The Dea’s opponents in the Europa League are playing the Portuguese championship with Benfica
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malfitoto
Sporting, here we go again. Ruben Amorim’s team is once again on Atalanta’s path in the Europa League, after the mix that already occurred in the group stage of the tournament. On that occasion, the Nerazzurri emerged undefeated from the double header, winning in Lisbon and drawing the match at the Gewiss Stadium which allowed Gasperini’s team to create the necessary distance to close the group in first place. The Portuguese team’s show of strength in the play-offs against Young Boys conveys the image of a very formidable opponent and this is also confirmed by their performance in the championship, where Sporting has the same points (55 in 21 games) as league leaders Benfica who played an extra challenge and one for which they also have a better goal difference.
THE STAR: GYOKERES
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Sporting’s most interesting element is undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres. Born in 1998, the Swede has exploded this season, which has already seen him score 29 times in 32 appearances in all competitions. Few could have predicted such an impetuous performance, considering that the Portuguese club signed him from Coventry in the summer. He is a structured center forward who also knows how to combine technique and intelligence with a strong physicality, as confirmed by the 11 assists he provided to his teammates. The goal scored in the second leg of the play-offs against Young Boys embodies all of his talent: oriented control, feints and left foot at the top corner.
THE TECHNICIAN: RUBEN AMORIM
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Until a few years ago, he was considered the young prodigy of the benches in Portugal, but the successes achieved in such a short time already make him one of the masters of the Primeira Liga at just 38 years old. Sporting paid Braga 10 million euros three years ago to sign him and since then a championship, two league cups and a Portuguese Super Cup have arrived.
HOW TO PLAY (3-4-3)
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Adan; Diomandé, Reis, Inacio; Esgaio, Hjulmand, Gonçalves, Santos; Edwards, Gyokeres, Trincao.
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