More Champions League joy for Sporting with 2-0 victory over Sturm Graz in Austria | OneFootball

Sporting put in another impressive performance to beat Sturm Graz 2-0 in Austria and make it two wins and one draw from three matches in the new format of the Champions League.

Goals in either half from Nuno Santos and Viktor Gyökeres got the job done. The Portuguese champions could have scored more goals but were also thankful to goalkeeper Franco Israel for several sharp saves.

Next up for Sporting in the competition are two home clashes against English heavyweights Manchester City and Arsenal.

Rejigged defence

With centre-backs Ousmane Diomande, Eduardo Quaresma out injured and Jeremiah St. Juste not yet match fit, Sporting coach Rúben selected Ricardo Esgaio as an adapted right-sided central defender, alongside Gonçalo Inácio and Zeno Debast in his usual three CB system. Another surprise was the omission of Geovany Quenda, with Nuno Santos selected as the left wing-back in front of Maxi Araújo. Despite scoring a brace on the weekend, teenage striker Conrad Harder had to settle for a place on the bench.

Playing against opponents Sporting had beaten twice last season in the Europa League, the visitors showed their intention to boss the game early on, going straight on the attack. Francisco Trincão fired an early warning shot over the bar, before a typically bludgeoning run from Viktor Gyökeres almost set up Maxi Araújo.

Sturm Graz goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen then tipped a Gyökeres shot on the turn over the bar, but a Sporting goal was coming and it duly arrived midway through the first half after a beautiful team move.

Santos strikes

Trincão and Hjulmand exchanged quick passes, the Dane releasing Geny Catamo with a through ball, with the Mozambican beating his marker, driving to the byline and crossing low across goal. Gyökeres missed his kick but the ball fell to Nuno Santos whose firm shot found its way into the net with the aid of Scherpen’s hapless attempt to keep it out.

Gyökeres had a chance to double the lead almost immediately, turning his man but smashing his shot narrowly wide as he lost his footing.

The hosts at last woke up as an attacking force in the 28th minute, the impressive Seedy Jatta heading towards goal and forcing Franco Israel into a tremendous reflex save, although the referee subsequently blew for offside.

Inácio saves the day

Sturm Graz were inches away from an equaliser with their next chances though. Jatta was again the instigator, a powerful run through midfield allowing him to tee up William Boving, whose left-foot shot was saved at full-stretch by Israel. The ball fell to striker Mika Biereth who seemed certain to score but Gonçalo Inácio made a miraculous interception virtually on the goal-line.

Back came Sporting with Gyökeres miscuing his header, then Trincão heading a corner towards goal but Scherpen saved comfortably to leave the half time score one-nil in the Lions’ favour.

Sturm Graz started the second half with more energy, threatening to make it a more uncomfortable 45 minutes for their Portuguese adversaries, but the hopes of the boisterous home fans took a blow in the 53rd minute as Sporting doubled their lead.

Gyökeres against the world

Zeno Debast showed terrific composure and skill to cut out an attack, progress the ball forward and play a pass down the touchline to Gyökeres. Out of the left flank with a defender on him, it did not look promising for the Swede, but the striker tricked his way past his man and accelerated towards goal with only thing on his mind. Without breaking his run, Gyökeres skipped past the goalkeeper the last defender before coolly slotting the ball into the net.

With the match apparently safe, Rúben Amorim began to make a series of substitutions, the most notable being the return from injury of midfielder Pedro Gonçalves and centre-back St. Juste.

St. Juste made his presence felt with a brilliant interception to thwart Lovro Zvonarek as the home team pushed hard to get something out of the game in the final 20 minutes, resulting in a more open period of play with Sporting able to exploit vacated space on the break.

Chances go begging

Trincão’s powerful effort grazed the post, Gyökeres pulled a shot wide with just the goalkeeper to beat, Trincão was denied by a brilliant saving tackle and substitute Quenda saw his shot saved by Scherpen.

At the other end of the pitch Franco Israel again showed his alertness with a flying save from a Gazibegovic rocket shot, as Sporting kept a clean sheet for the eighth time in their last 10 matches.

Amorim targets playoffs

“It was a mature display. We missed lots of goal-scoring chances, but everybody was focused and it was a convincing performance,” said Amorim.

“The seven points help us because we now enter a cycle of difficult matches. The goal is to reach the playoff.”