Sporting CP stay unbeaten in the Champions League with a 1-1 draw

In the UEFA Champions League, Sporting Clube de Portugal took a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven thanks to an 84th minute equaliser from Daniel Bragança. They now have 4 points from their two games in the competition.

Both sides had a perfect record of seven wins and 30 goals scored in their respective domestic leagues, although Sporting CP had also bested Lille OSC 2-0 in their Champions League opener.

To face a team unbeaten at home since 12 November 2022, Rúben Amorim made two changes to the starting lineup used in the victory at home against GD Estoril Praia. Geovany Quenda came in on the right wing and Geny Catamo moved to the attacking trio, whilst Gonçalo Inácio returned to the XI. Maxi Araújo was rotated out and Matheus Reis was absent due to injury, as were Pedro Gonçalves and Marcus Edwards and Jeremiah St. Juste.

Around 1,750 Sporting CP fans made their voices heard from the start.

PSV took more initiative with the ball in the early going and Sporting CP looked to send passes upfield to Viktor Gyökeres as quickly as possible, but they were always closely monitored by PSV's Ryan Flamingo.

Soon after, the home team's plans came to fruition. A ball stolen near the Sporting CP area resulted in the first shot, saved by Franco Israel, but shortly after the threat continued: Once again, the Dutch side pressed high, and Jerdy Schouten fired a powerful and well-placed shot in to make it 1-0. Sporting CP conceded for the first time since their 1-6 win against CD Nacional on August 17th.

PSV were galvanised by the goal, and they also increased their aggression and the number of fouls (12-3 at half-time). Sporting CP suffered another setback when Ousmane Diomande was injured, and he had to be replaced by Eduardo Quaresma.

As they gradually recovered, a run by Francisco Trincão ended up at the feet of Gyökeres, but his first-time shot was immediately blocked by a defender. A header wide by Inácio at the end of the first half, was the closest they would come to an equaliser before half time.

At the start of the second half, it was once again the Dutch champions who began strongest. Ismael Saibari and Guus Til both provided warnings with shots off target, leading to Rúben Amorim looking to reshuffle the team. Daniel Bragança came on for Geny Catamo, providing fluidity and tempo to Sporting CP's play.

After PSV's Luuk de Jong missed from a one-on-one with Israel, Sporting CP managed to get their first chance to attack through Quenda, but neither Bragança nor Trincão managed to get a shot off well. That was followed by a chance in which Quaresma slipped just as he was about to square up to goalkeeper Walter Benítez.

Quenda tried his luck with a curling shot that went just wide, and to continue the momentum Conrad Harder and Maxi Araújo were brought on for the final ten minutes -replacing Nuno Santos and Francisco Trincão.

Both Johan Bakayoko, for PSV, and Harder, for Sporting CP, had clear-cut chances to score, but were unsuccessful with their finishing.

Just when it seemed that an equaliser would not arrive, Bragança salvaged a point in the 84th minute. The cross came from another substitute, the recently introduced Maxi Araújo, and the midfielder burst into the area to score his first ever goal in the UEFA Champions League.

Late on, it was Sporting CP who had the last chance, but Benítez stretched out and blocked a powerful shot from Harder to keep the stalemate at the final whistle.

Now with four points, Sporting CP will visit Austrian side SK Sturm Graz on October 22nd. Before that, they will return to Alvalade to face Casa Pia AC in Liga Portugal this weekend.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Geovany Queda, Zeno Debast, Ousmane Diomande (Eduardo Quaresma, 31’), Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Santos (Maxi Araújo, 80’), Morten Hjulmand [C], Hidemasa Morita, Francisco Trincão (Conrad Harder, 80’), Geny Catamo (Daniel Bragança, 52’) and Viktor Gyökeres.