Sporting cruise into last sixteen

Sporting 4-0 Lagoa

Sporting moved into the last sixteen of the Portuguese Cup with a comfortable 4-0 home victory over lower-league side Lagoa.

The first win of 2008 for the Lions will bring some welcome respite to under-pressure coach Paulo Bento.

The size of the crowd – over 11,000 – up to a quarter of which were visiting fans who made the trip from the Algarve, is a good indication of the current depressed state of the Alvalade club.

Joao Moutinho is one of the few players who has maintained a high performance level during Sporting’s rough patch, and it was appropriate that the captain should open the scoring with a delightful angled lob after being played behind the defence by a fine Liedson pass in the 7th minute.

The Portugal midfielder almost scored his second soon after, but another chipped effort this time fell just wide. After a fast start the match tempo dropped significantly. Ronny’s fine long-range shot which was well saved by Botelho on the stroke of half-time was the only other action of note in the first half.

Sporting started the second half in much more determined fashion and Liedson and Farnerud had both gone close to doubling the lead before Abel finished off a flowing move by slotting into the net on 57 minutes.

Simon Vukcevic then tested Botelho with a stinging shot, but a third goal duly arrived when some neat approach play by Romagnoli set up Liedson, whose shot was bundled into his own net by Tero.

Centre-back Gladstone, given a rare start and turning in a sound performance, completed the scoring near the end with a firm header from a corner.

Sporting:
Stojkovic, Abel (Pereirinha, 59), Gladsotne, Polga, Ronny, Miguel Veloso, Joao Moutinho, Izmailov (Romagnoli, 45), Farnerud, Vukcevic (Celsinho, 73), Liedson
Yellow Cards: Liedson, Miguel Veloso

Lagoa:
Botelho, Marcio, Tero (Janita, 59), Nelson, Julio, Sadjo (Boicas, 66), Dario, Vandi, Andre, Bilro, Divaldo
Yellow Card: Janita

Goals:
[1-0] Joao Moutinho, 7
[2-0] Abel, 56
[3-0] Tero, 71 (o.g.)
[4-0] Gladstone, 87