Sporting needed a point (draw) to reach the eighth finals of the Champions League, but after losing to Eintracht Frankfurt (1-2) said goodbye to the qualification (and the respective €9.6 million). Yesterday, at Estádio José Alvalade, the leonine team was still winning and leading for the time being, but the laughter scenario changed in the second half and it just didn’t become a nightmare as Tottenham defeated Marseille in the last moments and the lions in the Europa league.
As all teams were able to qualify and all stay out, the fava eventually left Marseille. Sporting plays the playoff access to the eighth finals of the Europa League, against a runner-up in the group stage of the Europa League. The draw is on the 7th (Monday).
Rúben Amorim went through the worst phase since he took over the team, in March 2020, promising to evaluate whether he is still the right person to lead the lions … and the fall of the champions could help the national coach in 2020- 2021 to come to a conclusion.
He who was able to make history by qualifying the Lions for eighth for the second year in a row, something the Alvalade club has never achieved. Since the Champions League format (1992), alongside Amorim last year, only Paulo Bento has qualified for the Lions (in 2008-09).
Portugal is thus once again at the door of history. For the second year in a row, Portuguese football fails to place three teams in the top 16 in Europe.
Joker Arthur’s goal
For the match that decided the future of the Lions team in European competitions, Amorim was not held hostage by fear of failure and bet on a surprise eleven, with Arthur Gomes as the joker in a 3x4x3, with Marcus Edwards, Paulinho and Pote (the best lion of the field). But like Sporting, E. Frankfurt came in anxious and nervous, which made the match confusing for half an hour.
Shortly after the 30th minute, Amorim had to change teams due to the injury (meant to be serious) of Nuno Santos, who made way for Matheus Reis. And shortly after, Sporting took the lead with a traditional and customary goal in the transition. Edwards fought for the ball and passed it to Pedro Porro, who went into the area, where a defender made a foul cut, leaving the ball to Arthur’s first shot. A goal with some luck for the lion and some guilt for Trapp, because the ball goes between his legs.
Half the work was done during the break.. Not only did the Lions win a very even match – Eintracht Frankfurt had even more ball (57%) – but in the other game, former Porto player Mbemba beat Marseille to Tottenham and helped the Portuguese take the lead of the group. to achieve .
everything to lose…
The uncertainty in the scoreboard and in the group’s global scenario returned for the second half and with a warning from Glasner, who resorted to veteran captain Sebastian Rode (he was voted the best on the pitch) to keep Eintracht defensive. consistency and thus the game frees Mario Götze’s brain and Kamada’s speed. And it worked.
After a better start in the second half, the Germans tied the score with a controversial penalty. Sporting called for a free kick on Coates, when the leonine captain slashed a ball into the area with his hand. So they didn’t understand the match referee and with a smile on his lips and a green laser in his eyes VAR and Kamada didn’t miss the goal and equalized the game.
The tie still served Leo’s interests, but in the other game the tracks equal and resumed qualifying position. At the same time, Amorim resorted to the bench to take back the reins of the game with Trincão and Essugo, but leaving for the attack without criteria jeopardized all efforts.
And even Gonçalo Inácio’s best performance in recent months was jeopardized by a move in which he couldn’t stand the kick of Randal Kolo Muani, who shot Adán and changed the entire history of the group, giving him E Frankfurt qualified.
And the only reason they didn’t eliminate Sporting from European competition was because in the other game a Tottenham goal in the final stretch pushed Marseille away and saved the Portuguese from an early exit from European competitions.
In the end, Amorim complained about the team’s lack of confidence, but that alone doesn’t explain eight defeats in 18 games at the time…
SEE THE GOALS
1-0 Arthur Gomes (Sporty)
1-1 Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt)
1-2 Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Source: DN
