Alarm bells after Rio Ave v Sporting? Not one of our best games | OneFootball

Sporting beat Rio Ave 4-1 in Vila do Conde and climbed to second place in Liga Portugal Betclic heading into the final matchday. At the end of the game, several well-known figures analyzed the performance of Rui Borges’ side, highlighting the Lions’ ability to respond after a difficult start.

Marco Chagas felt that Sporting struggled in the opening minutes, but ultimately fully deserved the win. “Rio Ave started very well and the match was anything but easy, but Sporting responded well and deserved to win. The most important thing was the victory. In the crucial moments, Sporting managed to impose their quality,” the former cyclist said.

Aldo Lima, meanwhile, was less satisfied with the display produced by the green-and-whites, especially in the first half. “I didn’t like the first half, because Sporting started sluggishly and were slow to react after losing the ball. They improved in the second half, but it wasn’t one of our best games. It was worth it for the win and for taking second place, which is still up for grabs,” he said.

Mário Jorge also highlighted the team’s early difficulties, although he stressed the importance of the red card shown to Rio Ave during the match. “Sporting’s start lacked intensity in the press, but they turned it around with a bit of luck along the way. With the sending-off, life became easier. Sporting has second place in its grasp. They won’t let it slip,” commented the former footballer.

With this victory, Sporting go into the final round of the league depending only on themselves to secure second place and the resulting qualification for next season’s Champions League, maintaining their advantage over Benfica in the final race for the runner-up spot.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.