Sporting in cruise control on Champions League matchday 2

Sporting CP outclassed Legia Warsaw on Champions League matchday 2 this Tuesday night, securing 3 points with a 2-0 win to put the pressure on group leaders Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

The game actually got off to tense start for Jesus's side, with Legia looking to show that they had shaken off the matchday 1 thrashing by Dortmund (6-0) by venturing forward against what was expected to be a dominating Sporting.

However, the Polish visitor's resistance didn't keep up for long and as soon as Sporting turned up the pace, possession and opportunities followed. First to try his look was Bruno César with one of his usually audacious efforts from range (10'), followed by Adrien a minute later (11'). Bruno César was having a terrorising night going forward and in the 17th minute the stand-in midfielder picked out Bas Dost in the heart of the area, but the Dutchman's shot was cut out by Czerwinski as he raced back into position. One minute later, Gelson somehow managed to hammer a rebound off the underside of the cross bar and out to safety from little more than three metres away.

The first big cheer of the night came in the 26th minute, but it wasn't because the ball was in the back of the net, at least not in Alvalade. Over in England, former Alvalade hero Islam Slimani had opened the scoring against FC Porto and the news was enthusiastically welcomed in Alvalade.

Slimani's goal over a thousand miles away was the signal for Sporting's opener, when Bryan Ruiz popped up at the far post (28') for a goal that had been coming pretty much since the opening whistle.Bas Dost has a couple of opportunities to double the lead with a header wide (32') and an effort cut out by Rzezniczak (35'), before it was third time lucky for the Dutchman with a shot that sent Malarz the wrong way.

With the result essentially guaranteed, the rest of the encounter was largely just management for Sporting, as minds turn to a generally tough encounter with Guimarães at the weekend.