Montero scores late winner to keep Sporting ahead of the pack

Jorge Jesus’ side were only interested in a win this Monday evening against Nacional that would keep Sporting at the top of the I Liga table and no other result looked likely, with the team from Alvalade holding down long spells of possession and pegging the visitors back into their final third.

Chance after chance failed to put the ball in the ball of the net, with Gelson, Slimani and Jefferson all coming close in the first-half. However, the pressure soon paid off, when Sequeira was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence. A man down, the visitors could do little more than bunker down in defence, while Sporting continued to press for a goal.

The second-half was much of the game, with Jorge Jesus’ charges piling on the pressure but struggling to create space to get a shot away against a closed Nacional defence. Nerves began to show in the crowd, but some calm, collective play finally got its reward four minutes from time, when Montero found a yard to tuck away the winner.

The result keeps Sporting in 1st, tied on 13 points with FC Porto. Sporting are next in action at the weekend against Boavista, in Estádio do Bessa.