Despite coming off a defeat and an exhausting recent schedule, and falling behind in the 3rd minute to a tremendous Makouta goal, Sporting turned around the result in style against Boavista at Alvalade tonight and stay firm at the top of the table.
Strikers Viktor Gyökeres and Paulinho helped themselves to five goals, the Swede at his unplayable best netting a hat-trick, and Nuno Santos also found the target as Sporting ran out 6-1 winners.
Injuries to Pedro Gonçalves and Marcus Edwards saw Sporting boss Rúben Amorim recall striker Paulinho and midfielder Hidemasa Morita, with captain Sebastián Coates also back in the line-up after missing the 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in Italy on Thursday which brought Sporting’s Europa League campaign to an end.
The focus is now very much on winning the title. At kick-off the Lions had been temporarily shunted down to second place by Lisbon rivals Benfica after their victory at Casa Pia earlier in the evening. By the end of the night though, Sporting fans were revelling in another big victory, and that winning feeling can also be experienced if you decide to download Mostbet apps and play the games on offer.
Makouta hits stunning opener
And things started badly for the hosts when from Boavista’s first attack the ever-impressive Gaius Makouta latched onto a punched clearance by Franco Israel and showed excellent technique to volley the ball into the top corner in spectacular fashion.
Sporting thought they had equalised less than five minutes later, Francisco Trincão lashing the ball into the net from outside the box, but it was ruled out for an offside against Paulinho in the buildup.
Paulinho was dropping deep and combining well with his teammates, while Gyökeres was as willing a runner as usual, but the home team were finding it difficult to carve out clear chances. Gyökeres went close with two shots from just outside the box, the first clearing the bar, the second saved comfortably by João Gonçalves.
In the 32nd minute the home fans were screaming for a red card as Salvador Agra appeared to throw a punch at Morten Hjulmand as the two tussled in midfield. Agra escaped with a yellow and the supporters howled their disgust at the referee when he also showed a yellow card to the Dane.
Equaliser on the stroke of half time
A sliding Paulinho just failed to get on the end of a low Gyökeres cross, and Trincão brought a flying save out of Gonçalves. Just when it seemed Boavista would survive with their lead intact until the break Sporting struck. Paulinho played an excellent give and go with Morita before crossing for his strike partner Gyökeres to score from close range.
Amorim brought on Daniel Bragança for Hjulmand for the second half, and just like in Bergamo the midfielder made a positive impact. Sporting wasted no time in pushing hard for the go-ahead goal, Sebastián Coates’ header brilliantly saved by Gonçalves, with Diomande unable to react quickly enough to direct the rebound on target.
It was no surprise when Sporting took the lead in the 54th minute, as Geny Catamo’s inviting cross was neatly poked into the net by the onrushing Paulinho on the stretch.
Sporting continued to completely boss the game, with Boavista unable to make any headway from an attacking point of view, but with just one goal between the sides with little more than 20 minutes remaining, the question was whether the hosts would opt to conserve energy or push for more goals.
Late goal rush
Unfortunately for Boavista, the answer was the latter, with Sporting going into overdrive and scoring four more times before the final whistle.
Viktor Gyökeres does not know the meaning of “conserving energy for future battles”. The irrepressible Swede scored a superb individual goal in the 68th minute after a typical driving run, cutting in from the left, leaving his marker for dead and firing low into the corner.
The number 9 completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Seba Pérez had wrestled Gonçalo Inácio to the ground and VAR spotted the offence.
Gyökeres was not finished yet, showing incredible durability to produce another lung-busting run down the flank and along the byeline before cutting the ball back for Nuno Santos to score from close range.
Sporting made it a round half dozen in stoppage time, Paulinho scoring his second of the night with a looping header from a Nuno Santos corner.
Title showdown
It was a happy set of Sporting fans who spilled out the stadium at full time as their team go back top of the table, one point ahead of Benfica with a game in hand.
Rúben Amorim’s side have won every one of their 13 Primeira Liga games at home so far this season. The next visitors to Alvalade are none other than Benfica, which could be a decisive match in what is turning into a titanic championship race.
by Tom Kundert at the José Alvalade stadium
Goals:
[0-1] Gaius Makouta, 3’
[1-1] Viktor Gyökeres, 44’
[2-1] Paulinho, 54’
[3-1] Viktor Gyökeres, 68’
[4-1] Viktor Gyökeres (pen), 78’
[5-1] Nuno Santos, 88’
[6-1] Paulinho, 90+5’
