Sporting are on the precipice of winning their second title in four years under Rúben Amorim. The Portuguese tactician has the Lisbon-based club five points clear at the summit with just three games left to play after his side scored two goals in two minutes against fierce rivals Porto recently to salvage a draw.
Amorim’s men found themselves 2-0 down at the break at the Estádio do Dragão. They were staring down the barrel of just their third defeat of the season in the league and their lead at the top would’ve been cut to just four points.
But Sporting just don’t know when they’re beaten under the Portuguese tactician and in the blink of an eye, it was 2-2. Famed for their late comebacks during their title win in 2020/21, the Leões showed they have the mentality to get over the line once again. It is a far cry from the team that could only limp to a fourth-place finish last season.
The Lisbon giants failed to retain their title after their success in Amorim’s debut campaign. They finished as runners-up during the 2021/22 season but having lost even more key players during the summer of 2022, with João Palhinha and Matheus Nunes both leaving, they ended up finishing 13 points off the leaders Benfica last season.
Sporting lost Manuel Ugarte last summer but they also learnt from their mistakes.
They reinvested some of the money into their squad. Viktor Gyökeres was signed from Coventry City after impressing in the Championship and Morten Hjulmand arrived from Lecce for a combined €40million.
For other clubs, to spend this sort of money is normal. But Gyökeres and Hjulmand are Sporting’s most expensive signings. And the duo have been the difference-makers for Amorim this season.
Hjulmand has been a revelation in midfield and is being linked with moves to some of the biggest clubs in Europe following an eye-catching debut campaign in Portugal while Gyokeres is arguably the most sought-after striker in the world right now.
The 25-year-old is reportedly wanted by Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and even Real Madrid after a jaw-dropping 2023/24 season in Portugal.
His double against Porto on Sunday evening now means he’s on 26 goals for the season in the Portuguese top-flight. He’s also chipped in with 10 assists. There’s a high possibility he finishes the campaign with 40-goal involvements.
Gyokeres has played his part in turning Sporting into the best attacking team in the Portugal this season. Amorim’s side are averaging the most goals per match (2.9) and have the second best Expected Goals total (66.5) in the league.
They rank second for big chances (105) but they have only missed 49 big chances. Sporting have a big chance conversion rate of 53%. For context, Benfica, the team with the most big chances, have converted just 40% this season.
Sporting have been clinical and that is why they lead the way in the title race. It really is as simple as that. And while Gyökeres can’t be solely credited for this ruthlessness, he has more than played his part and you can see this when looking at his underlying numbers.
The Sporting No. 9 has an Expected Goals total of 19.5. So, at surface level, he’s massively overperforming when looking at his goals return. However, his Expected Goals on Target haul of 24.7 paints a picture of a supreme finisher. He’s adding value to his efforts and he has been all season. So he’s turning low-value efforts into high-value ones. And he’s converting his chances at an astonishing rate.
And this is one of the main differences between Sporting last season and Sporting this time around. For example, last term, Amorim’s men averaged 2.1 goals per match – the fourth most – and had the third highest Expected Goals total. They had 108 big chances but converted just 41%.
Hjulmand is pulling his weight too, making Sporting a lot more defensively resilient. The Lisbon side have the best defensive record this season whereas last season they ranked third for lowest xG conceded.
The two-big money summer signings helped Sporting get back on track. They helped them become not just title challengers but deserved title winners.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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