FC Porto drop to 6th after defeat to Sporting | OneFootball

There is little that motivates a hockey player more than playing a classic match with the dimension and historical weight of a clash between lions and dragons. This one, however, had an additional reason for Sporting: to dedicate the victory and performance to the late Júlio Rendeiro, a goal achieved categorically with a 5-2 triumph in the seventh round of the national championship.

Before the game, the João Rocha Pavilion paid tribute to the former lion legend and Portugal's coach with a moving minute of silence attended by president Frederico Varandas in the presidential box.

The green and whites started better and took advantage of the numerical superiority (power play) to open the scoring at 12′ with a powerful shot: Facundo Navarro, free on the right side of the attack, fired forcefully into the visitors' net.

In the very next minute, one second before the end of the numerical superiority, Sporting made it 2-0 thanks to a ball circulation that ended with an unstoppable long-distance shot from Nolito.

The lions maintained the pressure, and at 18′, Rafa Bessa started the play from behind the goal and assisted Diogo Barata, who shot first-time – scoring against his former team – setting the score at 3-0 by halftime.

If things were already complicated for the national champions, they worsened three minutes after the restart, in a transition where Rampulla found Verona unmarked on the left and passed the ball for the Italian to complete the lions' fourth goal.

FC Porto's reaction followed, with Telmo Pinto (42′) reducing the difference in a persistent play.

However, the lions, who gave everything on the field to dedicate the victory to the memory of Rendeiro and also Edo Bosch's recently deceased father, extended the lead again at 47′ through an individual play by Rampulla that ended with a chip shot.

The dragons, who improved in the second half, set the final score at 5-2 in the final seconds through Carlo Di Benedetto.

After seven rounds, Sporting is third with 16 points – the same as OC Barcelos (2nd) – and is two points behind leader Benfica, who will only play this round's match on Wednesday. FC Porto, in turn, dropped to 6th place (having been 5th), with 10 points.

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