The defender looks at the visit to Austria

Zeno Debast was chosen to speak before the game against SK Sturm Graz, scheduled for this Tuesday, in Austria. He said that Sporting CP are prepared for their latest UEFA Champions League game.

“We have analysed SK Sturm Graz very well and we have looked a lot at what they do offensively. We know what we have to do, but in terms of what we have prepared to stop them, I can't say. They will have to wait and see tomorrow," said the Belgian defender.

"It's very important for the team not to concede goals and our objective is to concede fewer and fewer goals as the season goes on.”

Debast also noted that “the atmosphere around the team is very healthy and competitive among all the players," and that they play in whatever position coach Rúben Amorim sees fit.

“I feel good in any position, but as I'm a right-footed player, it's easier for me to play on the right side. Even so, I feel comfortable playing in all three positions and the boss knows that.”

The coach previews the Champions League encounter

Rúben Amorim previewed Tuesday's Champions League game against SK Sturm Graz, at the Wörthersee Stadion, in Klagenfurt, Austria, in a pre-match press conference. The Sporting CP coach noted that the opposition are in better shape than the last time they encountered them: In last season's Europa League.

“SK Sturm Graz have improved compared to last year. They have a stronger striker and a midfielder who gives them quality on the ball. By increasing the quality of the players, they have increased the quality of the team. They were already well organised and very aggressive, very competitive, with a lot of quality. Now they have become more complete," he noted.

"Last year I thought they would play with a higher press, but they played with a medium block and I think maybe they could do the same this time. Therefore, we have to not lose the ball in transitions and improve in some situations, such as set pieces and duels. This season we have lost our strength in duels because we have wanted to look for other characteristics, but tomorrow we have to be very aggressive, not lose the ball and be strong off second balls."

Amorim said he is not too focused on how SK Sturm will defend in Tuesday's game.

“Our idea doesn't change based on whether they play with three defenders or two full-backs. We know what we want, we know how they defend, what they do, and we have to be strong. We know it is very difficult to stop them, but we have everything planned. We know that we will suffer in the duels, off dead balls and with William Boving off second balls, but our way of playing won't change”.

Of his squad, the coach revealed that “Matheus Reis and Pedro Gonçalves are fit and could play a few minutes. I think the team have felt their absence, especially that of Pote, and we are very happy that they are back.”

Also returning is Franco Israel, and Amorim explains why the Uruguayan will be the starter in goal.

“The difference is not in their footwork, it is in luck and context. Vladan Kovačević was injured and Franco grabbed the spot. This already happened last year, when Adán was injured in the middle of the season and I changed things again, and I don't think I can do the same with him as I did last year. At the moment, I think he's prepared, he's won the place and I'm going to let him have that peace of mind, because the goalkeeper position is a very specific position. Vladan is growing, working a lot with Vital, but at the moment Franco is playing."

As for the midfield, Sporting CP coach did not say who will play out of Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita and Daniel Bragança.

“It's very difficult to choose. It has to be based on the moment, fatigue and what we want for the game," he said, admitting that the captain still has “things that are not tangible, like we had with Seba [Coates]."

The coach looks back on the win against Portimonense SC

Rúben Amorim was pleased with the victory in Portimão, which allowed Sporting CP to advance in the Taça de Portugal. In his post-match press conference, he emphasised the dominance from his side throughout the match.

“We always had the game under control and we didn't let Portimonense SC create any danger, but we have to do better from set pieces and we lacked aggression. Against a very low block we have to battle more, but we scored a goal, we had several balls pass in front of goal and Portimonense SC needed to clear several crosses. We could have scored another goal, we didn't, and then, from a dead ball, the equaliser came, but we had the ability to score again. It ended up being a fair victory in a game in which we didn't need to suffer so much," began the coach.

Praising debutant Bruno Ramos as “very accurate and aggressive,” and Conrad Harder, who “scored two great goals”, Amorim clarified his rotations and admitted that there are “very difficult cup games," but emphasised that Sporting CP always had the game in hand.

“I don’t think that we switched off; we were just less imaginative. We didn't take many risks and we didn't have much imagination when it came to creating big chances, but we controlled the game very well."

A Harder brace earns a 1-2 win over Portimonense SC

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Portimonense SC 1-2 in a Friday night fixture, advancing to the Fourth Round of the Taça de Portugal. Two goals from Conrad Harder decided the game in the away team's favour.

A series of changes were made to the starting XI, with the packed fixture list in mind. Bruno Ramos was a standout in the defensive line, as the 19-year-old defender debuted in the first team.

Sporting CP's full lineup was Vladan Kovačević, Bruno Ramos, Zeno Debast, Gonçalo Inácio, Ricardo Esgaio, Morten Hjulmand, Daniel Bragança, Nuno Santos, Geovany Quenda, Conrad Harder and Francisco Trincão.

This was only the second time the two sides had squared off in the competition, the first a 6-1 Sporting CP win way back in 1947/48.

Sporting CP also debuted their Stromp kit for the season, and started the match focused on goals. Harder took just three minutes to force Vinícius to make his first save of the night.

However, they found it difficult to reach Portimonense SC's box in more dangerous fashion, as the home team played with a very low block. A few opportunities came their way through free kicks, and just before the half hour a cross from Quenda, which drew Vinícius to his near post, was not quite met by Harder.

Soon after, Hjulmand was also close to scoring, heading towards goal at the near stick off a corner, but the Portimonense SC goalkeeper was alert to the threat. He also saved from Harder in another chance, and Bragança shot over from the rebound.

The pressure finally paid off when Harder opened the scoring. After receiving the ball from Nuno Santos, the Dane escaped from a defender, entered the area and shot across to make it 0-1.

Trincão's shot wide could have doubled the lead before the break, but Sporting CP went into the interval with a slim advantage.

It was Trincão who began the onslaught in the second half, with two chances that went wide and were saved, respectively.

Coach Rúben Amorim made a double substitution, with Viktor Gyökeres and Geny Catamo replacing Geovany Quenda and Ricardo Esgaio. He would then modify things again in the 82nd minute, after his side had experienced little joy off crosses into the box, taking off debutant Bruno Ramos and bringing in Iván Fresneda.

Portimonense SC ended up surprising Sporting CP, following a set piece, and made it 1-1 with three minutes remaining.

Sporting CP needed to react effectively, and Trincão had a free kick kept out immediately after the home side's goal.

In the end, it would be Harder who decided the contest. Bragança passed to Gyökeres and he served up the assist, as the striker got his second goal of the night.

After this 1-2 win, Sporting CP will next play on Tuesday at the Wörthersee Stadion, in Klagenfurt, Austria, against SK Sturm Graz in the third game of the UEFA Champions League group stage.

The coach wants a positive start to the Taça de Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal kick off their Taça de Portugal campaign this Friday. They travel to Portimonense SC, who currently play in the Segunda Liga, as they join the competition in the third round.

Before the game, coach Rúben Amorim said that his side are aware of the difficulties faced, and stressed that they have their sights on the trophy.

“Portimonense SC are not in their best form, but they have built a team with the idea of promotion. They can play in different ways, but we have worked on everything, prepared and we are not going to take it easy because we have not yet won the Taça de Portugal since we took over. We really want to win it and return to Jamor, the scene of a very important moment for us. That is why we have to win this game."

For this match, Amorim will still be without Pedro Gonçalves, Matheus Reis, Ousmane Diomande and Eduardo Quaresma, and will also have to take into account the players' fatigue due to national team duty. He did, however, say that there will be returns.

“Marcus Edwards is fit, Jeremiah St Juste could play a few minutes and Gonçalo Inácio could too, as we have some limitations."

He also revealed that Vladan Kovačević will be in goal for Sporting CP and that he will call up two players from the academy: Lucas Taibo and Bruno Ramos.

“They will both be called up, they trained with us in the last two weeks, I was very happy with their performance and they will be able to play."

The coach was inevitably asked about Hugo Viana's scheduled departure at the end of 2024/2025 announced this past Saturday.

“Nothing has changed at Sporting CP, everything is the same until the end of the season. There is no one who wants to win more than Hugo. We are at a stage at the club where anyone can leave and everything will continue naturally."

Amorim spoke about being the top Portuguese on a recently published list of the 50 best coaches, but downplayed the achievement.

"We always like to hear it. I'm happy, but I don't get distracted by it in the slightest. In two weeks' time everything could be different; that's just how football is."

The squad prepare for Taça de Portugal action

Sporting Clube de Portugal held a training session on Tuesday morning at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo in Alcochete.

Their return to action will take place this Friday (8:15 pm), in the Taça de Portugal, with an away game against Portimonense SC.

Rúben Amorim once again called up several youngsters from the academy to fill the absence of players currently on international duty: Leonardo Barroso, Guilherme Silva, Marlon Júnior, Alexandre Brito, Malam Malu, Diogo Abreu, Nilton Cardoso, Lucas Anjos, Luís Gomes, Bruno Ramos, Lucas Taibo and Mauro Couto.

Jeremiah St. Juste trained as part of the group.

Another training session is scheduled for Wednesday morning, behind closed doors.

The squad keep sharp with a 3-1 win

Sporting Clube de Portugal played a training match at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo Academy on Friday, beating CF "Os Belenenses" 3-1.

Rúben Amorim opted for a starting XI consisting of Vladan Kovačević, Marcus Edwards, Nuno Santos, Iván Fresneda, Ricardo Esgaio, Bruno Ramos, Lucas Anjos, Diogo Abreu, Mauro Couto, Luís Gomes and Lucas Taibo.

Diego Calai, Rodrigo Marquês, Alexandre Brito and Marlon Júnior also played in the game.

Sporting CP enjoyed a halftime lead of 3-0, with Bruno Ramos, Marcus Edwards and Nuno Santos scoring the goals.

The squad will now enjoy two days off, returning to work on Monday morning behind closed doors.

The coach looks back on Sporting CP's eighth consecutive win in Liga Portugal

After the final whistle in Sporting CP's victory over Casa Pia AC, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the match in a press conference. He began by commenting on the fact that his team had reached the milestone of 50 consecutive games in Liga Portugal scoring at least once.

“We have improved over the seasons in terms of the number of goals we've scored. We won the first title by defending better, conceding few goals but not scoring many. Then, we improved, which is down to the process, the quality and the characteristics of the players”, he told journalists, before analysing the difficulties caused by Casa Pia AC's strategy.

“We have to be prepared for everything and their strategy made it very difficult for us. With every cross we had no advantage, even with two men in the box. We let Daniel Bragança play in more of a free role, and that helped. Trincão was the freshest player on the team, Geny tried to push, but with so many defenders ahead of you it's difficult. On the other hand, their plan helped us, in the sense that our central defenders, Quaresma and Inácio, who are struggling for fitness, didn't have much work to do”.

“Nobody is happy watching games like this, especially the fans, but these are strategies that exist and I also understand the difference. Playing against lines of six are difficult, but it was Trincão's inspiration that unlocked the game”.

Explaining the strengths of some of the absentees in the game, especially in these types of more cagey matches, Amorim said that: “Viktor [Gyökeres] didn’t have many opportunities, but when we have the whole group available against low blocks, [Matheus] Reis can get involved a lot, Marcus Edwards is the best player for this, ‘Pote’ is another one, and we still have Morita and Dani. We can put in a second forward, bring in new wingers… It’s going to be a lot about wearing down the opponents, using new characteristics and being good at defensive transitions”.

“We performed up to standard in a very difficult game. I won't say that the result was better than the performance, because we had more chances to score. It wasn't as pretty, because a defensive line of six against four makes it very difficult, and I also felt a lack of energy”, added Amorim.

“Football has evolved a lot. Everything used to be very static and today it's harder to find the references. The characteristics of the players in these games make the difference”.

When asked about Conrad Harder's starting position and his substitution at halftime, Amorim stated that it was the result of the need to have “fresh players”, as well as allowing “Dani Bragança to be free and have two strong forwards to make the breakthroughs".

“Harder is very hungry, he wants to score, but that wasn’t the reason for his substitution, it was just a question of characteristics”.

On Franco Israel’s good form, he praised the Uruguayan goalkeeper’s maturity. “The number 1 goalkeeper is whoever is playing. You can see a lot of maturity in Franco, he’s prepared, just like Vladan [Kovačević], and Callai has also grown a lot. On performance, Franco is playing and he deserves it”, he added.

Bragança, who has scored in three consecutive games, also received praise from the coach. “Beyond the numbers, he is already a player with a different dimension. He has more physical ability, is able to reach the opposing goal and is stronger in physical contact. He is a different player and it would be very difficult for me to take Dani out now”.

Finally, Amorim commented that “We have a way of playing that is enjoyable for people. We have started the season well, we played well and we have to take a step forward in the more difficult games. We are doing an excellent job and we have always managed to maintain our consistency. We need the group in shape to win every game in every competition”.

Sporting CP win against Casa Pia AC before the international break

In Liga Portugal action, Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Casa Pia AC 2-0 at home for their eighth win in as many games -a new record in the division in the 21st century. Daniel Bragança and Viktor Gyökeres got the goals that delighted the 42,887 spectators present.

To face an in-form Casa Pia AC that came into the weekend in ninth place, coach Rúben Amorim made four changes from his midweek lineup against PSV Eindhoven: Eduardo Quaresma, Maxi Araújo, Daniel Bragança and Conrad Harder got starts instead of Geovany Quenda, Nuno Santos, Hidemasa Morita and Ousmane Diomande, the latter of whom was forced to miss the match and joined Jeremiah St. Juste, Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves and Marcus Edwards on the sidelines through injury.

Sporting CP marked Pink October with the players wearing the club's and latest pink kit, incorporating a message of awareness for the prevention and diagnosis of Breast Cancer.

It could have been a start to forget for the team, who were caught off guard by Casa Pia AC under two minutes in. Only goalkeeper Franco Israel prevented an early setback with a save from Svensson's dangerous shot from inside the penalty area.

Having overcome the scare, Sporting CP took possession of the ball and pushed the opposition lines back into their defensive third. With patience and careful movement, the spaces in attack began to open up slightly, and new signing Maxi Araújo made the first attempts for Os Leões: On the first, he headed the ball outside the far post, then he took a free kick that went just over the bar.

A set piece brought Casa Pia AC closer to the area in around the 20th minute, but Gonçalo Inácio nipped the problem in the bud and Sporting CP quickly returned to settling into the opposition midfield, trying to impose their dynamic through combinations. The visitors were no longer able to attack and limited themselves to closing down Sporting CP, sometimes with a line of six.

Just after the half-hour mark, Harder's cross-shot, when he received the ball and turned at the edge of the area, went just wide of the post. Then, a run by Geny Catamo and an effort inside the box rekindled the excitement amongst the stands.

The goal finally came from Daniel Bragança, who appeared in the right place and at the right time in the area after a brilliant individual move by Francisco Trincão. He converted the assist to make it four goals for him this season -three of them coming in the last three games.

To close the first half, captain Morten Hjulmand headed the ball into the hands of Patrick Sequeira, and the team went into the interval 1-0 up.

After the break, Amorim made the first substitution and Hidemasa Morita came on for Harder.

The first move in the second period nearly resulted in a goal, as only a last ditch tackle prevented the ball from reaching Viktor Gyökeres for a tap-in. Morita also had a chance, but Sequeira got the better of him and kicked the ball out for a corner.

Israel made a spectacular save from an effort that would have been ruled out for offside, and suddenly, the game became momentarily more open. A thunderous shot from Trincão that grazed the bar was followed by an opportunity for the away team, but Israel kept out Pablo Roberto's attack.

Amorim then continued to freshen up the team and brought on Geovany Quenda and Iván Fresneda for Geny and Inácio. Later, at the start of the final quarter of an hour, Ricardo Esgaio also came on for Eduardo Quaresma, just after Trincão threatened to score with a header.

The goal that would bring peace of mind in Alvalade was found by Gyökeres, as he was brought down in the box. Stepping up to take the penalty kick himself, he converted to go top of the scoring charts with his 11th strike of the season in Liga Portugal.

Sporting CP sealed the win, went six consecutive matchdays without conceding a goal, and upped their scoring tally to 27.

The next matchday of the 2024/25 league season will be a visit to FC Famalicão (26 October, at 8:30 pm), after the international break. Before that, Sporting CP will return to action with two away matches in two other competitions: Against Portimonense SC in the third round of the Taça de Portugal (18 October, 8:15pm), followed by a trip to Austria to face SK Sturm Graz in the third round of the UEFA Champions League (22 October, 8pm).

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Geny Catamo (Geovany Quenda, 68’), Eduardo Quaresma (Ricardo Esgaio, 77’), Zeno Debast, Gonçalo Inácio (Iván Fresneda, 68’), Maxi Araújo (Nuno Santos, 64’), Morten Hjulmand [C], Daniel Bragança, Francisco Trincão, Conrad Harder (Hidemasa Morita, 46’), Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach talks before Matchday 8

Sporting Clube de Portugal return to Liga Portugal action this Saturday at Estádio José Alvalade, hosting Casa Pia AC on Matchday 8.

After the 1-1 draw away to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League, coach Rúben Amorim assured journalists that his side are ready for the domestic fixture.

“This change of mindset is starting to become more natural, given the years we have been playing in both Europe and in the league. The players already know that to maintain our position in the table, we have to win. The players have done well in the transition from one competition to another before. We had an away trip, with an intense game, and our focus was on getting the players recovered and doing the tactical work,” said Amorim, before analysing eighth-placed Casa Pia AC.

“We will play the same formation as them, and we have many hours of experience in that. We have doubts about some Casa Pia AC players in their starting XI, and that can change their characteristics, but we are already used to the overall way Casa Pia AC play, because we use the same formation. They are a team with a low block and we have to be imaginative to create problems for them. They may have set pieces in which they use their three central defenders. Cassiano up front could be dangerous and Nuno Moreira was once a Sporting CP player and is very talented. We have looked a lot at individual characteristics because we didn't have much time to work on things, but the good thing about it is that we are already used to the references. We are prepared."

Zeno Debast is the only fully fit central defender available for Sporting CP, and Amorim revealed that Gonçalo Inácio and Eduardo Quaresma will be involved in the squad, despite being doubtful right until kickoff. Matheus Reis, Jeremiah St. Juste, Marcus Edwards, Pedro Gonçalves and Ousmane Diomande are all ruled out due to injury.

“Ousmane will be out for a few weeks. He will not be playing for the national team because he is not fit. Quaresma is not fully healed yet, Inácio also still has a little niggle. We will see tomorrow, but we do not have many solutions for the defence and they will have to make the sacrifice if they can. Ousmane is definitely out and St. Juste and Matheus Reis are too, so there are few players left. We have Fresneda, Esgaio -who can adapt to any position-, and players from the B team. But we will be ready for the game and the team are confident."

The coach was also asked about who will occupy the left side of the attack, and did not rule out Maxi Araújo or Conrad Harder playing there.

“We’ll see tomorrow, I’m not going to say because that changes the approach to the game. Although they play in the same position, they play completely differently. Maxi is increasingly better prepared and they can both play on the wing. He switched positions and that can sometimes be difficult since he doesn’t have a very strong base yet, but he can clearly play there and do it alongside Harder."

Finally, he was asked about the “rebirth” of rivals FC Porto and SL Benfica in European competitions, addressing the importance of maintaining the 100% winning streak in the league before the international break.

“We always have to win. Before the game against PSV, everyone said that Sporting CP would not lose the title under any circumstances. Now thay are saying that SL Benfica and FC Porto are better sides. We know that they are great teams and have excellent coaches, so we have to do our job. We will continue fighting, and if we win we will go to the break in first place, so that is our only objective."