A vitória do Sporting CP sobre o Braga foi um acaso – Vamos vingar esta humilhação – Braga Boss
Sporting CP win over Braga was a fluke – We shall avenge this humiliation – Braga Boss
Sporting Clube de Portugal equaled their best ever start to a Liga Portugal season with a stunning turnaround against SC Braga, winning 2-4 to make it 11 wins in as many games. Coming back from 2-0 down, goals from Hidemasa Morita, Morten Hjulmand and a brace from Conrad Harder made it a happy swansong for outgoing coach Rúben Amorim. He leaves the team top of the table with a perfect record thus far in 2024/25.
Up against an SC Braga who were looking to recover fourth place in the table, Amorim made just one change to the starting XI used in the epic European victory against Manchester City in midweek: Daniel Bragança came in for Morita.
The first opportunity went to the home team, as Franco Israel blocked Bruma’s shot across the face of goal, and in the 20th minute SC Braga made it 1-0 through Ricardo Horta in unlikely fashion. Defensive confusion inside the area included the Sporting CP goalkeeper being knocked down on his goal line, and no foul was awarded as the ball was put into the net.
The setbacks only increased, as soon after Pedro Gonçalves was injured. He was replaced by Geny Catamo, and Maxi Araújo took the vacant place in the attacking trident.
Sporting CP reacted and created their first chance after the half-hour, but the well-crafted move ended with a finish from Matheus Reis that Braga’s goalkeeper, Matheus, kept out.
On one of the first occasions that Viktor Gyökeres was successfully brought into play from deep, he dropped to the left and served Maxi Araújo with a pass into the box, but his teammate’s left-footed shot went into the side netting.
SC Braga were more effective, however, and caught Sporting CP on the counter with a quick transition from Bruma. It was successfully finished again by captain Ricardo Horta, amidst further controversy about a potential handball.
Trailing 2-0 at the interval, Sporting CP looked for a reaction upon the restart, and brought on Jeremiah St. Juste in place of Zeno Debast. The attacking output increased, such as when Quenda sped forward and played a pass only slightly too far ahead of Gyökeres for him to get onto it before the goalkeeper.
Morita and Harder came on for Bragança and Maxi before the hour, and their impact was immediate. From the corner kick that followed, St. Juste rose highest to head against the post, but Morita was more precise and made it 1-2.
Catamo’s sprint and delivery in towards Gyökeres -who arrived slightly late- kept the momentum going, and the winger himself had a go in the 71st minute that Matheus parried away. SC Braga were struggling to attack, and were trying to hang on for the win.
The persistence from Sporting CP paid off within the last ten minutes, when Morten Hjulmand made his move and, from distance, scored the equaliser with a captain’s goal.
They always wanted more, and the goals didn’t stop there. After the regulation 90 minutes, Harder did not hesitate to strike with a well-placed left footed effort that confirmed the comeback.
Os Leões rounded the game off with a fourth goal, again from Harder and this time from a counter that saw him go through on Matheus and tap the ball past him.
Sporting CP’s first win at the Estádio Municipal de Braga since 2021/22 was an epic one, and the 2-4 triumph will live long in the memory.
After the international break, the team will close the month of November with three home games in three different competitions: Against Amarante FC in the Portuguese Cup (Nov. 22nd, 8:45pm), then at home against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League (Nov. 26th, 8pm), followed by CD Santa Clara (Nov. 30th, 8.30pm) in Liga Portugal.
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