Sporting power into Champions League quarter-finals after epic 5-0 victory over Bodø/Glimt | OneFootball

Sporting fans have had some memorable European nights in recent times, with last season’s 4-1 victory over Manchester City and the 2-1 win over PSG in January still fresh in the memory, but tonight’s effort against Bodø/Glimt arguably topped both those performances.

Trailing 3-0 from the first leg last week, the Portuguese champions simply pummelled the Norwegians into submission with a display of non-stop attacking football (38 shots, 16 corners!), winning 5-0 after extra time to set up a quarter-final meeting with Arsenal.

It is the first time Sporting have reached the last eight of Europe’s premier club competition in its current Champions League format, having achieved the feat once before, in 1982/83, when it was still known as the European Cup.

Tom Kundert reports from Alvalade.

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Sporting coach Rui Borges had said his team needed a perfect performance to turn around the tie, and the Lions set about Bodø – who had won five straight games in the Champions League – like a team possessed.

Maxi Araújo with a performance for the ages

The energy and enterprise of the Lisbon outfit was personified in the magnificent display by man-of-the-match Maxi Araújo. The Uruguayan left-back was at the heart of all of Sporting’s best attacking moments in a whirlwind start.

Uruguayan left-back Maxi Araújo put in another wonderful performance for Sporting (Photo: Arlindo Homem ©)

Francisco Trincão twice, Luis Suárez and Pedro Gonçalves all spurned presentable chances as Sporting pinned back Bodø and opened them up several times in the first 20 minutes. But somehow it remained 0-0. That “perfect performance” Borges had talked about seemed to have just one missing ingredient – putting away the multiple chances created.

The visitors, as been characteristic of their superb Champions League, were not afraid to commit plenty of men forward when they counter-attacked, but they failed to create danger like they had done in Norway. However, it seemed they had weathered the storm as Sporting’s attacking momentum slowed down.

Inácio breaks the deadlock

But in the 35th minute, goal-scoring defender Gonçalo Inácio rose highest at a corner to head into the net and give Sporting and their fans renewed hope. It was Inácio’s 23rd goal for Sporting in his 250th game for the Lions.

As so often in the past, centre-back Gonçalo Inácio scored a vital goal from a corner for Sporting (Photo: Arlindo Homem ©)

Bodø almost equalised soon afterwards from the same method, Odin Bjortuft heading against the bar from a corner, with Sporting scrambling the ball away in the ensuing scramble.

Sporting continued on the front foot after the break but were finding it more difficult to carve out chances, Catamo, Hjulmand and Fresneda trying their luck without seriously threatening Nikita Haikin’s goal.

Pote scores – the comeback is on!

The crucial second goal came on the hour mark. Catamo released Luis Suárez with a fabulous vertical pass, the Colombian racing forward and crossing perfectly for Pedro Gonçalves to fire home.

There was a palpable injection of energy in the stands and on the pitch, with Borges making sure Sporting kept up the momentum by bringing on Zeno Debast, Nuno Santos and Daniel Bragança for Eduardo Quaresma, Gonçalves and Morita.

Sporting continued to pour forward and soon they had levelled the tie on aggregate. Luis Suárez showed nerves of steel to score from the penalty spot after a handball by Bjorkan.

Luis Suárez scores from the penalty spot and it is 3-3 on aggregate! (Photo: Arlindo Homem ©)

Santos denied by the woodwork

The Lions smelt blood and were close to going into the lead for the first time in the tie on several occasions, Debast and Trincão forcing Haikin into excellent saves and Nuno Santos desperately unlucky to see his fierce shot bounce back off the post.

Bodø/Glimt somehow survived until the 90 minutes were up, meaning extra time was on the menu with the tie all square at 3-3 on aggregate.

Sporting would not be denied though, and from their first attack when the game restarted Maxi Araújo took advantage of good approach play by Bragança and Trincão to fire into the net.

Suddenly the match changed, with Sporting now content to hold possession and slow down the pace of the game, which they did intelligently. As the clock clicked down towards the final whistle the home team managed to keep play near the corner flag of Bodø’s goal for lengthy periods, winning a succession of throw-ins.

Nel puts by cherry on the cake

Bodø finally broke out of the stranglehold to try and launch a last desperate attack but it would be Sporting who found the net again, young substitute Rafael Nel firing into the roof of the net after being set up neatly by Bragança.

20-year-old Rafael Nel scored his first goal for Sporting's first team to cap a memorable night (Photo: Arlindo Homem ©)

The José Alvalade stadium, which had been bouncing all night, reached a crescendo of jubilation as Sporting’s fans celebrated an epic comeback in communion with their players and staff.

[4-0] Maxi Araújo, 92’

[5-0] Rafael Nel, 120+2’