Sporting CP v FC Barcelona
Sporting CP v FC Barcelona
Wednesday January 20th, 2027
Estádio José Alvalade
UEFA Champions League Matchday 7
Matchday 1 - Feyenoord (H) 5-1 W
This game was the early kick off on the day the lions opened against Galatasary and I must admit I was busy watching back the U19s 2-2 draw and had missed this result totally until the small hours of Thursday morning. I actually saw the PSG result first (6-1) and was breathing a sigh of relief we don't face them again when I remembered that we do have to face Barca. This is a Barca by the way who don't have a recognised forward at present.
Just 2 minutes gone when ex-lion Raphinha sent two defenders sliding like synchronised swimmers across the box as he swapped his body weight to the left and with his path to goal open stuck it into the bottom left hand corner from 12 yards. Golazzo from Adeyemi on 21' who curled home past the diving Ernst for 2-0 from 20 yards out. 36' Cancelo hit the left hand post from the edge of the six yard box.
56' Raphinha made it 3-0 slotting home into the far right hand corner this time from 12 yards with two defenders on hot pursuit but to no avail. 58' The Dutch thought they had a goal back but were denied by a toe nail in the initial buildup and it was ruled out.
76' Yamal scored from a direct free kick from 19 yards to make it 4-0. Poor from the wall who found itself like Swiss cheese with a massive hole in the middle for the ball to pass through. The Dutch finally go their goal 9 minutes from time as Steijn got on the end of a defence splitting pass to tap home from 3 yards out. 84' Final word to Jesus who flicked on Yamal's cross from 11 yards into the bottom left hand corner for 5-1.
xG 1.88 - 0.52
Total attempts 24 - 4
Shots on target 9 - 2
Big chances 3 - 2
Big chances missed 1 - 1
Galatasaray (A) 1-4 W
27' Gordon was bundled over in the Gala box, referee uninterested and the Turkish champions broke down field. Ex-Sporting winger Leão carried the ball down the left flank and pulled it back for Batrakov to fire home from 18 yards to make it 1-0 very much against the run of play. His shot deflects off the leg of Cancelo which I think is what fools Joan García in the Barca goal. The home sides defence at sixes and sevens on 42' and failed to clear their lines, Barca stole the ball back on the edge of the box forced forward for Cancelo to sweep home from 12 yards and get the last touch on the ball into the right net this time around to make it 1-1. Yamal clipped a pass onto the head of Lòpez on 49' who steered it home from 6 yards for 2-1. Yamal the provider again as somehow he kept the ball in play on the goal line to pull it back for Gordon to score from the edge of the six yard box on 52 minutes. That's his second goal in two games. Adeyemi drilled home from 12 yards on 64' for Barca's fourth of the night. 82' Jesus could have made it 5 but saw his effort from 14 yards saved by García. With half the matchday 2 fixtures played Barca are top of the league table with a certain club called Sporting CP behind them in second. I imagine given we kicked off before everyone else that we must have therefore been top before Barca's win. I'll take it.
Can I just add for anyone who ever wrote the words Quenda is Barca's Lamine Yamal you are properly fucking deluded. They're not even on the same planet in footballing terms. We are I think looking at potentially one of the all time greats of the game if he continues on his current trajectory.
27' Gordon was bundled over in the Gala box, referee uninterested and the Turkish champions broke down field. Ex-Sporting winger Leão carried the ball down the left flank and pulled it back for Batrakov to fire home from 18 yards to make it 1-0 very much against the run of play. His shot deflects off the leg of Cancelo which I think is what fools Joan García in the Barca goal. The home sides defence at sixes and sevens on 42' and failed to clear their lines, Barca stole the ball back on the edge of the box forced forward for Cancelo to sweep home from 12 yards and get the last touch on the ball into the right net this time around to make it 1-1. Yamal clipped a pass onto the head of Lòpez on 49' who steered it home from 6 yards for 2-1. Yamal the provider again as somehow he kept the ball in play on the goal line to pull it back for Gordon to score from the edge of the six yard box on 52 minutes. That's his second goal in two games. Adeyemi drilled home from 12 yards on 64' for Barca's fourth of the night. 82' Jesus could have made it 5 but saw his effort from 14 yards saved by García. With half the matchday 2 fixtures played Barca are top of the league table with a certain club called Sporting CP behind them in second. I imagine given we kicked off before everyone else that we must have therefore been top before Barca's win. I'll take it.
Can I just add for anyone who ever wrote the words Quenda is Barca's Lamine Yamal you are properly fucking deluded. They're not even on the same planet in footballing terms. We are I think looking at potentially one of the all time greats of the game if he continues on his current trajectory.
xG 0.43 - 2.83
Total attempts 5 - 22
Shots on target 3 - 11
Big chances 0 - 9
Big Chances missed 0 - 6
Matchday 3 - PSG (A) 4-2 L
I remain eternally grateful that when we played the back to back reigning European Champions at the José Alvalade last season that they were under strength and couldn't even field a full bench. I'm under no illusions on another night they would have battered us out of sight. Barca came into this fixture with a 100% record in all competitions. In the Liga 9 wins scoring 39 times. 2 Champions League wins with another 9 goals. Six times they'd scored 5 goals or more in a game.
PSG domestically by comparison have been all over the shop albeit they sit second on goal difference and are one of five sides level on 14 points. Yet 4 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss does tell it's own story. There's a huge gulf between them and the likes of Levante, Racing Santander, Elche, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia.
It took 37 minutes for the first goal to arrive and when it finally did the floodgates opened. Turns out it was worth waiting for as well as Doué fired home from inside the D in-between two defenders and into the bottom left hand corner for 1-0. Espart burst into the box on 54 and rammed the ball home from 8 yards to make 1-1. PSG could have gone ahead on 70’ but saw an attempt hit the post. They didn't have long to wait in fairness as a minute later Hernández powered home a header from 10 yards from a corner on the far side.
On an uncharacteristicly poor night for Lamine Yamal where he lost possession 20 times (not a typo) he was still good enough to beat his marker and make it 2-2 from a narrow angle toe poking the ball up over the shoulder of the PSG keeper. Even Esgaio never lost the ball 20 times in one game. That goal had come on 78’ and if Barca were hoping for a point or maybe snatching a winner it only took 2 minutes for that hope to vanish. Vitinha smashed home a volley from 20 yards into the bottom right hand corner. Sensational technique and a finish of real technical quality. To rub their noses in it PSG added their fourth of the night on 85’ when Ruiz tapped home at the far post unmarked from just a yard out.
Barca fans will asterisk the loss with the fact they play Real in El Clássico and alongside injuries to key players they also rested some in addition. Let's face it though PSG are champions two seasons running for a reason.
xG 3.73 - 2.19
Total Attempts 22 - 18
Shots on target 15 - 5
Big chances 6 - 5
Big chances missed 5 - 3
