In a largely turgid game where both teams were more focused on not losing rather than winning, all the excitement was reserved for the final 15 minutes.
Porto took the lead through new signing Seko Fofana in the 76th minute, firing through traffic after three successive shots had been blocked.
Sporting had won four of their previous five games thanks to stoppage-time goals and the Lions again struck late to rescue a point. Fresneda’s cross was handled in the box by Francisco Moura, Luis Suárez’s penalty was saved by Diogo Costa but the Colombian knocked the ball into the net on the follow-up with virtually the last kick of the game.
Porto remain four points clear at the top of the table, but Sporting will feel they are still very much in the title race, and even Benfica will believe they are not out of it, just seven points behind the Dragons and hosting the northerners later in the season.
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Midfield battle
Porto boss Francesca Farioli pulled a surprise by dropping Pablo Rosario in favour of Alan Varela in midfield, while Sporting were at full strength, Hidemassa Morita preferred to João Simões in the middle of the pitch.
With the stakes high, both teams were fully focused on keeping it tight leading to a match largely confined to midfield with neither goalkeeper called into any meaningful action for the opening 75 minutes.
Alan Varela had a sighter at goal midway through the first half but shot wide, and Luis Suárez was inches away from getting his head on a Maxi Araújo cross on the stroke of half time but that was the nearest we got to goalmouth excitement until the final 15 minutes.
Farioli makes his move, Fofana’s dream debut
With the second half following the same pattern as the first, and both sides cancelling each other out, Farioli was the first to take action to try and shake things up, bringing on Rodrigo Mora, Seko Fofana and Thiago Silva for Gabri Veiga, Borja Sainz and the injured Jakub Kiwior.
The Porto coach was rewarded for his proactive attitude. The Dragons at last created an opening, Rodrigo Mora picking up the ball in the box, dinking over an inviting cross that led to successive shots by Alberto Costa, Fofana, Deniz Gül and Fofana again, the Ivory Coast midfielder’s shot through a sea of bodies finding the back of the net despite Rui Silva’s best attempts to keep it out.
The home supporters erupted in jubilation with Porto seemingly taking a huge step towards their first title in four seasons.
Sporting wake up
Rui Borges threw on Luís Guilherme, Souleymane Faye and Daniel Bragança as the Lions desperately went in search of an equaliser. Francisco Trincão curled a shot narrowly wide and Morten Hjulmand was denied by a brilliant Alan Varela block after being set up by Trincão.
In the final minute of the eight minutes of stoppage time Fresneda’s firm cross into the box struck substitute Francisco Moura’s outstretched arm and the referee had no doubts. Penalty to Sporting.
Luiz Suárez took a deep breath as he faced up to penalty-saving specialist Diogo Costa. The Portugal goalkeeper guessed correctly and saved the shot, but the ball rebounded straight into the path of Suárez who rolled it into the empty net.
Coaches see the game differently
“If there was one team that did everything to win the game it was FC Porto,” opined coach Farioli after the game.
His opposite number Rui Borges did not see it that way. “Sporting was the team that showed more character, the team that wanted to win the game more.”
