The team fight back from behind to win 3-2

Sporting Clube de Portugal dug deep to beat CF Estrela da Amadora 3-2 on Matchday 10 of the Liga Portugal season, turning around a 1-2 deficit at the start of the second half.

Missing Hidemasa Morita and Geny Catamo through injury, coach Rúben Amorim made three changes to the starting XI from the last league encounter, with the additions of Nuno Santos, Daniel Bragança and Ricardo Esgaio. He also handed a debut appearance in the squad to Geovany Quenda, a 16-year-old winger who has shone in the Under-23s.

Sporting CP started the match in complete control, camped out in the opposition half. With the central defenders playing very high up, close to the midfield line, they tried to exert high pressure and steadily put attacking moves together.

The first big opportunity was from Marcus Edwards, with a shot that forced goalkeeper António Filipe to intervene, followed by Pedro Gonçalves trying his luck twice without success. At the other end, the visitors, coming off a run of three consecutive victories without any goals conceded, used long deliveries upfield whenever they had the ball.

The superiority would end up paying off in the 33rd minute, with Daniel Bragança opening the scoring. Following some excellent individual work on the left flank, Viktor Gyökeres made a delayed pass that found the midfielder on the edge of the area, and he shot first time to make it 1-0.

Soon after, the visitors had a first opportunity of note, but Antonio Adán came off his line and removed the danger with a good intervention.

Until half-time it was practically all Sporting CP, with Os Leões persistent in attack and making several dangerous approaches to the opposition goal, although without success.

The script was flipped as the second half began, with a surprising turnaround on the scoresheet by CF Estrela da Amadora. In the 50th minute, Léo Jabá converted a penalty to equalise, then in the 55th minute Kikas put the away team 1-2 up off a quick counterattack.

At a disadvantage, Sporting CP were forced to react, responding with a series of chances. After Bragança had already come very close to scoring twice, Diomande and Hjulmand also had efforts off target. Soon after, Rúben Amorim made his first substitutions, bringing on Gonçalo Inácio, Jeremiah St. Juste, Francisco Trincão and Paulinho.

The lines advanced and and the pressure intensified on the opposing area, with more men up front to try to convert chances. The dangerous attacks continued, but the final ball was still lacking until, in the 71st minute, Marcus Edwards zigzagged between three defenders with a wonderful run, then fired into the net.

Looking to complete the turnaround, supported by the frenetic atmosphere in the stands, they made it 3-2 shortly after: In the 79th minute Paulinho appeared in the area to head in a cross from Edwards.

Once again in front Sporting CP were now more comfortable, but that did not stop them from threatening further goals. Gonçalves almost increased the score with a great shot from outside the area, but António Filipe responded with a huge save. He would be a hero again shortly afterwards, knocking Trincão's effort off the line.

Until the end, the visitors, led by Sérgio Vieira, tested Adán with a header and had a shot wide, but Sporting CP took their ninth win from ten games thanks to their belief and persistence..

Os Leões, who with this result remain the only unbeaten team in the competition and outright leaders, play on Thursday against RKS Raków on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates [C] (Gonçalo Inácio, 59'), Matheus Reis (Jeremiah St. Juste, 59'), Ricardo Esgaio (Francisco Trincão, 59'), Daniel Bragança ( Paulinho, 64'), Morten Hjulmand, Nuno Santos, Pedro Gonçalves, Marcus Edwards e Viktor Gyökeres.