Sporting CP returned to their Champions League triumph at Alvalade, defeating Marseille 2-1 in a match featuring several key players.
The French team, leaders of the French league, arrived at Alvalade aiming for their second consecutive victory in the competition, after thrashing Dutch side Ajax 4-0, and thus moving closer to qualifying for the round of 16 of the multi-million dollar competition.
The Lions started the match stronger, with Luís Suárez unbalancing the visiting team’s defence and benefiting from a free kick from the edge of the box. Trincão was called upon to take it, but the ball went over the crossbar without much danger.
The French were gaining momentum, and in the 14th minute, Igor Paixão, a 25-year-old Brazilian striker, produced a masterpiece, firing a shot from outside the box near the right post, unstoppable for Rui Silva, and opening the scoring.
The green and white team sensed the goal and lost their way, with Marseille gaining more possession and creating the best chances.
It was close to halftime that the key moment of the match came when Rade Obrenovic, the match referee, awarded a penalty to Sporting CP for an alleged foul by Maxi Araújo on Emerson.
However, he was called by VAR, and after reviewing the footage, ruled it simulated, giving Emerson a second yellow card and the resulting red card.
The second half began with Sporting CP trying to score. In the 57th minute, Geovany Quenda fired a shot from inside the box, forcing Geronimo Rulli to make a difficult save, with the ball still hitting the post.
Rui Borges made changes to the team in the 64th minute, replacing João Simões and Quenda with Fotis Ioannidis and Geny Catano. The changes had almost immediate results. In the 69th minute, Pote delivered a low pass into the opponent’s box, and Geny Catano coolly finished, levelling the score. The referee disallowed the goal, but VAR was called in again, ruling Pote in a legal position, and the crowd erupted in euphoria.
Ten minutes from the end, the star of the match, Alisson Santos, entered the field. A deflected shot from a visiting player curled past Rulli, making it 2-1.
Sporting CP now has six points with this victory and remains in its place in the next round. Marseille’s form ended with a second Champions League defeat.
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