Vítor Pinto says someone in Arsenal-Sporting shook like a leaf | OneFootball

Vítor Pinto praised Sporting's approach in the Champions League quarter-finals (0-0). The commentator began by highlighting the emotional impact of the end of the tie between the Lions and the English side, stressing that Mikel Arteta was greatly relieved when the match ended.

“François Letexier’s final whistle was still echoing around the Emirates when Mikel Arteta, heading towards Rui Borges with an outstretched hand, let out a sigh of relief. The spontaneous gesture said it all. The Spaniard felt the threat of a lion that never surrendered”, it can be read in the newspaper 'Record'.

He then reinforced the scale of the European recognition achieved by the Lions: “Arsenal, who steamrolled every opponent at home in the Champions League, lift Sporting to a level of recognition that seemed unthinkable at the start of the season. The strength of the Gunners gave no reason to imagine a Champions League quarter-final tie in which the two-time Portuguese champions would go out, but still register more shots on target than their English rivals, with Rui Silva leaving London having made just one save.”

The columnist also stressed that Sporting lacked greater efficiency to turn a strong display into a major result: “The semi-finals were never a mirage, but Sporting needed to unleash their genius, to be clinical and benefit from flashes of quality in front of goal. The Lions were disciplined and persistent, but not even João Simões’ final shot had a divine green light to guide the ball in.”

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