with a screen qb, an assertive captain and one of the best Pedro Gonçalves the Lions have ever seen, Sporting built up a happy defeat in Denmark today against Midtjylland (4-0) and qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League. Tomorrow you will know who you won in the draw and with that certainty the demand will only increase from now on. Arsenal is one of the possible opponents.
Aware of the poor season in the home leagues, Rúben Amorim tried to take the pressure off the team before the match playoff, saying that even winning the Europa League won’t save the season. A sentence that, if taken literally, could be considered inappropriate, as winning the second most important competition in European football gives direct access to next year’s champions and the millions to go with it…something the current fourth place in the championship does not matter to you.
The draw in Lisbon (1-1) last week left the score open. At least in theory, because for Sporting, playing out in European competitions is synonymous with increased difficulties. Even though the opponent is accessible, because it turned out to be Midtjylland, who played only three games in the past three months.
One hour before the start of the second leg of the playoff access to the round of 16 of the Europa League, the Danish club announced that captain Emiliano Martínez would not play. Because of the lion strategy, Rúben Amorim can count on his captain – in addition to betting on Arthur Gomes and benching Nuno Santos.
Sebástian Coates had avoided the Lions defeat in the Alvalade game with a goal in the last shot of the game and yesterday he found his way to goal again, in an early goal and three points. The captain had the head to make it 1-0. And if Coates saved Adán’s skin in the first game (he compromised the move that gave the Danes the goal) yesterday it was the Uruguayan who was saved by Esgaio after half an hour when Selmani tried to capitalize on a mistake by the central defender .
Despite the advantage on the scoreboard, the lion game was denounced. Too much denounced and that made the opponent’s job easier, in an intense game, but rarely played well. And with some blunders on both sides, the kind you appreciate or reject depending on your point of view.
In the 32nd minute, Sporting could have increased their lead, but Marcus Edwards was the defendant. The Englishman was on his way to goal when he tried to pass the hat to the goalkeeper and Jonas Lossi loomed large before the Englishman’s careless shot. Amorim couldn’t believe what he had just seen and Esgaio expressed it on the pitch.
Pot to double again
Sporting went into the break with a meager lead and with the addition that they played the second half with another advantage due to the exclusion of Paulinho (Midtjylland). That gave Amorim the space to launch Héctor Bellerín and give wings to Pedro Gonçalves, who made it 2-0 after 50 minutes. Four of the seven shots on target for the Danish team came from Pote and that showed how good it is to have a Morita on the field so that the coach is not forced to withdraw the team’s top scorer.
The second goal changed the attitude of the leonine team… who went almost 25 minutes without firing on target again. But when he did, he resolved the tie for good. The number 28 of the lions would score twice in Denmark, an accidental move. He had already scored twice in Chaves to reach 17 goals, surpassing the previous season’s record (15) with seven fewer games.
The Danish bewilderment was total and was evident in the own goal that sealed the lion’s defeat. Stefan Gartenmann was too late towards the goal and did not see that the goalkeeper was not there … One of those moves that goes around the world that does not detract from the triumph of Sporting, who again qualified for the last 16 of the League Europe four years later.
SEE THE GOALS
0-1 Jackets (Sporty)
0-2 Pedro Goncalves (Sporting Lisbon)
0-3 Pedro Goncalves (Sporting Lisbon)
0-4 Gartenmann (own goal)
Source: DN
