A 0-2 win on the road keeps the team outright leaders

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Boavista FC 0-2 in a Monday night Liga Portugal fixture, as the team reestablished their spot as outright leaders of the division. They are three points ahead of the second and third placed teams – SL Benfica and FC Porto.

Coach Rúben Amorim made two changes to the starting lineup, rotating out Franco Israel and Ricardo Esgaio. He went for Antonio Adán, Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo, Hidemasa Morita, Morten Hjulmand, Matheus Reis, Marcus Edwards, Viktor Gyökeres and Pedro Gonçalves as his first XI for the league contest.

Looking for their 17th victory at Bessa, Sporting CP started the game well and provided the first warning off a set piece, with Pedro Gonçalves forcing Boavista FC goalkeeper João Gonçalves into a save.

Two minutes later, the stopper faced a shot from Geny Catamo that went into the side netting.

Boavista FC responded through Bozenik who, after breaking free on the left, sent a cross-shot towards Adán's goal, but without providing significant danger. Six minutes later, the Slovak provided a bigger threat, but struck wide.

With these opportunities, the home team began to grow into the match. Sporting CP, despite some difficulties, still controlled the game, however, frequently breaking into the opposition area and creating chances. Morten Hjulmand got involved on one of those occasions, receiving a ball from Geny Catamo, but a defender intercepted for a corner.

Finally, in the 37th minute, the opening goal arrived. Matheus Reis saw Catamo unmarked close to the back post and sent a precise ball his way, with a shot off the fullback's left foot flying into the net.

With the deadlock broken, Sporting CP gained confidence and went in search of a second goal, but were unable to increase their advantage before the interval.

A languid start to the second half was punctuated in the 55th minute with a Marcus Edwards effort off a Boavista mistake, but he lost out in the one-on-one.

A spell of minutes followed without any great opportunities, but with the home team believing they could find an equaliser. At around the 70th minute mark, Amorim started to make changes, taking off Sebastián Coates and bringing on Jeremiah St. Juste, then introducing Nuno Santos and Ricardo Esgaio.

Boavista FC had a goal disallowed for offside, then tested Adán with another chance, but Sporting CP then reached their most prolific point in the game.

After receiving the ball from Morten Hjulmand, Gonçalves shot against the post, Ricardo Esgaio recovered and set up the winger again, for him to score with a backheeled shot.

Geny Catamo and Viktor Gyökeres made way for Francisco Trincão and Paulinho after the second goal, and the latter immediately had the opportunity to make it 0-3, but João Gonçalves denied his strike.

The game concluded 0-2, with an eighth Liga Portugal win of the season going Sporting CP's way.