Historic, apotheotic night for Sporting, in farewell to Amorim. The team paid tribute to him and beat Pep Guardiola's hypercoloss, in a match in the fourth round of the Champions League. Sporting beat City 4-1, with a hat-trick from 'Viktor Gyokeres' and a goal from Maxi Araújo. Perhaps fans had never dreamed of a night like this. The first half belonged to the English, Amorim messed with the dressing room, and Sporting's second half was epic.
There are nights that don't happen again, and with all due respect to our championship, how good it is to face a team like City, led by Guardiola, the 'master' who shows the way, all the way to the promising Amorim. England is the way forward, but first there was the duel against the cityzens, with whom the Portuguese coach will fight the next duels in the 'fight for power' in Manchester. These are the games that motivate you to go to these games early, to feel the 'buzz' and the English in the press room, and in the media area for journalists. The night smells of grass, it smells of spectacle and the best competition in the world – which World Cup, which what.
See the best photos from the match here
And Amorim brought this to Sporting: Competitiveness and the desire to at least try to scratch the best in Europe. And what was Sporting before Vilafranquense's arrival and what it is now! You will be missed Amorim. Of course, you can see, the atmosphere in Alvalade was one of pain and emotion. Chance, and the fuse of opportunity, removes the predestined Amorim from Alvalade, and makes him take other flights.
Would it be possible for the coach to concentrate and for these players to give everything for this coach? Basically, it was the night when the players would want to walk for themselves, proving to themselves that it is possible, after Friday, to survive the departure of an icon: Two championships won, two League Cups, a Super Cup.
From the journalists' table you could feel the atmosphere in the stands, the clamorous Champions League anthem that makes the heart pump, the electricity that leaves no one indifferent.
Amorim changed two things in relation to the confrontation with Estrela da Amadora, with the addition of Morita and Matheus Reis, Maxi Araújo and Daniel Bragança left the starting lineup. Guardiola also moved: Simpson-Pusey joined Akanji in the defensive axis, Rico Lewis was also an option. Rúben Dias is missing; Matheus Nunes is a starter, as is Bernardo Silva. Savinho replaces Gundogan. Up front, the inevitable Haaland, while De Bruyne started the match from the bench.
City of wounded pride and grand entrance
It was a City with wounded pride that took to the field in Alvalade, after defeats to Tottenham and Bournemouth.
In the usual 4-1-4-1, the Cytizens started suffocating Sporting, showing that the 'Champions' pace is a whole other story. Aggressive, strong in duels, the green and whites were shaking in the first minutes. Morita lost the ball in a prohibited zone and Foden, with a missile, opened the scoring in Alvalade.
Sporting maintained, however, the matrix. Playing short from behind, without fear of the colossus, but placing himself at the exit. But Sporting didn't flinch, Pedro Gonçalves discovered Gyokeres, but the isolated Swede, after running 60 meters, tried to catch Ederson and missed a huge opportunity, instead of shooting, as is his usual style.
Sporting improved in terms of pressure from the 20th minute onwards, and managed to loosen up on the field. But City, in 'colossus' mode, took the ball away from Sporting and created opportunity after opportunity. In those minutes, with the English having an enormous offensive flow, and possession of the ball, as is their prerogative, Franco Israel fought a curious duel with Haaland. Sporting's archer was put to the test, at 9', 15', and 29'. The result could be considered flattering for the lions. With City failing to be effective, but of course crushing in every part of the game: But one man made Sporting dream even before the break. After a dangerous shot from Bernardo Silva, Quenda opened the book and discovered the Swede, who ran like he knows how to do. This time, he left the 'rodriguinhos' aside, and finished into the goal.
Sporting achieved the most important thing at the end of the First Half. City survived the 'avalanche' and drew against the 'colossus' with a goal from Gyokeres.
And what can we say about Sporting's start in the second half. Leão was looking for magical nights in Europe and scored just five minutes into the first half. Play by Pote, combination with a teammate, and Maxi Araújo shot at the goal.
The green and whites were overwhelming, and a minute later, a penalty for Sporting. Gvardiol stopped Trincão inside the area. During the conversion, Viktor Gyokeres shot into the goal. Alvalade was ecstatic, Sporting was at that moment trivializing City, one of the great teams in European football.
City felt the goal, flinched, but never trusted, because the giant was capable of waking up at any moment. Amorim's team played with complete confidence, circulated the ball, and owned the game. Maxi Araújo was putting Savinho in his pocket, the cityzens didn't care, surprised by the response of this Portuguese team, which has so much perfume in its football.
But, falling from the sky, City benefited from a penalty. Very dubious move, supposed to be Diomande's arm against Bernardo Silva. Reviewing the VAR images, a penalty was awarded. But as fate would have it, in the conversion, Haaland made a mistake, hit the iron, and lost face-to-face against Gyokeres.
From then on, Sporting went into controlling and management mode, erasing City, despite Pep Guardiola's team's great start to the game. A rout was a likely scenario for Sporting, who once again benefited from a new penalty. Matheus Nunes stopped Catamo. In the conversion, Gyokeres achieved the hat-trick, and Alvalade experienced a night like never before. The chants echoed from the stands. The 'World knows' that Sporting wants to become big and scare the greats of Europe.
Thank you Amorim, thank you Sporting, for this historic and unforgettable night for Portuguese football. Not in his best dreams could the Sporting coach dream of a goodbye like this, with art, poetry, and history.
