Sporting end the year top of the Primeira Liga table after beating Benfica by a single goal in a tight and tense Lisbon derby, to make it the perfect start for new coach Rui Borges.
The hosts were well on top in the first half, Anatoliy Trubin saving superbly from Geovany Quenda and Viktor Gyökeres, but in between Geny Catamo – who scored both goals in the 2-1 victory for the Lions in the corresponding fixture last season – fired into the net after good work by Gyökeres.
Apart from one effort by Orkun Kökçü which drew a flying save out of Franco Israel, Benfica had been inoffensive in the first half, but it was a different game after the break.
The visitors dominated possession and forced Sporting into a backs-to-the-wall display, the home team holding out for the three points to the delight of their supporters. Tom Kundert reports from Alvalade.
Morita back, Lage pulls a surprise
Sporting’s injury woes in midfield were somewhat alleviated when Hidemasa Morita was passed fit to play and took his place in the starting XI. Benfica coach Bruno Lage pulled off a surprise by selecting Zeki Amdouni up top instead of the usual centre-forward Pavlidis.
Geny Catamo started the match in lively fashion, a cross leading to an early chance for Ousmane Diomande, who shot into the side-netting from a narrow angle. The Mozambican was soon at it again, tormenting the left side of the Benfica defence with a jinking run before seeing his shot deflected wide.
Francisco Trincão was next to threaten for Sporting, his effort from a promising position skidding wide after good combination play with Gyökeres. Moments later the hosts were a whisker away from taking the lead, an excellent move allowing Trincão space to pick out Quenda who seemed certain to score but Trubin raced out of goal and spread himself bravely to make a fantastic save.
New Sporting shape
Rui Borges had only had three days to train with his new squad but Sporting were looking a different team than under João Pereira in the post-Amorim period. Out of possession the shape of the side was Borges’ preferred 4-4-2 with Matheus Reis taking the left-back position, although when attacking they often reverted to the 3-4-3 system that has been used for several seasons, Diomande the central centre-back, flanked by Eduardo Quaresma to his right and Jeremiah St. Juste to his left.
Benfica briefly showed more attacking intent, Di María’s shot charged down by St. Juste then Kökçü hitting a direct free kick over the wall and forcing Israel into a diving save to tip the ball around the post.
Gyökeres assists, Geny scores
But Sporting were soon back on the attack, Trincão firing wide. On the half-hour mark the vast majority of the fans in the stadium erupted in joy as Catamo showed his liking for facing Benfica. The goal was made by Viktor Gyökeres, the Swede getting the better of Tomás Araújo and crossing low for Geny to smash past Trubin.
Geny Catamo celebrates his goal with Eduardo Quaresma and Francisco Trincão. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
There was no discernible reaction by Benfica to falling behind, Sporting continuing to take the initiative and make all the running. A powerful Gyökeres effort forced Trubin into another excellent save, and another smooth move gave Trincão a shooting opportunity but his weak effort was easily gathered by the Ukrainian goalkeeper.
The half-time whistle blew and Sporting were good value for their lead.
Lage swapped Florentino Luís for Leandro Barreiro at the break. The second half was a completely different game. Forced to seek an equaliser, Benfica spent most of the next 45 minutes camped in the Sporting half as the home team all be disappeared as an attacking threat until some dangerous counter-attacks towards the end of the match.
Benfica increasingly pushed Sporting back, sending a series of dangerous crosses into the box and easily snuffing out the home team’s now timid attacks as the green and whites retreated further and further towards their own goal.
Carreras shines as Benfica fight back
The effervescent Álvaro Carreras in particular was winning all his duels and began lending his weight to the attack. On the hour mark Leandro Barreiro headed narrowly over, and one minute later Amdouni looked certain to score after Kökçü played him in, but the Swiss forward hooked his effort over the bar.
Álvaro Carreras continued his fine form this season with a strong performance at Alvalade. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
Di María was denied by a fine sliding block by Diomande and Otamendi then headed over the bar as Benfica continued to probe and Sporting’s players showed visible signs of tiredness and nervousness.
Sporting were playing with fire with a series of attempts to play out from the back, St. Juste twice giving away corners when boxed in by Benfica’s press, the problems often caused by the insistence of the home defenders to pass the ball in and around their box instead of launching it upfield. After another loose giveaway, Sporting wisely decided to abandon the tactic and Israel began to kick long.
Sensing his team needed fresh legs, Borges made a triple substitution with João Simões, Maxi Araújo and Iván Fresneda coming on for Morita, Quenda and Quaresma. Lage also made changes, bringing on Jan-Niklas Beste and Pavlidis for Aktürkoglu and Amdouni. A little later each side made one more change, Conrad Harder and Arthur Cabral entering the fray with Trincão and Aursnes departing the scene.
Sporting settle, Benfica run out of steam
The net result of the substitutions was more beneficial for Sporting, the home team snapping into tackles with more vigour and taking better care of the ball. Indeed, although Benfica continued to do most of the attacking, it was Sporting who were closer to scoring with a series of breakaways. One in particular Geny Catamo will not want to watch on replay, the Mozambican leading a 3 against 1 counter-attack, only to make a poor decision by shooting at goal, his effort deflecting into the grateful hands of Trubin, when Maxi and Gyökeres were wide open either side of him.
It mattered not as Sporting held on for a third home win over their city rivals this calendar year.
Analysis: Borges brings tranquility, Benfica out of ideas
It is early days but Rui Borges appears to have instilled more confidence in his players in just a few days than his predecessor João Pereira managed to in his six weeks in charge. Even in terms of body language, Borges has looked the part in two press conferences and one match in the dugout.
Rui Borges takes his position in the home dugout at Alvalade for his first match as Sporting coach - the Lisbon derby versus Benfica. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
Today, before the match he was calm and smiling, and during the 90 minutes he looked anything but overburdened by the responsibility of guiding the fortunes of one of Portugal’s major football clubs. Judging by the team’s reaction, especially in the first half, his instructions were taken on board and assimilated quickly. Although mutating the 343 Sporting played for over four years under Amorim into a 442 at times, the team remained cohesive, and truth be told the now Manchester United manager had implemented similar dynamics this season.
When Sporting were wobbling, Borges’ substitutions had the desired effect, bringing fresh energy without dimantling the structure of the team.
There is a danger of reading too much into one match, and Borges next faces two more extremely tough games, away at his former club Vitória then a Taça da Liga semi-final against Porto. A more consolidated conclusion can be drawn after a larger sample size is available. But it is a good start for the 43-year-old coach.
Benfica less than the sum of their parts
Benfica will lick their wounds and go again, and with just two points separating the top three with one game left of the primeira volta, it is a wide-open championship race. Bruno Lage had guided Benfica to 10 wins and one draw in 11 Liga matches before tonight, and he has undoubtedly made better use of the squad at his disposal than his predecessor Roger Schmidt.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to shake the idea that a squad packed with such talented players, and multiple options, especially in the attacking sector, should produce a more dynamic offensive game. Di María has been brilliant this season, but when he has a quiet game and/or is neutralised, as was the case tonight, there is a distinct lack of alternative attacking avenues.
Moreover, the way Benfica let themselves be dominated in a listless first half will be concerning for their fans. Lage made an astute switch at the break, bringing on Leandro Barreiro whose close proximity to Morten Hjulmand limited the Dane’s influence on a match he had been running in the opening 45 minutes.
Benfica applied heavy pressure in the first 25 minutes of the second half, but struggled to carve out clearcut chances and became less threatening as the clock ticked down. Plenty of food for thought for Lage.
Sporting 1-0 Benfica highlights
Sporting: Franco Israel, Eduardo Quaresma (Iván Fresneda, 70’), Ousmane Diomande, Jeremiah St. Juste, Geny Catamo, Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita (João Simões, 70’), Matheus Reis, Francisco Trincão (Conrad Harder, 80’), Viktor Gyökeres, Geovany Quenda (Maxi Araújo, 70’)
Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin, Alexander Bah, Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi, Álvaro Carreras, Orkun Kökçü, Florentino Luís (Leandro Barreiro, 46’), Ángel Di María, Fredrik Aursnes (Arthur Cabral, 84’), Kerem Aktürkoglu (Jan-Niklas Beste, 75’), Zeki Amdouni (Vangelis Pavlidis, 75’)
Goals:
[1-0] Geny Catamo, 30’
