Yannick Djalo brace fires Sporting to crucial win

Sporting 2-0 Braga

Sporting kept their hopes of grabbing second place and automatic Champions League qualification alive with a somewhat flattering 2-0 win over Braga at Alvalade yesterday.

Two fine first-half goals in two minutes from Yannick Djalo (pictured) gave the Lions the three points to move up to fourth place and intensify the pressure on Benfica and Guimaraes above them, both of whom dropped points this weekend.

However, it was the visitors who dominated large spells of the game. Braga had a seemingly legal goal ruled out in the second half, but the northerners also paid the price for some wasteful finishing.

Paulo Bento pulled a double surprise by giving Farnerud a rare start in the face of Romagnoli’s injury and selecting striker Yannick Djalo ahead of Simon Vukcevic.

Braga had the best of the early exchanges, and the dangerous Matheus went on the first of a series of darting runs in the 4th minute before testing Patricio with a snapshot when everyone was expecting a cross, which the young Portuguese keeper tipped around the post.

Linz chances

Polga and Yannick had half chances for the hosts but it was Braga who were looking the more incisive in attack and a venomous counter-attack ended with Linz sending a diving header from a Matheus cross just wide of goal.

Ze Manel then failed to make the most of a free-kick in a dangerous position as the visitors continued to enjoy the upper hand. Linz was close to making the breakthrough in the 32nd minute with a clever back-heel but Patricio blocked the effort.

Sporting then took a scarcely deserved lead when Yannick ran onto a perfect Liedson throughball and confidently slotted the ball past Kieszek to bring the muted crowd to life.

Two minutes later and it was 2-0 as the strike partners combined brilliantly. Yannick and Liedson exchanged a double one-two at high speed, and the Portugal U21 forward finished with aplomb, striking a fine low shot into the corner of the net from 20 metres.

Yannick was now on fire and the youngster almost paved the way for a third goal twice before the break, with his searing pace causing panic in the Braga defence.

The second half began as did the first, with Braga hogging possession for long periods and causing Sporting’s rearguard plenty of problems with some inventive attacking play, chiefly from livewire Matheus.

It was the Brazilian flyer who set up a golden opportunity for Linz to halve the deficit in the 52nd minute, but the Austrian lifted his effort over the bar. In a breathless period of play Yannick and Liedson then missed good chances to score at the other end, before Sporting were given a huge let-off.

Another long cross evaded the Sporting defenders and the lurking Jailson knocked the ball under Patricio and into the net but as the Braga players celebrated the referee ruled out the effort for an alleged foul that only he appeared to see.

Patricio reflexes

Braga’s speedy forward line was cutting through the Sporting defence with alarming ease, and Linz cracked a header against the bar in the 66th minute, with Patricio showing great reflexes to save the rebound effort from Jailson. Matheus then left Polga flailing in his wake to set up a three against one break for Braga, but the winger over-hit the ball and the grateful Patricio snuffed out the danger.

Sporting managed to stem the Braga attack in the final 15 minutes and an outrageous acrobatic back-heel by Liedson set up substitute Pereirinha, who forced Kieszek into a sprawling save to concede a corner. Pereirinha and Liedson then combined well to set up the latter, but the Brazilian’s shot was again well stopped by the Polish goalkeeper.

Vukcevic missed the last chance of the match when he headed an Abel cross, but Paulo Bento will be delighted with the result as he turns his attention to the Uefa Cup quarter-final second-leg clash against Rangers on Thursday.

Sporting:
Rui Patricio, Abel, Tonel, Polga (Gladstone, 72), Grimi, Izmailov (Simon, 61), Miguel Veloso, Farnerud, Joao Moutinho, Yannick (Pereirinha, 68), Liedson
Yellow Cards: Liedson, Joao Moutinho

Braga:
Kieszek, Rodriguez (Stelvio, 45), Paulo Jorge, Contreras, Joao Pereira, Roberto Brum, Fernandes, Ze Manel (Miguelito, 68), Matheus, Linz, Vandinho (Jailson, 46)
Yellow Cards: Contreras, Vandinho, Paulo Jorge, Joao Pereira, Carlos Fernandes, Stelvio

Goals:
[1-0] Yannick, 35
[2-0] Yannick, 37