Captain Coates spares Sporting’s blushes in 1-1 draw versus Midtjylland

A last-gasp equaliser from Sebastián Coates rescued Sporting from what looked like defeat in a low-quality Europa League clash against Midtjylland.

Sporting dominated possession but rarely made profitable use of the ball, and went behind when Emam Ashour punished a dreadful clearance from goalkeeper António Adán and shot into an empty net from 25 yards out.

Coates saved the Lions from the ignominy of defeat but the frustrated home supporters vented their anger at the display at the final whistle. 

As has become the norm in a season of instability at Alvalade, coach Rúben Amorim made a raft of changes. Jeremiah St. Juste, Nuno Santos, Ricardo Esgaio, Arthur Gomes and Paulinho all came into the starting XI after beginning Sunday’s defeat against Porto on the bench.

Sporting bossed possession and tried to show their attacking intent from the kick-off, but save a half-hearted appeal for a penalty after Paulinho fell in the box in the 10th minute, the hosts were being kept at bay with relative ease by the visitors.

Gonçalves classy in midfield, Gonçalves missed up front

Pedro Gonçalves was pulling all the strings, spraying some lovely “quarter-back” style passes to set Sporting in motion, but his incisiveness was sorely missed up front, with Edwards, Paulinho and Gomes unable to find the final pass. Throughout the season Pote’s position in midfield, while bringing benefits in the initial phase of construction, has severely weakened Sporting’s goal-scoring threat given he remains arguably the best finisher at the club.

In the 24th minute Edwards sent over an inviting cross, and Gomes sliding in at the far post just failed to make a proper connection for what looked like a certain goal.

In the 32nd minute Pote found himself further forward, shooting narrowly over the bar from the edge of the area.

Either side of the half-time break Paulinho threatened to break the deadlock but could not find the finish. The striker finally had the ball in the net in the 56th minute but the celebrations were cut short as it was ruled out for offside.

A strong 15-minute spell after the break failed to yield the breakthrough, and Sporting began to run out of ideas as an increasingly agitated crowd began to voice its exasperation at the home team’s efforts.

The tide turns

Midtjylland were now tentatively beginning to show their teeth, Adán pulling off an excellent diving save to deny Ashour in the 70th minute.

Things took an ugly turn for the Sportinguistas on 77 minutes with the same two protagonists involved but a different outcome. The Spaniard’s disastrous clearance went straight to Ashour, with the goalkeeper way out of his goal. Still a long way out, the Egyptian produced the one bit of genuine quality seen on the night, rifling a low 25-yard effort past Coates and into the corner of the net before a desperately diving Adán could get back in time.

Cue panic stations for Sporting, with Chermiti, Gonçalo Inácio and Mateo Tanlongo entering the fray but to little positive effect for the Green and Whites.

Indeed, Midtjylland, who up until then had looked very much a team occupying 7th place in the Danish league, grew in confidence and were looking likelier to increase their lead than surrender it, Adán saving from Isaksen.

With defeat for Sporting seemingly a certainty, Marcus Edwards swung in a cross from the left, Inácio got his head on it to flick the ball on, and Coates bundled the ball into the net at the second attempt after Jonas Lossl and pushed his initial effort onto the bar.

Sporting will travel to Denmark for the second leg all square, but will need to improve considerably to reach the next round.

Who is to blame?

To Sporting’s credit they never gave up, but tonight they looked like a team shot of confidence.

Amorim’s men competed well for the most part in the Champions League and also against Benfica, Porto and Braga and can point to bad luck in many of the big games this season.

But it is against the lesser lights that the fragility of the squad and its lack of consistency is brought into sharp relief. Amorim’s constant chopping and changing of personnel also suggests he is far from knowing what his best XI is but it is unfair to attach too much blame to the young coach.

After two extremely positive campaigns, Sporting constantly selling their best performers has finally caught up with them. João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes and Pedro Porro were all sold in the last few months and the failure to adequately replace them has led to a forgettable season.

By Tom Kundert, at the José Alvalade stadium

Goals:

[0-1] Emam Ashour, 77’

[1-1] Coates, 90’ + 4’