Sporting’s tumultuous summer is an increasingly distant memory as the Lisbon club made it five wins and one draw from their opening six matches in all competitions with a 2-0 Europa League victory over Quarabag at Alvalade tonight.
Second-half goals by young stars Raphinha and Jovane earned the three points for the Lions.
Nemanja Gudelji made his first start for the Portuguese side, with coach José Peseiro also swapping both full-backs in relation to Sunday’s victory over Marítimo, Ristovksi replacing Bruno Gaspar and Acuña dropping to left-back in place of Jefferson, while French centre-back Mathieu returned after injury as André Pinto sat on the bench.
Sporting took the initiative from the off, hogging possession but finding clear-cut chances hard to come by against the aggressive and well organised Azeri team, who have played European football every season for a full decade and were in the Champions League last year.
Curiously, Mathieu was the Lions’ most dangerous player in the first half, connecting well with a volley that was blocked, then heading wide from the resulting corner, and later showing lovely skill to beat his marker and cross for Fredy Montero, whose backheel effort was blocked by Qarabag’s former Boavista and Estoril goalkeeper Vagner.
Raphinha makes the breakthrough
Sporting’s pressure eventually told in the second half as Nani produced a low diagonal cross that the lively Raphinha got on the end of to score for the second consecutive match.
The hosts had a setback when Mathieu was forced off injured, but Sporting’s defence remained impenetrable with Salin not having a difficult save to make all night. With a little more composure Sporting could have killed the game earlier, but eventually did so with a well-worked goal in the 88th minute.
Liga Europa| @Sporting_CP x @FKQarabagh | 2-0 |
— SPORT TV (@SPORTTVPortugal) September 20, 2018
⚽ Jovane Cabral 88' | Insistência de @_fredymontero, assistência de Raphinha e golo de Jovane. #UEL @EuropaLeague #sporttv #insubstituivel #fomedebola
11 Ligas | 7 Taças | 2.000 jogos | Mais de 55.000 horas de desporto pic.twitter.com/ZjyJu5zGjD
Acuña started the move with a long ball from deep in Sporting’s half that the hard-working Montero chased down. The Colombian showed tremendous determination to battle his way in front of an Azeri defender near the corner flag before producing an outrageous nutmeg and subsequently feeding the ball to Raphinha. The Brazilian in turn played a perfect pass into the path of Jovane Cabral who slotted into the net just one minute after coming on as a late substitute.
A satisfactory night for Sporting, who now turn their attention to the top-of-the-table clash away at Braga on Monday.
By Tom Kundert
Sporting: Salin; Rostovski, Coates, Mathieu (André Pinto, 75’), Acuña, Battaglia, Gudelj, Bruno Fernandes, Nani (Jovane, 86’), Raphinha, Montero (Diaby, 90’)
Qarabag: Vagner, Medvedev (Huseynov, 62’), Huseynov, Rzezniczak, Guerrier, Diniyev (Michel, 58’), Garaev, Zouir (Abdullayev, 68’), Ozobic, Madatov, Emeghara
Goals:
[1-0] Raphinha, 54’
[2-0] Jovane, 88’
