Bruno Mascarenhas apologises for Sporting’s dip in form: At this stage... | OneFootball

The lack of alternatives in Rui Borges’ squad, caused by the increasing number of injured players, the quality of the Vitória SC team, and the stage of the season in which the match was played all help to explain, according to Bruno Mascarenhas, former Sporting director, in statements to the newspaper Record, the defeat of the Sporting team on Tuesday in Leiria, in the semi-finals of the League Cup.

"This defeat was not by chance. The team is really depleted, missing players who are greatly needed. Besides that, V. Guimarães is always a team to be reckoned with. We can’t forget that they had already eliminated Porto, at the Dragão,” notes the Lisbon City Councilor.

“Then, we can’t ignore that, at this stage of the season, it’s common for the top teams to experience a dip in form, they start the season on the rise, have this drop, and then grow again towards the final stretch of the championship,” says the former TV commentator, further reinforcing his point of view.

"It’s normal that, in this phase of declining form (which usually happens between December and January), with so many injuries and facing a respectable opponent, Sporting might stumble as they did. It should be noted that Vitória’s two goals came in stoppage time, thanks to the belief of their players. Two goals after the 90th minute are things that happen in football", he emphasizes.

When asked if the defeat in Leiria could in any way harm Sporting’s success in the remaining competitions, Bruno Mascarenhas replied: "Defeats suffered under these conditions always end up having an effect. But I believe that, when the team is at full strength, with the injured players returning and with the reinforcements signed in this winter market, Sporting will continue to fight for the league title. After all, unfortunately, this is an unbalanced league, where it’s rare for the big clubs to drop points,” concludes the former board member of Sporting’s Executive Council.

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