Sporting CP best FC Vizela 2-1 at home

Sporting Clube de Portugal took a 2-1 win over FC Vizela on Liga Portugal Matchday 17, through goals from Pedro Gonçalves and Pedro Porro.

Rúben Amorim fielded an unchanged starting XI of Antonio Adán, Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis, Pedro Porro, Manuel Ugarte, Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards, Paulinho and Francisco Trincão.

The game started out with both teams creating opportunities to score, but none of these broke the deadlock. Sporting CP were the first to create danger, just five minutes into the game, through Paulinho, after a long ball by Sebastián Coates, but Buntic would block the strike. FC Vizela responded through Osmajic, but Adán also responded well to keep the effort out.

Sporting CP had the most promising chance of the initial spell, as Trincão was played through on goal, but the visiting goalkeeper got the better of the equation again.

Under ten minutes later, Trincão went close again, but slipped when lining up his shot and Buntic gathered without any problem.

A Paulinho header wide and a Nuno Santos strike over continued a series of attacks for Sporting CP, and just before the break Pedro Porro crossed from the right, Paulinho shooting wide. Porro's own effort shortly after was held by Buntic and the game reached halftime with the score still 0-0.

Hidemasa Morita replaced Marcus Edwards for the restart, accompanying Manuel Ugarte in midfield, and Gonçalves moved up into the place vacated by the Englishman.

Off a corner won by FC Vizela, Sporting CP went on the counterattack, ending with Gonçalves shooting over from inside the area.

Gonçalves had better luck on the hour, when Matheus Reis had a shot deflected by the goalkeeper. The rebound came to Porro, who knocked it to his teammate to score.

With the score at 1-0, Paulinho came close to scoring a second, as he beat a defender at the edge of the area and shot against the post. Minutes later, he had the ball in the net -the goal ruled out as he had taken it out of play beforehand.

In the 75th minute, FC Vizela equalised through Méndez, in a move which was controversial as the ball had hit the referee in the buildup.

Amorim made more changes, giving a full debut to Mateo Tanlongo and a first appearance at home for Youssef Chermiti, as Ugarte and Gonçalves made way.

In the 90th minute, with seven more of additional time awarded, VAR intervened in favour of Sporting CP: Paulinho was hit in the head by Igor Julião and a penalty was awarded.

Porro slotted home to make it 2-1 giving the three points to his side in a deserved win.

Sporting CP's next fixture is on Tuesday, in Leiria, in the Taça da Liga semi-final against FC Arouca.