The Champions League opener? A debacle. The best player? Injured. Sporting Lisbon travel to Dortmund with plenty of problems – and yet want to approach the game in a similar way to the 1:5 against Ajax Amsterdam.
The force of Erling Haaland does not haunt Ruben Amorim’s dreams. At least that’s what he says. “It doesn’t stop me from sleeping,” the Sporting Lisbon coach told the press conference on Monday. “I only don’t sleep when our performance is bad or the players don’t give their all.”
If you use this yardstick, then the 36-year-old coach must have lain awake much longer than usual almost a fortnight ago. Sporting suffered a 5-1 defeat at home to Ajax in their opener, and the joy of making their first appearance in the top flight after a four-year absence quickly gave way to disillusionment, with the Portuguese side trailing 2-0 after just nine minutes.
Despite 1:5 defeat: “We will do things the same way “
Amorim is taking it in his stride, he is used to opening blunders to a certain extent. Last season, he and Sporting lost 4-1 at home to Linz ASK in the Europa League qualifying round – and ended up winning their first Portuguese championship since 2002. “I can only improve after these results,” he says.
But is that really the case – or is Sporting in for another thrashing in Dortmund? Whereby. According to Amorim, not everything was bad against Ajax, and he even wants to approach the match at BVB in a similar way. “We have to have the ball,” the coach preaches. “We did that against Ajax. We weren’t particularly inspired then, but we managed to get the ball.” Midfielder Matheus Nunes also announces, “We will do things the same way.”
Difference player Goncalves drops out
The 23-year-old has been one of the great discoveries of the past championship season, but has now – as he announced on Monday – opted for the Portuguese and against the Brazilian national team. But the difference-maker in the team is another: Pedro Goncalves. Top scorer in the Portuguese league in the previous season, although at home in attacking midfield or on the wings. Paving the way to the title. Best Sporting goal scorer this season. But also: injured.
The 23-year-old has been plagued by problems with his left foot since the beginning of September, and recently even had surgery. “I assume that he will come back without surgery,” Amorim hopes, but does not want to set a timetable for a return of his star: “It takes as long as it takes.”
Until that is the case, hopes rest on two loan players: PSG attacker Pablo Sarabia and Manchester City right-rail player Pedro Porro, who scored the winning goal in each of the last two league games. However, both will hardly be able to compensate for Goncalves’ goal-scoring qualities on a permanent basis. “We miss Goncalves,” Amorim also says, “but the players should come in with confidence.” Otherwise, we could be in for another sleepless night.
