Farense 2-3 Sporting
A 3-2 win on Saturday moved Sporting CP ahead of rivals Benfica and FC Porto. The Lisbon club is now the only undefeated team in Portugal with 19 points from their opening seven matches.
Rúben Amorim’s side did just enough to earn a victory against a resilient SC Farense that played 72 minutes with 10 men.
This was always going to be a difficult encounter for Sporting with Farense securing six points from their opening three home matches at the Estádio de São Luís. It turned into a hard-fought and fiery match that produced 11 yellow cards, one red card, and plenty of drama on the night.
Sporting’s Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres converted two penalties, including a 90th minute winner, to record his fourth and fifth goals of the season. Pedro Gonçalves managed to get on the score sheet as well with a well-placed finish in the 35th minute.
SC Farense’s Mattheus Oliveira was the star on the night for the home team. The Brazilian midfielder showed his quality with two clinical free kicks that nearly secured a vital point for Faro club.
Early red card for Gonçalo Silva
Veteran defender Gonçalo Silva has been solid for Farense this season but let his team down with an unnecessary handball early in the match. The referee sent off the central defender in the 18th minute and awarded Sporting a penalty after Silva raised his hand to an unnatural position to prevent a Pedro Gonçalves shot from going into the net. Farense’s players and coaches were unhappy with the decision but a lapse in judgement from Silva provided the referee with no choice but to produce a red card.
Gyökeres stepped up to convert the penalty and Farense were on the back foot early on. José Mota’s team would play 72 minutes of the match with 10 men on the field.
Pedro Gonçalves scores his second goal of the season
Gyökeres and Paulinho lead the Lions with five goals each but Pedro Gonçalves has been instrumental in Sporting’s strong start to the season. The 25-year-old has started every match during the 2023/24 campaign and rewarded his manager’s faith in him with an excellent finish in the 35th minute.
Sporting are spoiled for choice with attacking options such as Viktor Gyökeres, Paulinho, Marcus Edwards, Francisco Trincão, Geny Catamo and Pedro Gonçalves. Rúben Amorim will likely rotate in the coming weeks with a difficult fixture list, but Gonçalves is doing everything he can to ensure his place in the starting lineup.
Farense fightback to level the match
Down but not out, Farense made adjustments and continued to push forward. Losing 2-0 in the 35th minute, and playing a man down, it would have been easy to drop their heads. Instead, a masterful free kick from Mattheus Oliveira in the 37th minute turned the tide and provided some hope for the home fans.
In the 55th minute, the left-footed midfielder was provided with another opportunity from just outside of the box. Mattheus did not disappoint the home supporters. The 29-year-old curled a well-placed shot to the left corner to beat Antonio Adán for the second time.
90th-minute winner from Gyökeres
Both teams had chances to win the match in the second half. Amorim brought on Paulinho and highly-rated 22-year-old Mozambique prospect Geny Catamo early in the second half to try and break down a stubborn Farense defence. Daniel Bragança came on in the 83rd minute but was unable to unlock an organised defence.
The match seemed to be heading towards a draw when a controversial late penalty provided Sporting with an advantage. Marcus Edwards was brought down after a clumsy tackle by Zé Luís. Farense manager José Mota was livid with the decision but could only watch as Gyökeres converted his second penalty of the night to give Sporting a crucial away victory.
