A 1-1 draw with RKS Raków Częstochowa keeps the team in contention

Sporting CP drew 1-1 with RKS Raków Częstochowa in their third Group D game in the UEFA Europa League. The match saw a major setback with a sending off for Viktor Gyökeres early on, and whilst they would score through Sebastián Coates, an 80th minute equaliser  denied Sporting CP the full cuota of points.

RKS Raków's usual home ground is the Miejski Stadion Piłkarski, but this game took place in a ground located about 60 kilometers south, in the Zaglebie Sosnowiec SA stadium used for European fixtures this season.

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim made seven changes to his first XI from the game against CD Olivais e Moscavide: Ricardo Esgaio, Ousmane Diomande, Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita and Gyökeres were all brought in, joining Franco Israel (debuting as a starter in the Europa League), Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves and Marcus Edwards, the four who maintained their starting spots.

RKS Raków -fourth in the Polish league so far this term- had yet to take points or score in the UEFA Europa League group stage.

The early blow for Sporting CP came in just the eighth minute, when Gyökeres unintentionally stepped on an opponent and had his initial yellow card upgraded to a straight red, leaving his team down to 10 men and without their star striker.

The response to the blow could not have been better, however, as after 14 minutes, Pedro Gonçalves took a corner kick and captain Coates rose above everyone else and headed the ball into the back of the net – scoring his first goal of the season.

Shortly afterwards, Edwards was sent through on a long ball and, when in the area, forced goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević to make the first save of the match. Despite having one less player on the pitch, Sporting CP showed maturity, both with and without the ball, and controlled the game, while in attack they sought to exploit the mobility offered by Gonçalves and Edwards throughout the first half.

After half an hour, however, RKS Raków threatened twice: First with defender Milan Rundić shooting over, and then winger John Yeboah striking just wide of the post.

In turn, Sporting delivered a pass from Inácio's that isolated Gonçalves, but his chip attempt was reached by Kovačević.

The second half started with a serious warning from RKS Raków, created by Dawid Szwarga, but from close range Jean Carlos missed the final deflection when he had everything in his favour.

Without the same freshness and ability to press and attack after the restart, before the 60th minute Amorim changed his two most advanced players: Paulinho and Geny Catamo replaced the selfless 'Pote' and Edwards.

The tone of the game changed little and Os Leões followed their defensive plan to the letter, albeit with reduced attacking opportunities. The best that RKS Raków produced was a weak shot from Srdjan Plavšić which, after a deflection, fell into the hands of Franco Israel.

However, it was at the start of the last ten minutes that everything changed, when the Sporting CP resistance finally fell.

After a move involving an attacking  transition, Fabian Piasecki appeared at the far post to finish and scored the Polish team's first goal in the Europa League, levelling the game.

Taking advantage of the momentum of the goal, the home team grew in confidence and mustered up dangerous approaches into the Sporting CP area, mainly through several crosses that Coates had to send away.

Sporting CP ended the game with more shots taken and having shown defensive strength with a numerical inferiority, but would leave Poland with only a point.

Elsewhere in the group, Atalanta BC 2-2 draw against Sturm Graz keeps them top with seven points, Sporting CP level with the Austrian side with four points.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Ricardo Esgaio, Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Reis (Nuno Santos, 89'), Morten Hjulmand (Daniel Bragança, 89'), Hidemasa Morita, Marcus Edwards (Paulinho, 58'), Pedro Gonçalves (Geny Catamo, 58'), Viktor Gyökeres.