Stats behind Ruben Amorim’s Sporting farewell as Viktor Gyokeres inspires City thrashing
Soon-to-be Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim bid farewell to the Sporting faithful at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday evening, and in some style.
The Portuguese coach’s final home match in charge coincidentally came against United’s rivals Manchester City, in the fourth round of the new Champions League league phase.
Prior to the game, Amorim had warned that expectations would soar too high if his side were to win, “If we win tomorrow they will think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived. That will be very difficult. It could increase expectations, I don’t know what is better when I start my new adventure,” he said.
WhoScored+ is a Telegram service, and bets will be sent directly to your phone.
Click here to claim a 7-day free trial today!
A positive result looked unlikely for the hosts when City raced into an early lead inside just four minutes, after Phil Foden capitalised on a mix-up as Sporting attempted to play out from the back.
Shortly before half-time, however, the hosts hit back through red-hot marksman Viktor Gyokeres. The Sweden international has now netted a whopping 12 goals in his last six matches for club and country.
Amorim’s side then started the second half as they had finished the first, taking the lead inside the first minute through Maximiliano Araujo, before Viktor Gyokeres made it 3-1 from the penalty spot just three minutes later.
Sporting survived an Erling Haaland penalty 20 minutes from time, with the Manchester City goal-machine striking the crossbar with his effort from the spot. To make matters worse for Pep Guardiola, Viktor Gyokeres would complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot 10 minutes later, to bring the scoreline to 4-1.
Ruben Amorim could hardly have hoped for a better outcome from his final home game in charge in Lisbon before making the move to Old Trafford. Sporting’s historic victory marked just the third time in UEFA Champions League history that a team managed by Pep Guardiola had conceded four goals in the competition.
Manchester City have lost three competitive matches in a row for the first time within a single season since April 2018.
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 5, 2024
Rúben Amorim’s Sporting inflict the latest defeat, 4-1 in Lisbon. 👀#UCL pic.twitter.com/ygGq1K3kGw
Sporting hero Viktor Gyokeres, whose links with a move to United will surely now intensify even further than they already had, became just the fourth player to net a hat-trick against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City - after Lionel Messi, Jamie Vardy and Christopher Nkunku.
Though the scoreline undoubtedly tells all, the underlying statistics from Tuesday’s clash in Portugal make Sporting’s triumph all the more impressive. The hosts managed just 27% of possession against City, had less than half as many shots on goal (9 vs 20) and made nearly a third of the passes their opponents did (181 vs 556).
Amorim’s side, however, were exceptionally efficient, finding the target with six of their nine attempts on goal, mustering five big chances and missing just one; City, on the other hand, missed both of the two they were presented.
Opta’s Expected Goals figures also sway in the favour of the home side, with Sporting’s 2.86 superior to City’s 2.21, despite their significantly smaller share of the ball.
Amorim - and indeed Manchester United supporters - will no doubt argue that the stats are simply irrelevant after a victory as dominant as this one, and who is to disagree? This was a match that showcased the very best of the team he has built in Portugal, and the level that he surely aspires to reach at Old Trafford in the near future.
