Juve, Sporting stuck in the league 1-1: Europa League last resort

Unless they win the Europa League, Juventus permitting, in all likelihood Sporting will not play in the next Champions League. Ruben Amorim’s team necessarily had to beat Arouca, to stay in the wake of third-placed Braga and hope to come back. Instead they didn’t go beyond a 1-1 draw against their predecessors in Primeira Liga and are now seven points adrift with six games remaining. It was Antony’s goal at the end of the first half, following a gross error by Diomandé, that gave the visitors the lead. Gonçalves equalized shortly before the triple whistle from a penalty, after having already missed one. Without two thirds of the trident, the first half didn’t live up to expectations but in the second only the woodwork prevented Sporting from straightening the score well before.

THE MATCH

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Without the bruised Paulinho and Edwards stopped by gastroenteritis, Amorim proposes Chermiti up front again and chooses Gomes in the trocar. The first half hour is anything but exciting, the only conclusion worthy of mention is by Gonçalves from the edge, but his trajectory doesn’t come back enough (18′). The midfielder had a great opportunity in the 35th minute when, after an on-field review, the penalty was awarded for a touch by Galovic with a foul arm in the area. From the penalty spot, however, the execution is not angled enough and De Arruabarrena neutralizes it. From the possible 1-0 to the actual 0-1 you can get there in three minutes: Diomandé awkwardly flips a raise, the ball reaches Antony who anticipates Adan’s exit and signs the lead.

THE RECOVERY

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Upon returning from the changing rooms, Sporting changes its set-up. Amorim puts in Morita in place of Bellerin and it is the Japanese who comes close to equalizing in the 54th minute, hitting the crossbar in the development of a corner. This is the phase of the match in which the maximum effort is produced by the green-and-whites. In the 57th minute it was Santos who kicked from an excellent position, after an interesting starting point on the right by Gomes, but the opposing goalkeeper rejected. Four minutes later, however, it was the post that opposed Chermiti’s aerial deviation from Gonçalves’ free-kick. Arouca definitively renounced to attack, placing the front line with six men in the non-possession phase, and tried to irritate the opponents by often resorting to wasting time. Gonçalves redeems his performance and that of the team in the final, in the 83rd minute he gets wedged in the area and Basso intervenes late: it’s still a penalty and it’s still him who shows up from eleven metres. This time, however, the angle changes and displaces De Arruabarrena who cannot oppose for the final 1-1, because Coates’ header in the tenth minute of stoppage time just misses the goal.