Juve, Sporting win 4-3 at home from Casa Pia

To hell and back, or almost. Sporting seriously risked running into the second consecutive draw on the field of the modest Casa Pia, managing to win only in the final, also thanks to numerical superiority. Yet the match immediately went downhill for Ruben Amorim’s team, who unlocked it after 20″ with Trincao, the absolute protagonist of the final 4-3 with a hat-trick. Martins equalized, the former Barcelona player brought his team forward and Soma in added time in the first half the score was 2-2. A flash from Gonçalves gave the green-and-whites a new advantage, who were joined again by Cardoso. A game with two faces for the attacker, who scored and was sent off shortly after. Thus began the siege for the second half of the second half and it is the usual Trincao who knocks down the wall a few minutes before the 90th minute.

the match

—

Amorim applies a little turnover after the midweek recovery with Gil Vicente, also modifying some positions. Up front, without the injured Paulinho, the 18-year-old Chermiti was confirmed from the start as first striker. Reis relegated to the defensive trio, where compared to the last exit there is Diomandé in place of St. Juste; Gonçalves climbs into midfield with Trincao returning to the frontline. It is precisely the former Barcelona player who unlocks the match after twenty seconds. Casa Pia misses the management after the kick-off, Gonçalves leads the transition and serves Trincao who returns to the right in the area and kicks. The immediate benefit, however, is short-lived. In the 7th minute, in fact, it was already level again: on a cross from the right, Pinto headed the ball, the rebound caught Coates by surprise and Martins took advantage of it with an appreciable volley towards the far post, where Adan didn’t can come. The inertia of the game is always the prerogative of Sporting, but the opponents don’t stand by and watch. Soma tries from the edge with an insidious left foot on the post by the green-and-white goalkeeper, who doesn’t let himself be surprised (17′). Over time the predominance of Amorim’s formation appears evident and the impression, soon confirmed, is that it is enough to slightly increase the rounds to hit Casa Pia, not perfectly placed on dead balls. Reis tries to take advantage of it with a header on Edwards’ cross after a short exchange on the corner flag, however finding a reply from Souza (35′). Two minutes later, the guests are back in the lead: on the development of a set piece Esgaio supports Trincao, who controls and shoots around where this time the goalkeeper can do nothing. However, Sporting made the mistake of going head first into the interval before the double whistle. On the last action of the first half, Pinto volleys after the defense’s rejection, Adan gets excited, Soma counters Santos’s slide and the ball ends up in the net.

the recovery

—

Amorim is not satisfied with Chermiti’s performance and opts for a form without a center forward, inserting Morita. The Japanese is decisive in the 48th minute, when he picks up Trincao’s heel and sends an advanced Gonçalves deep, who benefits from the advance created by the coach and slips Souza. Once again, however, the green-and-whites didn’t keep up the favor of the result properly, because Cardoso scored the 3-3 in the 62nd minute, taking advantage of the freedom left by the opposing defenders in the box. The attacker also had the great demerit of being sent off two minutes later: already booked for an intervention on Coates just before scoring, he fought Gonçalves for the ball with a slap and the referee got a second yellow card. Sporting predictably raises the center of gravity in search of an equalizer, Souza is good at opposing both Trincao with his head and Edwards left free to finish in the center of the area. However, the Portuguese still had to give up, who scored a hat-trick in the 85th minute, with a volley from Gonçalves’ cross from the left. Management of the final is facilitated by numerical superiority and Sporting can thus celebrate the three points, showing some reassuring limits in view of the match against Juventus but also all the potential of their talents.