NIn the midst of the storm, behold, calm came. In the midst of a change of coaches, Sporting played in London, on Tuesday afternoon, and came away with a victory against Shakhtar Donetsk, by a goal to zero, in a game that was valid for the fourth round of the single league phase of the Champions League.
At Stamford Bridge, the Ukrainian team’s loan home for European competitions, a goal from Italian midfielder Issa Doumbia ended up making the difference in favor of a team that is without a coach these days.
A result that leaves Sporting in a good position to go directly to the round of 16 of the Champions League, as a result of nine points won out of a possible twelve.
Game movie:
Without Rui Borges, Sporting appeared in London with interim Tiago Fernandes leading the destinations and with a new look. With just one day of training, Tiago Fernandes made five changes to the eleven that played against Casa Pia and also changed the tactical scheme. He brought back the three centre-backs, called Rui Silva into the starting line-up and added Fotis Ioannidis and Luis Suárez to the front of the green and white team’s attack.
In a very divided and intense first half, with both sides of the barricade competing for possession of the ball, the two teams risked little and kept the game almost always in midfield. Still, there were enough occasions for the scorer not to have gone to half-time without any goals.
After observing the minute’s silence in memory of Jesús de Miguel, Shakhtar Donetsk were the first team to create danger in the match. In the sixth minute, Brazilian full-back Pedro Henrique tested Rui Silva’s reflexes for the first time with a shot from outside the area. A minute later, Kauã Elias, in a beautiful attack, made a tunnel to Silas Andersen, but Eduardo FelicÃssimo, making his Champions League debut, put an end to the move
Sporting responded in the 9th minute, with Uruguayan Maxi Araújo having a great opportunity to score. Geny Catamo, on the right, played at Silas Andersen and the midfielder took a cross to the far post. In the same position, the South American attempted a cross shot, but the ball hit a Ukrainian defender.
After half an hour, the same Danish midfielder Silas Andersen, after a mix-up in the area, tried to shoot at the ball, but the attempt went slightly over the crossbar. To close the first half, the Ukrainians wasted an incredible opportunity to open their accounts in London. Kauã Elias, from close range, appeared alone and threw the ball into the stands.
Doumbia gave the warning… and scored
Sporting entered the second half with another strength and Issa Doumbia almost scored in the 47th minute, Luis Suárez, on the left, served the Italian midfielder in the center of the area and the shot went very close to the second post of Dmytro Riznyk’s goal. It was the first warning from the former Venezia… who would end up being the hero of the Portuguese team.
At the hour of the game, and already after captain Gonçalo Inácio had cut a shot from Kauã Elias that was heading towards the back of the net from Rui Silva’s goal, Altimira passed the ball into the area, Pedro Henrique missed the cut effectively and the ball ended up reaching Doumbia, who scored for the second time in Europe this season (59′). In the 64th minute, Eduardo Quaresma headed with quality and Dmytro Riznyk made a huge save. Soon afterwards (69′), Luis Suárez, very well unmarked by Silas Andersen, got in the goalkeeper’s face and shot well over the top.
The Ukrainian team did not give up and went up the lines in search of a draw, forcing Rui Silva to apply himself several times to avoid equality on the scoreboard. At 72′, Kauã Elias again had the opportunity to score, but missed Rui Silva. Seven minutes later, in the 79th minute, Alisson Santana almost surprised the Portuguese goalkeeper, who managed to save. And when the goalkeeper wasn’t there, the post was there, as happened in the 83rd minute with Alisson Santanta’s shot.
The frenetic pace of the Ukrainians in this final stretch once again caused a moment of great fright in second-half stoppage time. Newerton appeared loose at the far post after Oleg Ocheretk’s cross and the Portuguese goalkeeper connected with ease. It was the last moment of suffering, before the leonine triumph.
After the defeat at home in the previous round against the Austrians of LASK Linz, Sporting now has nine points and remains provisionally in fifth place, while Shakhtar Donetsk is 18th, with four.
Game moment: Issa Doumbia’s goal ended up stamping a good start to the second half for Sporting and sealed the Lions’ third European triumph in this Champions League.
