From disaster to disaster, Sporting complicated the accounts of a qualifying that appeared to be getting underway early last week. After two resounding triumphs at the start of this Champions League (over Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt), the Lions played two disastrous matches against the same opponent, Marseille, who won 2-0 yesterday in Alvalade.
As much as Rúben Amorim says it is necessary not to make the same mistakes game after game, the team insists on changing its plans. And it is no longer possible to keep proclaiming that they are growing pains. Today, Ricardo Esgaio and Pedro Gonçalves, two of the most experienced players on the team, were sent off with childish and ridiculous moves. Both miss the important trip to London, on the 26th, to play with Tottenham, the new Group D leader, after the win over Eintracht Frankfurt (3-2).
In game 100 for Sporting, Ricardo Esgaio smeared the paint. Two yellow cards in three minutes took the lion out of the game and left the team with one less since the 19th minute! First he made an unnecessary offense on Nuno Tavares, then he committed a child sentence on Amine Harit. As happened a week ago in Marseille, Rúben Amorim’s team was reduced to 10 players and was at a disadvantage on the scoreboard. Uruguayan Franco Israel, who took over the goal in place of the suspended Adán, still guessed which way Mattéo Guendouzi shot, but the ball was well placed for the French 1-0.
Forced to change the strategy he had for the game, the Leonine coach sacrificed Morita to make way for the young Fatawu, but the damage was done. And it got worse. In the 31st minute Alexis Sánchez made it 2-0 and shortly afterwards they had to resort to plan C, with another force substitution. Coates hated being injured and asked for a replacement. This time, in addition to bringing in Marsà, Amorim also sacrificed Marcus Edwards in the name of midfield balance, with the arrival of Greek Sotiris Alexandropoulos. The captaincy went to Gonçalo Inácio (holder instead of the injured St. Juste).
Igor Tudor saw his winning strategy before halftime. Forced to score in order not to say goodbye to the Champions League, the Marseille coach switched six elements in the eleven and won the midfield. In this mid-field superiority lay the secret of French triumph.
Give the game as lost?
Trincao scored the first and only shot in the first half (37″) for the Lions, who had only 41% possession (37% in the total game), but did not return for the second half. With Porro, Paulinho and Rochinha on top the bank, Amorim bet on the young Nazinho. A mystery for the leonine coach to clear up later, such as why he insists on using so many players from the usual position.
With the time factor on their side, Marseille led the game, with a desperate exchange of balls in midfield – slowly…slowly – to the despair of the lions. The red card shown to Pedro Goncalves is an example of the emotional lack of control that took over the players. The winger saw two yellow cards within seconds and took an early shower.
Since 1997, the leonine team has not sent two players off the field in a Champions League match (Vidigal and Pedro Barbosa with Bayer Leverkusen). The worst thing for Sporting is that they still had to play… half an hour. Seeing the stands empty, with the fans discouraged, after 60 minutes is something Amorim has to reckon with. And if there’s one game that should serve as an example of what not to do, it’s this one.
Before the final whistle, the post avoided Marsà’s own goal… the humiliation could have been greater. In two games, the French won six points against Sporting, who are no longer the leader and now face a complicated trip to London. Before that, it is the fifth defeat in 13 matches and one certainty: it is necessary to recover the players physically and psychologically. The season isn’t even half over yet.
Source: DN
