Sporting needed a night like this. Before the more than certain difficulties that they will encounter next Thursday in London against Arsenal, the “lions” overcame Boavista without major difficulties, with a 3-0 triumph in Alvalade counting for the 24th round of the I Liga.
In a one-way game, that of Boavista’s goal, Rúben Amorim’s team owed themselves another handful of goals, but that was not why it stopped being a peaceful night at home.
In this reunion with Petit’s team, Sporting had some scores to settle, a defeat last September, at Bessa, which broke a good moment for the “lions”. Boavista, on the other hand, wanted to repeat that moment in Alvalade to strengthen their position in the middle of the table, but it is already known that this team is one thing playing at home (20 points) and another playing away from Porto (10 points). And Sporting let few points escape in Alvalade.
Chermiti returned to the attack of Rúben Amorim’s team and was almost happy in the first minute. Morita’s move down the left and the young striker, who is said to be on Roberto Martínez’s list for the national team, headed in a fine save by Bracali, deflecting the ball towards the post.
It was a declaration of intent by Sporting that would be materialized in goals in the most spectacular way possible in the 17th minute. Nuno Santos caught the ball bouncing around in the area and, with his left foot behind his right leg, he shot at the goal, without any chance for Bracali – this is called a letter goal and goals like these usually win prizes.
But Sporting did not stop there. Someone had to play, as Boavista didn’t even show up. He did nothing to threaten the goal of Franco Israel, the young Uruguayan who made his debut in the championship, replacing the injured Adán. On the contrary, it created danger in the goal itself. In a “leonine” counter-attack led by Nuno Santos, Salvador Agra places himself between the ball and Pedro Gonçalves, but his cut goes in the direction of his own goal.
A 2-0 before the break even seemed short for such an unbalanced game. And it continued to be short for what happened in the second half, in which the balance of forces remained the same. Lots of Sporting, no Boavista. Esgaio still tried to do a good imitation of Porro in an individual play that ended with a shot on the crossbar.
The game continued at a training pace, with Amorim saving the legs of some players who will be important for Arsenal’s midweek game. And Petit never managed to change anything from the bank.
Even at the close, Paulinho, who came on for Chermiti, still left his mark, pushing a fine cross by Esgaio into the goal and ending a peaceful night in Alvalade.