Quick-fire Sporting stun Porto

Sporting 2-0 FC Porto

Two goals in the opening 15 minutes proved enough for Sporting to inflict only Porto’s second defeat this season. Vukcevic and Izmailov found the net early in the game to give the Lions a sensational start and send the home fans into raptures of joy.

Runaway leaders Porto were wasteful throughout the match, with Lucho Gonzalez especially guilty of missing a host of gilt-edged chances, but no more goals were added. Despite the defeat the Dragons retain a comfortable lead at the top of the table, while Sporting recapture third spot.

For Sporting Bruno Pereirinha continued to deputise for the injured Abel and Vuckcevic was preferred to Purovic to partner Liedson in attack. Porto surprisingly left Argentine striker Farias on the bench despite two goals in his last two matches, opting instead to strengthen their midfield with Cech.

The visitors started the stronger and in the very first minute Bosingwa swaggered past Ronny effortlessly and placed a perfect throughball to Lucho Gonzalez, but the Porto striker hit his effort over the bar. In the seventh minute Lisandro powered a header past Rui Patricio into the net, but the striker had strayed into an offside position.

Lucho miss

Minutes later Lisandro burst into the box and laid a perfect ball into the stride of Lucho who somehow fired wide of a gaping net. Porto were made to rue those missed chances as practically the first time Sporting managed to break into the Porto half they took the lead.

Izmailov did well to win the ball on the left and crossed low into the box where Vukcevic got in front of his marker to shoot goalwards. The effort lacked strength but Helton let the ball squirm through his hands and trickle into the net.

Vukcevic was involved again three minutes later as Sporting doubled their lead. The excellent Pereirinha sent over a peach of the cross that the Montenegrin should have scored from. Vukcevic did not connect well with the ball but his skimmed header was enough to confuse Helton who was powerless to stop the ball finding its way to Izmailov who nodded into the empty net from point-blank range.

The goals knocked the wind out of Porto and boosted Sporting’s confidence, although the champions continued to look the most threatening. Close to the interval a Quaresma free kick deflected off the wall to Pedro Emanuel who shot weakly at Patricio from ten metres out.

Polga clearance

The pattern of the match was much the same in the second half, with Porto creating a host of chances but failing to take them. Polga was forced to clear off the line, substitute Farias hit the bar with a header, and Lucho missed another two chances, the second of which will be particularly embarrassing for the normally lethal Argentine to look back on.

At the other end of the pitch Romagnoli and Liedson went close to scoring a third for Sporting, but that would have been rough justice on Porto. The win will give Sporting a huge injection of confidence as they fight to make progress on four fronts – the Carlsberg Cup, Portuguese Cup, Uefa Cup and Bwin Liga.

FC Porto should not have too much difficulty in picking themselves up given that they put in another good display despite the loss, and they know only a calamitous series of results can deprive them of a third straight championship triumph.

Sporting:
Rui Patricio, Pereirinha, Tonel, Polga, Ronny, Miguel Veloso, Izmailov, Romagnoli (Farnerud, 74), Joao Moutinho, Vukcevic (Gladstone, 89), Liedson (Celsinho, 91)
Yellow Cards: Pereirinha (48), Tonel (72), Liedson (83)

FC Porto:
Helton, Bosingwa, Bruno Alves, Pedro Emanuel, Fucile, Paulo Assuncao, Lucho, Raul Meireles (Mariano Gonzalez, 69), Cech (Farias, 46), Quaresma (Helder Barbosa, 82), Lisandro Lopez
Yellow Cards: Meireles (49), Bruno Alves (62), Pedro Emanuel (64)

Goals:
[1-0] Vukcevic, 12
[2-0] Izmailov, 15