Sporting held to a draw after coming from behind with 10 men
Sporting were left to settle for a draw against the visiting Tondela this Friday night, in a match that saw Rui Patrício sent off in the first-half. Nathan Junior opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 29th minute, before Slimani and Gelson Martins put Sporting into the lead. Chamorro struck for Tondela with five minutes on the clock to split the points.
Despite expectations, Tondela actually made an offensive start to the encounter, pressing high and interrupting Sporting's usually fluid passing game. Jesus' side were largely starved of opportunities early on and the first chance fell to the visitors, when Nathan Junior made the most of an incomplete pass by Bryan Ruiz to fire a warning shot towards Patrício's goal.
Sporting responded from a move down the flank and João Mário managed to turn a header towards the target, but Matt Jones comfortably saved from what was the hosts' only real chance of the first twenty minutes. Sporting soon had Tondela falling back into their own half and Bruno César capitalised on the pressure with a headed effort, but the Brazilian was unable to find the mark after a cross from Ruiz.
Despite what was quickly becoming one-way traffic, it was Tondela who opened the scoring, when Rui Patrício was forced to scramble off his line in the 29th minute to intercept a break away from Nathan Junior. The Alvalade shotstopper got a foot on the ball, but Junior went crashing down in the penalty area all the same and referee Luís Ferreira was quick to his pocket to brandish red and point to the spot. Junior himself stepped up to convert, giving Marcelo Boeck an inglorious entrance into the evening's action in place of Bruno César.
Although a man down and already wounded by a dubious penalty decision, a string of free-kicks really took the string out of Sporting's attempts to rally. William Carvalho, set up by João Mário, pulled a stop out of Matt Jones and Slimani also had a chance just before the break, but the Algerian was off target.
You could sense another memorable comeback on the cards and the fans gave the players a roaring entrance after the break. Jesus responded with the introduction of Gelson Martins in place of William Carvalho, in what was a clear signal of his side's attacking intentions. João Mário saw a penalty appeal waved away after being brought down in the area, before Wagner gave Marcelo Boeck an easy stop down the other end. Next it was Slimani to create a chance on goal with a darting run off the back of his marker, but he was wrongfully ruled off-side. Although frustrated, Sporting continued to crank up the pressure and Tondela finally broke in the 54th minute, when João Pereira and João Mário linked up and pulled a cross back for Slimani to control and slot the equaliser.
Buoyed by the goal, Sporting piled men forward and could well have taken the lead two minutes later, but Bryan Ruiz's effort was headed off the line by Hélder Tavares. To add to the drama, the referee actually pointed for a spot kick, before consulting with his linesman and rightfully overturning the decision. However, justice to the scoreboard for the first in the evening was soon done, when Gelson Martins latched onto a cross from Jefferon to comfortable beat Matt Jones with Sporting's 5,000th league goal.
The goal calmed the Alvalade nerves and Adrien bossed the midfield, while Gelson darted up and down the wings and Bryan Ruiz cast his magic to the frustration of the visitors. Completely against the run of play, substitute Chamorro somehow found a yard of space behind the sporting line and equalised for Tondela with five minutes left on the clock. João Mário had two scrappy chances at the death, but the damage was done and the points were split at the final whistle.
