Sporting CP was winning but the reds managed to tie the game

Salin gave it all but could not defend the header of João Félix, near the end, which established the final result in the Lisbon derby (1-1). A penalty from Nani, in the 63rd minute, gave hope to the lions, who leave the match with the same points as the rival (both with seven points).

In a derby full of events - which does not mean that it was especially well played - the figure of the Lion goalkeeper emerged as the most decisive on the field (and who could have expected this?). During the first half, Benfica only created opportunities in set pieces, with Rúben Dias and Cervi close to scoring, were it not for the opposition of the green and white goalkeeper. José Peseiro prepared the team to move up in the field, with Montero and Bruno Fernandes to fit in the middle and one of the midfielders to be on top of Fejsa. The strategy proved effective, forcing the group of Rui Vitoria to look for Grimaldo and André Almeida to overcome the pressure. Even without the initiative, Sporting CP was always a team present in the offensive midfield, taking advantage of the opponent's ball losses to accelerate. Acuña, who played alongside Battaglia, showed that he could be useful in that area of the field and had some moments of association with Bruno Fernandes or Nani, as well as Montero - excellent in using hid body to impose on the central field and continue moving forward. Raphinha, another novelty in the team, was the solution used to attack the blank space, especially in the back of Grimaldo. At half-time, the idea was that José Peseiro had managed to surprise Rui Vitória.

Benfica entered the second half and decided to put the lions in their midfield, always using the aisles to create advantages. At this stage, Peseiro's class was still glowing to get to the attack, not running many risks and opting for direct play. With less than half an hour to go, a play often repeated at Benfica's stadium gave rise to one of the bids of the match - Bruno Fernandes gained space to cross on the right and Rúben Dias comitted a foul inside the box on Fredy Montero. Nani, in return to the derby of the Portuguese football derbies, tricked Odysseas and put the green and white in advantage. Rui Vitória sent Seferovic and 'boy' João Félix to react to the goal conceded and, from here on, only played in the midfield of Sporting CP. The strategy imposed in the first half, which led to long journeys by the middle and forwards, was felt in the final stretch of the game, with lions showing less ability to win duels. Faced with the dynamics of the reds attack, Jose Peseiro brought Petrovic in to support the worn-out Battaglia and Acuña, unable to erase 'all the fires'. At the side, Ristovski and Jefferson were punished by the opponents aisles and the equalizer confirmed the trend. Rafa crossed to the front of the Brazilian side and João Félix headed in the back of the Macedonian. The least deserved to get the ball to the nets was Salin, who made a series of monumental defenses to hold the team. The point that the lions bring to Alvalade is everyone's, but it is more of the Frenchman who became unlikely hero of the derby.

Sporting win in Russian capital to revive Europa League qualification hopes

Not even snow and -7ºC temperatures could stop Sporting from breezing to a convincing 4-2 win in the Russian capital this Thursday evening, on Europa League matchday five. Not only keeping Alvalade's hopes alive of prolonging the season's international adventure, the win also sees Sporting break a 17-match streak without a European away victory and is also Sporting's first ever win on Russian soil.

Sporting made a fiery opening to the encounter, pressing high and breaking into the final third with relative ease. Fredy Montero was the first to try his luck with an effort in the 3rd minute after some good link-up play between Ricardo Esgaio and Gelson Martins. However, it was Lokomotiv who opening the scoring, when Maicon made the most of a hashed clearance by Marcelo Boeck to beat the on-rushing.

Despite the early blow, Sporting continued to dominate proceedings, while the hosts could do little but watch a young Alvalade side run riot. On eight minutes Matheus fired a rocket goalwards that looked likely to level the scoring, but Guilherme pulled off a good stop to keep Lokomotiv in the lead. Sporting's pressure finally paid off in the 20th minute, when Montero pounced on a cross from Esgaio which took a touch off Denisov to make it 1-1.

Lokomotiv really struggled when it came to creating chances of their own, thanks largely to Sporting's nulling of Maicon's usually tricky movement and Niasse's pace. While the Russians were limited to just a single shot in the entire first-half, Montero and Ruiz busied themselves with carving up space in the final third, while Gelson and Matheus ate up the yards with the blistering pace and Adrien and João Mário held down the passing in the middle of the park.

It was only a matter of time before Sporting took the lead, but what a goal it was! Ruiz exchanged passes with Montero inside the 18-yard box, before breaking loose and somehow squeezing in a technically brilliant chip from an extraordinary angle. Another change for the Porto Rican quickly followed, before Gelson netted Sporting's third with a goal outside-of-the-boot finish after breaking away down the wing.

The second-half brought the expected counter from Lokomotiv and by a whisker the Russians didn't grab a goal immediately, when Ricardo Esgaio put an outstretched cross onto his own crossbar. However, the chance was one of only a handful for the hosts, as Sporting smartly went about wrestling back control of the action. Matheus made it four on the hour-mark, after racing through the middle and showing composure beyond his years with a shot through the keeper's legs.

Matheus put another chance over the bar four minutes later and Ruiz crashed a hammer of an effort off the woodwork in the 69th minute, before Lokomotiv pulled back a consolation goal four minutes from time through some good individual skill by Miranchuk.

The result keeps Sporting's hopes of qualification from Group H alive, with a win over Besiktas needed on the 10th of December.

Fredy Montero instrumental in late goal against Arouca

"I picked up a pass from Bryan (Ruiz) and I tried to shoot, but Slimani scored for us and it gave us an important three points", said Montero after Sporting's win in Arouca this Sunday night.

For the Colombian striker, the final result was all down to hard work being put in on the training pitch: "We are ready for this kind of game and when we can't play well we have to try as hard as we can, which is what we did. Champions are made like this. We had a lot of possession and it wasn't enough, but we scored in the end. The coach asked me to look for space, because that is what we were missing. We won and that is the most important thing."

Montero happy with Monday's winner against Nacional

Fredy Montero proved crucial in Monday’s win over Nacional, coming off the bench to score the winner four minutes from time.

"We knew that Nacional are a tough side. We tried to score early, but we didn’t and that makes things harder”, opened the Colombian at the final whistle, adding a word on his side’s recovery from last week’s loss to Lokomotiv Moscow: “Sporting has some really experienced players and we know how to deal with this kind of situation.”

In parallel, Montero promised to keep putting in the work to keep up his goal streak: “I am going to carry on working and I will try to take opportunities when they come to score and to help the team.”

Montero and Paulo Oliveira on Sporting's Europa League opener

Fredy Montero spoke with radio journalists after his side’s loss in their Europa League opener this Thursday. “It wasn’t the start that we wanted and things didn’t go how we wanted them to. Now we have to pick up away the points that we have dropped at home”, affirmed the Colombian at the final whistle.

In parallel, Paulo Oliveira highlighted that there are still plenty of games to tally up points: “We conceded on the break, but we didn’t let it get to us and we went looking for the result. We still have five games and nothing is decided yet.”