Champions League: Lions finish campaign with a roar

Sporting 3-0 Dynamo Kiev

Sporting rounded off their Champions League campaign in a highly satisfactory manner with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Dynamo Kiev. A first-half Polga penalty was followed up with strikes in the second half from Joao Moutinho and Liedson.

The Lions finish third in Group F, on seven points, equalling their best performance in the competition, and can look forward with optimism to competing in the Uefa Cup in spring. Yet Sporting fans will be left with a feeling of what might have been after obtaining just one point from their double header against Roma despite more than matching the Italians.

In a match that had no bearing on the final positions of either team, coach Paulo Bento rested Miguel Veloso and Romagnoli, bringing in 18-year-old Adrien Silva for his full debut and handing Farnerud a rare start in a new-look midfield.

Abel thunderbolt

Both players settled well in a bright opening as the hosts showed fluent movement and passing. Purovic came close when set up by Liedson, and Abel almost scored for the second Champions League match running when his tremendous shot from distance was touched onto the crossbar by Kiev goalkeeper Lutsenko.

On 33 minutes the visitors almost took the lead against the run of play as a sharp turn and shot from Bangoura forced young goalkeeper Rui Patricio into a fine diving stop. From the resulting corner Sporting gained possession and immediately broke upfield, with the ball worked to Liedson who was brought crashing to the ground by Nesmachniy in the box for a clear penalty.

Anderson Polga stepped up to take the spot kick and confidently hit the ball into the bottom corner. In five seasons at the Lisbon club it was only the centre-back’s second goal, the other coming against the same opposition in the earlier group match.

Sporting continued to dominate and before the break the excellent Izmailov came close to doubling their lead twice, but was denied on both occasions by Lutsenko.

The second half saw a change in the pattern of the game as the visitors enjoyed a 15-minute spell of domination. Several times Sporting’s defence wobbled as Dynamo put together some penetrating attacks, and only some wayward finishing from Rebrov prevented an equaliser.

Saved by the woodwork

Shortly after the hour mark Sporting enjoyed a slice of luck that had been so patently missing in previous matches as a series of ricochets in their box saw the ball beat Patricio but bounce back into play off the base of the post.

Minutes later the game was made safe as Izmailov showed net footwork and quick thinking to set up Joao Moutinho inside the box, who cooling side-footed the ball into the net from 15 metres.

Purovic, starting to show a greater goal threat in each match, missed badly after a superb cross from substitute Veloso, but the third goal duly arrived in the 89th minute as Liedson latched onto a fine Vukcevic pass to plant a firm shot into the net before clashing painfully with the goalkeeper.

The Brazilian was stretchered off the pitch and Sporting fans will be praying their star striker – who hit four goals in the competition – is not seriously injured.

Sporting:
Rui Patricio, Abel, Polga, Tonel, Ronny (Miguel Veloso, 60), Adrien Silva, Izmailov, Farnerud (Vukcevic, 67), Joao Moutinho, Liedson, Purovic (Luis Paez, 85)

Dynamo Kiev:
Lutsenko, Ninkovic, Markovic, Gavrancic, Nesmachniy, Doplika, Ghioane, Gusev, Rebrov (Belkevich, 78), Bangoura (Artem, 55), Shatskikh

Goals:
[1-0] Polga, 35 (pen)
[2-0] Joao Moutinho, 66
[3-0] Liedson, 89