Estádio José Alvalade witnessed one of the greatest comebacks this season, as Sporting rolled over Manchester City 4-1, sending Portuguese fans into a frenzy. The comeback win, inspired by the historic performance of Viktor Gyökeres, places Sporting second in the Champions League standings with ten points and fuels their hopes of advancement. With three goals from Gyökeres-two of them penalties-and one from Maxi Araújo, Sporting showed they're ready to take on any European giant.
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A quick start and frustration at opening goal
Manchester City started the game with a goal, which was given by Foden after an error made by Morita, and then in just a few minutes, the English team took the lead. It was promising to be a bad night for the Lions. Sure enough, favorite City dominated with ball possession and kept pressure on, while Sporting held its turf. A few minutes later, Gyökeres almost equalized with an audacious chip, but the save of Ederson kept City in control. That was the story of the first half-a pulsating to-and-fro characterized by chances to get back on track for Sporting as City sought to increase their lead.
The Comeback Built on Grit and Precision
Down, Sporting did not lose focus. After a fantastic play by Geovany Quenda, Gyökeres found the equalizer. The stadium went into a frenzy, and the Portuguese side took emotional control of the game. In the beginning of the second half, Maxi Araújo took advantage of an assist with Pedro Gonçalves to turn the score around. Alvalade was on fire when, at this point, the crowd believed even more in Sporting's strength.
The team was leading for just literally a few seconds, and at once in City's box, Trincão was fouled, and the referee without hesitation penalized it. Stepping up was already equalizing Gyökeres himself, who firmly beat the goalie, making the advantage 3-1. That high was the pressure that City couldn't manage to get hold of the game back while Sporting continued pressing with a high pace, completely dominating opponents.
Sporting Keeps the Pressure as Gyökeres Scores Hat-Trick
There was still much drama in the game for both sides. After Diomande's handball, City had a chance to cut the deficit with a penalty, but Haaland hit the crossbar, sending Sporting fans into delirium. At this point, it was clear the night was all about the Lions. In the final defence action, the coach Arne Slot brought on crucial substitutions to put fresh legs in midfield and at the back.
The night's protagonist, however, had not gotten enough with his two goals. Winning another penalty, this time having Catamo fouled in the box, the Swedish forward had the chance to complete his hat-trick-and didn't disappoint. Estádio José Alvalade erupted in celebration, the scoreline sealing an utterly dominant performance.
A Bright Future and the Legacy of Rúben Amorim
It was also the sendoff game for the coach, Rúben Amorim, for an undefeated historic winning streak of Sporting. Just before kickoff, fans in the stands prepared a huge banner dedicated to him, mentioning all that Amorim reached since joining in 2020. Sporting wanted this to be a proper farewell given his recent move to Manchester United, and it got just that, with one of its best victories this season.