In a stunning Champions League night at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, Sporting Lisbon crushed Manchester City 4-1, led by a hat-trick from Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres.
The victory was a display of Sporting manager Ruben Amorim’s tactical prowess as his team exploited Manchester City’s defensive vulnerabilities, paving the way for an emphatic win that underlined his credentials just days before he takes charge at Manchester United.
Manchester City initially seized control when Phil Foden found the net in the fourth minute, capitalizing on a rare moment of sloppiness from the Sporting defense. After pouncing on a misplaced pass, Foden fired a low shot that Franco Israel, Sporting’s goalkeeper, couldn’t stop.
Yet despite City’s early lead and multiple chances, they failed to capitalize further, with Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva both missing golden opportunities to extend the advantage.
Sporting rallied, and in the 38th minute, Gyokeres leveled the score. He latched onto a well-timed pass from Geovany Quenda, outpacing City’s debutant center-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, before calmly finishing past Ederson. Gyokeres’s equalizer energized the home crowd, and as City’s defense faltered under pressure, Amorim’s side seized the momentum.
“Manchester United fans might think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived if my team beats City,” Amorim quipped after the match, summing up the high expectations awaiting him at Old Trafford.
United will officially welcome the 39-year-old on November 11, hoping he can restore a semblance of their past glories following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal.
Sporting continued their surge after halftime with a flurry of goals. Within seconds of the restart, Maximiliano Araujo fired Sporting ahead, finishing a breakaway with precision. Gyokeres then added a second from the penalty spot in the 50th minute after City defender Josko Gvardiol brought down Trincao in the box.
City’s chance to pull one back went begging as Haaland’s penalty struck the crossbar, exemplifying their night of frustration.
Amorim’s tactical adjustments and Gyokeres’s clinical finishing were capped in the 80th minute, when Gyokeres converted his third goal from another penalty, securing the 4-1 triumph and putting an exclamation mark on Amorim’s Sporting farewell.
Pep Guardiola now faces difficult questions as City’s unexpected three-match losing streak highlights the impact of missing key players like Rodri, Jack Grealish, and Ruben Dias. Although City remains in contention for Champions League advancement, Guardiola will be under pressure to address these defensive lapses before their upcoming league clash with Brighton.
With Amorim’s debut for United set for November 24, followed by a high-stakes Manchester derby in December, the newly appointed manager’s thrilling final act with Sporting leaves a buzz of anticipation across European football.
