0 

The final word 

Incredibly I've actually predicted a scoreline right for the first time in a month. So that's it league season finished and second place secured. They finished with three straight wins in May and 12 goals scored. 89 for the season the leagues top scorers. They went unbeaten away from home. No three-peat but we go to Jamor next Sunday in fine form. 

Draw a line under the league campaign, stick a fork in it, we are done. Just one more fixture to play next Sunday in Jamor with the chance to finish with some silverware in the trophy cabinet. I mean technically it's already in the cabinet so really a chance to keep it there for another twelve months. Gil Vicente made a game of it for about all of two minutes in the second half. The skipper finally got his goal to sign off on his last performance as a lion at the José Alvalade. He lasted 90 minutes which is great for him especially considering he finally got his goal three minutes into additional time. There was no way he was going to miss his send off. Beautiful scenes for Morita's withdrawal. What a bargain buy that man has been and I am reliably informed he is genuinely as nice and humble a man as he appears on and off the pitch. Both will be missed hugely. The Dane who unlike me did embrace Portugal and leaned the language. If I become club captain at 48 next season by some twist of fate I promise you I will commit to doing the same. 

For the roosters a lesson in what happens when you sell your top scorer in January. In truth they were poor. In January certain pundits made a big deal that Rui Borges didn't beat them. You can bet your bollocks to a barn dance those exact same pundits won't be saying the opposite tonight. They have never been and quite frankly will never be a big side in Portugal. We've had to fend off a propaganda war all season from Porto, from the media. You can all get fucked. We've recovered from a tough April, picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves down and in some style too. They'll be back competing next season for honours I've no doubt. 

As a spectacle the game had filtered out by around the seventy minute mark. Had Trincão's effort gone in maybe they'd have found an extra spark but they kept going until the end and the Hjulmand goal the perfect full stop on the league campaign. We threw away points against AVS, Tondela and Braga twice. A season of what could have been but we were back to back Champions. We've acted with dignity throughout the campaign. Porto couldn't tell you the meaning of the word. They've had zero class and couldn't even spell it. Some of their histrionics has been embarrassing. To Vitória I say parabéns on the Taça da Liga win. I've no issues with humility when it is deserving. Porto can get fucked. 

One or two players second half maybe conserving some energy and you can't blame them. I don't know how much energy Torreense expanded this morning. Their 4-0 win seems pretty comfortable but they're going to need the footballing Gods to be smiling on them next Sunday.

Quenda leaves with a final assist but on a technicality that he passed the ball straight to a man five yards away who was wide open but they all count. He's never lived up to any of the hype. Next Renato Sanches incoming. See also Gelson Martins. Fans last summer complained we sold him cheap. On this season's showing we'd not have sold him at all. Chelsea have had their pants pulled down there. We didn't see much from Guilherme or Bragança either after they'd come on. Mangas had four minutes along with Blopa. I'm naturally discounting all five from my man of the match vote. 

Morita not awarded an assist so as I suspected his back heel must have taken a touch off the defender on its way through to Suárez. Solid last performance as always. One half thrill with the back heel rather than a no thrills performance. These are the players though with consistent performances that win you titles. I'm going to discount Trincão and Geny as well, not their best performances but it's been a long season for both, especially Trincão who I think has the most minutes of any player out on the pitch for Sporting. I've not updated my spreadsheet since Arsenal at home. It's on the list. Geny has had serious lumps kicked out of him the last few weeks. Almost time to enjoy your summer son and put your feet up. 

Vagiannidis has a touch like Michail Antonio which is not a compliment. Two poor timed tackles. The season has not been kind to him. Gonçalves had a decent first half but went AWOL in the second 45. That leaves me six to choose from. I can only remember seeing Inácio twice but that could just be my eyesight but we'll bin him to make five. No complaints with Araújo's performance overall but I'll kick him into touch, he's had one of the most top four appearances in my final man of the match choices across the entire season. That means I'm doing what I hate to do and putting Rui Silva in which suggests that Gil Vicente had some sort of goal threat which they didn't but he made two great saves and other than hauling down the forward thankfully after the whistle had been blown for the foul on Morita he didn't put a foot wrong all night. Technically he didn't because that didn't count. Eduardo Quaresma solid at the back once more and another goal to add to his slowly growing collection for the club and against Gil Vicente. Let him be the one who stays for his entire career and never leaves. Great kid.

Wonderful bow out for the captain, you can see how he has grown into the role the last two seasons. Start of last campaign he'd be incensed if the decisions went against us. Now we see a calmer maturer response. Deserved his goal, should have had a brace. Another player who will be sorely missed next season. 

Which leaves Luis Suárez who is like a man reborn in my eyes the last three games. He left me so angry and frustrated all through April. Last 270 minutes he's played wide left as if he's spent his nights watching game footage of Viktor Gyökeres and the Colombian has looked a menace in each of those games. His finish for the second goal was sensational. That was proper Roy of the Rovers stuff. He finishes as Portugal's silver ball, the third won in straight seasons. It's cost us €500,000. He needs to deliver next weekend and bring home something concrete to show for the fee we've paid for him. If we see the version of him we've seen the last three weeks then he could write himself into the history books. It took a long time for the penny to drop that the game isn't all about him it's a team effort. We've seen the very best of him and the very worst but he ends his league campaign with back to back to back man of the match from me. So that's a three-peat of sorts right? They all count on some level.

I'll be back for cup final next Sunday. A huge obrigado to everyone who continues to read my nonsense worldwide every week it means a lot. By worldwide I mean everywhere but Portugal. Alanis that is what you call ironic.