Sporting vs Man City LIVE: Champions League latest updates as Gyokeres hat-trick gives Amorim a famous win
Sporting CP 4-1 Man City: Gyokeres scores a hat-trick as City lose their third match in a row
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City fell to a 4-1 defeat agaisnt Sporting CP in Lisbon on an action-packed night of Champions League football.
City were ahead early on after Phil Foden’s low drive beat Franco Isreal, and the away side dominated the rest of the first half, but Sporting were level out of nowhere as Geovany Quenda found Viktor Gyokeres running in-behind the City defence and the Swedish striker slotted past Ederson.
And the second half sprung into life almost immediately as Goncalves slipped the perfect through ball to Maximiliano Araujo, who slotted past Ederson.
Sporting were 3-1 up a little less than 120 seconds later too, as Josko Gvardiol brought down Francisco Trincao in the box and Gyokeres converted from the spot.
The match was suddenly frantic at a raucous Alvalade, though City had a chance to get into it as Bernardo Silva won a penalty. However, Erling Haaland blasted against the bar from the spot, and Sporting soon took advantage as Geny Catamo won their second penalty of the night, and Gyokeres converted for his hat-trick in a memorable night for Ruben Amorim.
Follow all the action from the Champions League with our live blog below:
Line-ups
Sporting XI: Israel; Debast, Diomande, Matheus Reis; Quenda, Hjulmand, Morita, Maxi Araújo, Trincão, Goncalves, Gyökeres.
Subs: Kovacevic, D. Pinto, St. Juste, Edwards, Harder, Geny, Fresneda, Bragança, Esgaio, J. Simões e Quaresma.
Line-ups
City XI: Ederson, Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Silva, Savinho, Foden, Nunes, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Walker, Ake, Doku, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Wright, O’Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand
Team news
Here’s a reminder of the early team news – line-ups are expected to be announced in five minutes!
Pep Guardiola was boosted by the availability of Jeremy Doku, Kyle Walker, Savinho and Kevin de Bruyne against Bournemouth, although the latter pair were unused off the bench. Manchester City’s treatment room remains busy, though, with Ruben Dias and John Stones their latest injury concerns.
Tuesday’s UCL fixtures
Here’s a reminder of tonight’s fixtures in matchday four of the new Champions League.
How the Champions League table looks
With three gameweeks played in the new league phase format of the Champions League, it’s English teams who are topping the table at the moment.
Aston Villa and Liverpool are the only sidea to have won all three matches so far, and they sit top on nine points, with Villa ahead on goal difference.
Man City sit third, also on goal difference, with seven points – there are another six teams on 7 points, stretching down to Arsenal in ninth. Teams on seven points including Sporting, Bayer Leverkusen and Inter Milan.
Barcelona and Real Madrid sit 10th and 12th respectively, both on six points, with Borussia Dortmund sandwiched between the two Spanish giants.
Among the other teams between ninth and 24th – who will go in to a play-off to advance to the next round – are Juventus (14th), Bayern (23rd), PSG (19th) and Celtic (20th).
Bournemouth end Manchester City’s 32-game unbeaten run in Premier League
A recap of City’s last result...
Manchester City’s 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League was ended by Bournemouth who gave a superb display to beat the champions 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium.
Not since losing to Aston Villa on December 6 last year had City lost in the league, but from the first moments on the south coast Andoni Iraola’s side looked a match for them, their energy and industry rewarded by goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson.
It looked at times like Bournemouth would run away from City. Marcus Tavernier struck a post at 2-0 to leave Pep Guardiola’s side clinging on by their fingertips, before Josko Gvardiol set up a nervous finish when he headed in Ilkay Gundogan’s cross.
Bournemouth end Manchester City’s 32-game unbeaten run in Premier League
The champions last lost in the league to Aston Villa on December 6 last year.
Pep Guardiola dismisses Erling Haaland injury scare: ‘We have to make the news as much as possible’
Pep Guardiola has dismissed fears top scorer Erling Haaland has suffered an injury scare ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon.
The prolific Norwegian striker was filmed clutching his shin after going down in apparent pain during a training session open to members of the media on Monday.
Yet manager Guardiola confirmed the 24-year-old is fit and well after the squad arrived in the Portuguese capital later that evening.
Pep Guardiola dismisses Erling Haaland injury scare: ‘We have to make the news’
The Norwegian striker was filmed clutching his shin after going down in apparent pain during an open training session
Ruben Amorim: ‘Manchester United will think I am new Sir Alex Ferguson if we beat Man City’
Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim will ignore comparisons with Sir Alex Ferguson if he steers his Sporting Lisbon side to victory over Manchester City.
The Portuguese, who was named as Erik ten Hag’s successor last week, will take charge of his final Sporting home game as City visit the Jose Alvalade Stadium in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old accepts expectations will be high when he takes over at Old Trafford later this month, and he recognises that could increase if Sporting overcome City.
“I don’t think about that,” said Amorim at a press conference.
“My focus is on winning the match for Sporting. The conclusions are not important for me because they could be erroneous. If we win tomorrow they will think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived.”
Ruben Amorim: ‘Man Utd will think I am new Sir Alex Ferguson if we beat Man City’
Amorim will face Manchester City and Pep Guardiola in his final Sporting home game before taking over at Old Trafford
Hugo Viana, Man City’s incoming sporting director, faces one major task at the Etihad
The Ruben Amorim derby is not the Ruben Amorim derby at all. The Sporting manager is bound for Manchester, but not to take charge of Tuesday’s opponents. But his penultimate game in charge of the Portuguese champions will be the Hugo Viana derby. Manchester City’s next sporting director will come from Sporting, just as Manchester United’s next manager will.
All of which prompted the idea that Amorim would be Pep Guardiola’s successor. Not so, and not merely because Amorim’s destination instead is Manchester United. As City wait to see if Guardiola will want to extend his contract, there may be no frontrunner, because there is no date yet for when there will be a vacancy.
But part of the same rationale was applied by both Manchester clubs. Sporting had not won the Portuguese league for almost two decades. They have now done so twice in four seasons, while improving players, signing well and selling at huge profits. City clearly feel Viana is responsible for a success story; United credit Amorim. For manager and sporting director alike, a move to Manchester comes with a shift in status, to a destination club. City have become excellent sellers under their departing director of football Txiki Begiristain, but from a position at the top of the footballing food chain.
Hugo Viana, Man City’s incoming sporting director, faces one major task
While Manchester United have poached Sporting’s manager, City have signed the man pulling the strings, Hugo Viana, and will come up against the team he built in the Champions League on Tuesday night
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