Sporting CP run out 4-0 victors at home in Liga Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Portimonense SC 4-0 at home on Matchday 6 of the Liga Portugal season, as Francisco Trincão bagged a brace and Pedro Gonçalves and Nuno Santos added to the scoresheet. The win was the third in as many games for Rúben Amorim's side.

The coach, taking into account a packed schedule that includes midweek Champions League fixtures, made four changes to his starting XI: Nuno Santos, Luís Neto, Rochinha and Ricardo Esgaio came in for Matheus Reis, Jeremiah St. Juste, Manuel Ugarte and Pedro Porro, who had begun the game against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

After a quiet first few minutes, Sporting CP took the initiative, not only threatening but also establishing an early lead. After Esgaio had shot straight at opposition goalkeeper Kosuke, on the resulting corner the ball went into the 'D', where Trincão, with his left foot, shot first time. His strike -which caught a deflection off a defender, found its way into the net and made it 1-0 at Alvalade.

The rapid goal forced Portimonense SC coach Paulo Sérgio to abandon his highly conservative strategy of a packed defensive line. The visitors had come into the game in fourth place in the table and the second fewest goals conceded (two).

With plenty of the ball, Sporting CP were controlling the action, with attacks and combinations between Edwards and Trincão, and runs by Esgaio on the right.

Trincão had a dangerous shot intercepted by a defender and Rochinha hit just wide of the goal. For the away team, ex-Leão Gonçalo Costa -who would be taken off before the half hour- put Antonio Adán to the test, for the first time close to 25 minutes in.

The pace then slowed down, before Sporting CP picked it back up with a series of chances. First, Nuno Santos forced a great save from Kosuke, and in the 40th minute, a three-touch move took the team 2-0 to the good. After a recovery high up the pitch, he immediately launched the ball long to Rochinha, who crossed low for Trincão to finish.

Just before the break, only the goalkeeper kept out a shot from Edwards from outside the area, whilst referee Cláudio Pereira momentarily lost control of the game and showed four cards, three of them to Sporting CP – including a red to assistant coach Carlos Fernandes.

After the halftime break, Matheus Reis replaced Gonçalo Inácio. Amorim was then forced to take off Neto when he received a hard challenge, bringing on Porro.
Later, on the hour, the coach freshened things up with Paulinho and Sotiris Alexandropoulos coming on for Rochinha and Morita.

Sporting CP were comfortable and enjoying several attacks. After Coates had threatened with a header from a corner, Paulinho chased a lost ball in the area and, with the goalkeeper coming out, set up Trincão. Pedrão would clear off the line.

In the 72nd minute the score was extended to 3-0, through Gonçalves as he appeared alone at the far post to meet a perfect cross from Porro.

Nuno Santos rounded off the win with an assist from Gonçalves, shooting low to take the result to 4-0.

Sporting CP move up to ten points in Liga Portugal. They will be back in action on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, playing  Tottenham Hotspur FC is scheduled for 5:45pm local time at Alvalade.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Ricardo Esgaio, Luís Neto (Pedro Porro, 54'), Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio (Matheus Reis, 46'), Nuno Santos, Hidemasa Morita (Sotiris Alexandropoulos, 60'), Pedro Gonçalves , Francisco Trincão, Marcus Edwards (Paulinho, 60’) and Rochinha (Manuel Ugarte, 54’).