Mattheus Oliveira

Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Estoril Praia – Futebol SAD for the permanent transfer of Mattheus Oliveira. The player has signed a contract valid until 2022, with a buy-out clause of 60,000,000.00€.

Sporting SAD wishes Mattheus Oliveira the best of professional and personal success.

Jorge Jesus happy with his side's third consecutive Liga NOS win

"We are looking to turn in consecutive wins to build up more confidence", opened Jorge Jesus at the final whistle on Saturday evening, after watching his side beat Estoril 2-0.

Despite having tallied what is now a third consecutive Liga NOS win, Jesus is keen to see his team put away more of the abundance of the opportunities being created: "We played well, although we were better in the second-half. We were better today than we were against Rio Ave and the lads are starting to understand better now our defensive processes, which gives us time to score. We didn't have a lot of chances early on, but we scored as soon as we did. The second-half was better for us and we had opportunities through against the Estoril keeper. We have to be more effective when we have chances like those."

Asked to comment on his midfield choice, bringing in Palhinha in place of Adrien, along side the injured William Carvalho, Jesus was full of praise for the pair: "William played a lot better after the break. He wasn't playing in his usual position, so he was a bit lost in terms of positioning in the first-half. Palhinha is a young lad who is learning to keep his cool, but he is really strong physically and I am sure he will have a great career. Step by step we will give the youngsters opportunities."

Bryan Ruiz and Bas Dost secure third consecutive Liga NOS victory

Two Sporting CP goals in Estádio António Coimbra da Mota without response secured a third successive Liga NOS win for Jorge Jesus' side this weekend. It was Bryan Ruiz and Bas Dost who found the net, with the latter taking his season tally to 18 in 20 matches.

Dost's late goal (86') was the cherry on the top of the cake after some quick attacking football that first found the net in the 22nd minute, when Alan Ruiz broke away down the right and drove a cross into the box. Schelotto failed to capitalise, but Bryan Ruiz was on hand at the far post to slot in from close range. In all honesty, Sporting CP could and should have walked away with a much more express margin of victory, but a lack of a more clinical touch in front of goal saw various opportunities left wanting.

Jorge Jesus sits down with the press ahead of the weekend's short trip to Estoril

Although Estoril Praia are having a tough season, Jorge Jesus did not dismiss the potential of this Saturday's opponent, particularly on home turf.

"Playing in Amoreira is always hard for the big teams. They need the points to try to get out of a position that they aren't used to being in, but we need them as well to get closer to our rivals. It is going to be a hard fought game and we will be under pressure at times, but that is part of it. The best teams can't always dominate", said the Sporting CP coach, adding: "We will have to do the best we can with the players we have available and we fully trust in the lads. Obviously Adrien would be in the team and he is our captain, so it won't be the same, but we believe in whoever comes in."

Currently nine points off 2nd in Liga NOS, Jorge Jesus dismissed the idea of difficulty in motivating his players. After all, playing for Sporting CP is enough to fire up any athlete: "It isn't hard to motivate players, because this is a club that always fights to be at the top. Tomorrow our objective is to ge the three points and we want to secure a Champions League place as soon as possible."

The Alvalade boss finished with an analysis of Estoril, led by Pedro Carmona: "The new Estoril coach is still implementing his ideas. It won't be an Estoril team that looks to get forward, that is our job. They will be well organised at the back, from dead balls and attacking on the break."

Ticket news for Liga NOS matchday 23

Tickets for Liga NOS matchday 23, between Estoril Praia and Sporting Clube de Portugal, will go on sale at the Estádio José Alvalade ticket offices (from 10h00 to  20h00) as follows:

WEDNESDAY | Club Members with a Gamebox 2016/2017
THURSDAY | Club Members
FRIDAY | General public

A valid Gamebox or Member card must be presented on the first two days of sale (January 2017 fees paid), with each card valid for 1 ticket. Each person may present a total of 4 cards.

Kick-off is scheduled for 18h15 on Saturday the 25th of February, in Estádio António Coimbra da Mota. Tickets are for the North Goal End and are priced at 12€ each. 

Gelson Martins on Sporting's return to winning form

Gelson Martins was once again the fire in Sporting's belly this Friday, this time with a superb performance out wide against an Estoril side that struggled to deal with the speedy youngster.

"It was a good win after two losses. We started well and we looked good for the most part. The fans really help us and they have stuck with us", said Gelson at the final whistle, adding a word on the coming Champions League hosting of Legia Warsaw: "We want the win, just like we always do."

Jorge Jesus praises his side's performance in Alvalade on Friday night

Jorge Jesus was understandably pleased with his side's 4-2 thrashing of Estoril on Friday night, although two last-minute Estoril goals could have been avoided.

"It was objective achieved for us and it was important to get the win. Losing always leaves you a bit shaken, but we made a really solid start in the first half an hour and it got easier in the second-half. It was looking really easy when we were 3-0 up, but we eased up a bit in defence", said Jesus in his post-match meeting with the press, adding: "Normally teams who work with me don't let in a lot of goals. We conceded two through a lack of intensity and discipline in defence."

Alvalade's new faces were also the focus of the Alvalade coach's analysis at the final whistle: "The lads who have arrived don't have the awareness or form of the others yet. You notice it a bit when we put the new lads in defence, but it has to be done. This is the same as the pre-season for three or four of the players."

Sporting CP put four past Estoril courtesy of Bas Dost (2), Coates and André

Sporting brushed off two consecutive defeats (Real Madrid and Rio Ave) in the best possible fashion this Saturday, with a convincing performance against Estoril that saw Jesus' side bag four goals.

The game got off to a more or less balanced start, but it wasn't long before Sporting took cntrol of the action with some high pressure and a defensive back line virtually playing in the Estoril half. It took just 13 minutes to break and concede after a move triggered by one of Gelson's blistering bursts down the wing and a pin-point cross that Bas Dost headed home.

Sporting would have been forgiven for easing off after the early strike, but Jesus' side had other ideas and kept turning the screw with some fantastic tackling and calm passing in midfield. Chances, however, were largely few and far between and Sporting took in just a narrow lead at the break. Jesus responded with one of his typically genius substitutions, bringing on André in place of Alan Ruiz with a move that started an avalanche of attacking football.

A deserved second goal came one minute before the hour mark, when Coates won the areal duel with the Estoril keeper to head in. It took just three minutes for Sporting to strike again, this time with William Carvalho picking out Bas Dost's serging run through the middle for the Dutchman to slot a cool finish from just inside the area. Sporting could have completely ran away with the result after Dost's second, but André came up painfully short of a pass from Markovic in the 73rd minute and William blazed his effort over the bar after sprinting the length of the pitch with the ball at his feet.

The last few minutes of the game brought with them their fair share of drama, starting with an 84th minute goal from Estoril through Bruno Gomes after a move down the right. Seconds later Bruno Gomes fired in his second after a lapse in defence, before André secured the three points just before the whistle after a pass from Bryan Ruiz.

The win moves Sporting into the Liga NOS top spot on 15 points.

Jorge Jesus more than aware of the difficulties posed by Friday's hosting of Estoril

After last week's slip up against Rio Ave (3-1), Jorge Jesus is confident that his side will be back in winning form this Friday against the visiting Estoril, on Liga NOS matchday 6.

"We are feeling confident going into the match, particularly with us being strong at home. Estoril are a hard team to play against for teams in Lisbon, but we will try to show the form we have been, especially at home, and if we do then we will be one step closer to getting the win. The objective is to get the three points", opened the Sporting boss, adding: "Every team is a reflection of its coach, both negatively and positively. Teams are the image of the person who leads them and we can't get away from that. Is there any coach that doesn't think that their team is the best? Of course I believe in my players.

Asked about any likely squad rotation, with a Champions League fixture awaiting next week, Jesus affirmed: "I have never been of the opinion that you shouldn't change a team just because it has won a match. I have never let that idea guide me. For me the most important thing is that we put the work in during the week and how the lads deal with that. A squad can always change based on what I think. Bruno César has been praised for various performances at left back, which wasn't where he played in Madrid. I said several times that if he doesn't play at left back then he he will play in another position. If there is any one of my players I am happy with then it is with him.

Despite Sporting having suffered two consecutive defeats, albeit one against Real Madrid, Jesus brushed off any suggestion of damage to his side's morale: "Of course it hurts whenever you lose. There is not such thing as a moral loss and losing against Rio Ave is the same as losing against Real Madrid. Of course it hurt us to lose in Vila do Conde and sometimes it can leave a mark, but sometimes it doesnt."

João Pereira looks ahead to Friday's hosting of Estoril

Looking to recover from two consecutive loses against Real Madrid and Rio Ave, Sporting will be looking to get back to winning form this Friday against Estoril.

“We have to be prepared for anything. We have had some hard moments in the five games we have played so far, but we are ready. The three points are important this Friday and we want to win for our fans. We are ready to go for it", said João Pereira in an interview with the Sporting Journal this week.