The team triumph 0-2 over SK Sturm Graz

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat SK Sturm Graz 0-2 on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League league stage, taking them to two wins and one draw in the competition.

The triumph was achieved on a 'neutral ground', 140 km from Graz, as SK Sturm Graz’ stadium does not meet the requirements for hosting a Champions League game. The match had to be played at the Wörthersee Stadion, in Klagenfurt.

Sporting CP fielded an XI of Franco Israel, Ricardo Esgaio, Zeno Debast, Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo, Daniel Bragança, Morten Hjulmand, Nuno Santos, Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres and Maxi Araújo.

Favourites for the game, Sporting CP started well, keeping the ball well and being aggressive, as coach Rúben Amorim had requested.

For the first chance of the match, Francisco Trincão worked well in the centre and set up a shot from the edge of the area, but his effort went over; Subsequently, and after showing greater danger on the left, Viktor Gyökeres crossed from the right, drawing out the goalkeeper, but Maxi Araújo at the second post did not arrive in time to finish.

In the 16th minute, another opportunity went Sporting CP’s way, with Gyökeres striking and the SK Sturm Graz goalkeeper having to stretch to deny him.

Os Leões managed to find many more spaces and successively reach the final third. On 23 minutes, there was a goal that they richly deserved: Catamo crossed from the right, Gyökeres was not quite able to touch the ball, but just behind him Nuno Santos appeared to shoot into the net.

After establishing a 0-1 lead, soon a second goal was in sight, with Gyökeres receiving with his back to goal, turning and shooting. However, as he fell, his hit went wide.

After half an hour of play, SK Sturm Graz finally had their first chance and nearly scored, but Franco Israel pushed the shot away. He made another save from Jatta’s weak attempt a few moments later.

Before halftime, Os Leões still threatened, through Hjulmand -who had a shot intercepted-, then Trincão -whose header was saved by the Austrian goalkeeper.

The home team managed to create a threat in the first minutes of the second half, but Sporting CP managed to double their advantage through the usual suspect: Zeno Debast sent through Gyökeres from the left, the Swede went into the area, left an opponent in his path, drew out the goalkeeper, avoided another player and shot to make it 0-2 on 53 minutes.

Amorim made his first change right after, taking off Ricardo Esgaio and putting on Matheus Reis -returning from injury that had kept him out for almost a month.

A penalty was awarded to Sporting CP when Catamo went down in the box, although after pointing to the 11-metre mark, referee Giorgi Kruashvili reversed the decision upon consulting VAR.

Amorim made three substitutions with the introduction of Pedro Gonçalves and Jeremiah St. Juste, both also back after injury, and also Hidemasa Morita, who replaced Maxi Araújo, Zeno Debast and Daniel Bragança, respectively.

From there, it was only after the 80th minute that Sporting CP reached the opposition area again, with Trincão on the half-turn shooting and sending the ball wide.

In response, Israel had to stop another shot from SK Sturm Graz, and Amorim also wanted to be more daring. Therefore, he gave Geovany Quenda a late cameo, removing Nuno Santos, with Geny Catamo moving to the left hand side. Quenda immediately put SK Sturm Graz's goal in danger, but the goalkeeper made the save

Soon after, Sporting CP could, once again, have killed off the game: A quick transition in which Trincão released Gyökeres ended in a strike that went wide.

Jeremiah St. Juste, in one of the last moves of the game, headed away from a Sturm Graz shot, and Sporting CP kept another clean sheet en route to a 0-2 win.

Sporting CP travel to take on FC Famalicão on Saturday (8:30 p.m.) in Liga Portugal.