Sporting begin title defence with 3-1 victory over Rio Ave at Alvalade

Sporting won 17 out of 17 home matches on their way to a championship triumph last season and the Lions began the new campaign with another convincing win at Alvalade against a largely inoffensive Rio Ave.

A first-half brace by man-of-the-match Pedro Gonçalves was reward from a dominant opening 45 minutes from Sporting.

Viktor Gyökeres made it 3-0 just after the hour mark, before Clayton scored a fine consolation goal for the visitors in the 90th minute.

Tom Kundert reports from Alvalade. 

Sporting’s two major new signings goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević and centre-back Zeno Debast had come in for criticism after the Super Cup capitulation against Porto last weekend and the latter was dropped to the bench by coach Rúben Amorim as Ousmane Diomande was restored to the heart of the defence.

Rio Ave started with several new faces in the lineup, most of the attention on forwards Clayton Silva and Tiago Morais, who had impressed at Casa Pia and Boavista respectively before moving abroad.

The hosts started strongly, no doubt keen to make up for last week’s disappointment, with Diomande heading a corner narrowly wide in the 4th minute.

Early breakthrough

The home fans did not have to wait long to celebrate though. Just two minutes later Geovany Quenda played a precise through ball past a leaden Rio Ave back line to send Viktor Gyökeres racing clear. The Swede unselfishly squared the ball to Pedro Gonçalves for an easy finish.

Rio Ave tried to press Sporting but the hosts were playing through them with ease thanks to accurate passing and good movement. On 18 minutes it required a sharp save from Jhonatan to prevent Morita from doubling the Lions’ lead at the back post from a corner as the Japanese slid in to direct Diomande’s header on target.

Fine work by Gyökeres then set up Pote but he could not get his shot off quickly enough and the chance was gone.

Pote at the double

Gonçalves made no mistake with his next opportunity, scoring his and Sporting’s second goal of the night, aided by a Jhonatan blunder. The goalkeeper’s careless attempt to play out from the back was easily intercepted by Pote, the forward immediately lobbing the Brazilian from outside the box.

It continued all Sporting until the break with Quenda again impressing with his link-up play and maturity on the ball, while Rio Ave failed to get anything going in an attacking sense. Morais was non-existent and Clayton was constantly coming off second-best in a tough battle with Diomande.

The second half started off in the same vein as a Gyökeres cross was deflected onto the bar. Quaresma was not far away from a spectacular goal with a rocket of a shot from 20 yards out but the ball arrowed just over the bar. 

Gyökeres gets his goal

The Swede would not be denied, however, and in the 63rd minute he was in the right place at the right time to turn in Francisco Trincão’s deflected shot that had looped high into the air off a defender.

Trincão, Gyökeres twice and Daniel Bragança nearly added to the lead, only to be denied either by Jhonatan or off-target aim.

Out of nothing Rio Ave pulled a goal back in the 90th minute. João Novais threaded a well weighted through ball to Clayton, who as last got the better of Diomande, cutting inside the big centre-back’s attempted sliding block and finishing with aplomb.

There was still time for late substitute Rodrigo Ribeiro to almost restore Sporting’s three-goal lead, his cross-shot hitting the inside of the post and bouncing back into play.

Analysis – Sporting strong, Rio Ave a work in progress

Sporting are yet to fully hit their stride but look well set to mount a serious challenge for what would be back-to-back titles for the first time in 70 years.

The Lions are strong all over the pitch, although signing a backup for Gyökeres before the transfer market closes remains a priority. The Portuguese team have been chasing Greek striker Fotis Ioannidis all summer and closing the deal will be vital in order not to overload or be over-reliant on Gyökeres.

Question marks remain in defence but in a good way with Amorim spoiled for choice despite the departure of captain Sebastián Coates. Diomande played in the central “Coates” role tonight and excelled, well supported by Quaresma on the right and Inácio on the left. Expensive Belgian recruit Debast has his work cut out getting into the team, as does Jeremiah St. Juste if he can ever get himself fit.  

A lot has been made of Rio Ave’s summer business, but after a poor set of preseason results the visitors were a long way from competing tonight and are flattered by the final score. Luís Freire has a lot of work to do to mould an interesting squad into a strong team.

Although starved of the ball for most of the night, Brazilian striker Clayton Silva showed he can be a handful for Primeira Liga defences, taking his goal superbly after a bruising 90-minute battle with Diomande. Barring injury, I expect him to surpass the 12 goals he scored for Casa Pia last season. 

Sporting: Vladan Kovačević, Eduardo Quaresma, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo (Matheus Reis, 75’), Morten Hjulmand, Hidemassa Morita (Rodrigo Ribeiro, 89’), Geovany Quenda (Daniel Bragança, 76’), Francisco Trincão (Marcus Edwards, 76’), Viktor Gyökeres, Pedro Gonçalves (Mateus Fernandes, 65’)

Rio Ave: Jhonatan, Miguel Nóbrega, Renato Pantalon, Aderllan Santos (Patrick William, 65’), João Novais, Amine Oudrhiri (Brandon Aguilera, 77’), Ole Pohlmann (Vítor Gomes, 82’), João Graça (Kiko Bondoso, 65’), Clayton, Tiago Morais (João Tomé, 46’), Marios Vrousai

Goals:

[1-0] Pedro Gonçalves, 6’

[2-0] Pedro Gonçalves, 27’

[3-0] Viktor Gyökeres, 63’

[3-1] Clayton Silva, 90’