Three months have passed since Ruben Amorim departed from Sporting Lisbon to take the helm at Manchester United, and both he and his former club are experiencing significant challenges.
On Tuesday, Sporting faced a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the initial leg of their Champions League playoff, putting them on the brink of elimination. Since Amorim’s move to Manchester, the Portuguese champions have struggled, failing to secure a victory in any of their five Champions League matches. Meanwhile, Manchester United finds itself languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, marking a less-than-happy start to Amorim’s management there.
Sporting’s coach, Rui Borges, expressed disappointment with his team’s performance, stating, “We weren’t very proactive and we lost our collective balance.” He emphasized that his squad ceded control of the match to Borussia’s gameplay, allowing them to exploit spaces in the attack. He stressed the necessity to elevate their performance in the Champions League, noting, “We need to be at 200% — and we’re not even at 100%.”
Viktor Gyokeres, who was a significant driving force in Sporting’s impressive 4-1 victory over Manchester City in November—Amorim’s final match in charge—was only utilized as a substitute against Dortmund. His absence has been noticeable recently due to ongoing fitness issues. When he finally entered the pitch in the 59th minute, Dortmund struck immediately, highlighting the struggle Sporting faced in providing essential service to him for the remainder of the match.
In the first half, Sporting had the upper hand, but the dynamics shifted once Dortmund capitalized on their cross-heavy strategy to dismantle Sporting’s defense. A well-placed high ball led to Serhou Guirassy netting his 10th Champions League goal, and shortly after, he assisted Pascal Gross, who scored with a clumsy finish. As Sporting pressed forward in search of a goal, they were caught off guard on the counterattack, allowing Karim Adeyemi to score Dortmund’s third.
While Sporting is struggling to find its footing following the coaching change, Borussia Dortmund appears to have found new energy. This match marked Dortmund’s first European encounter since appointing Niko Kovac, who stepped in after Nuri Sahin’s dismissal. Kovac celebrated a successful return to the Champions League, despite facing issues as Dortmund sits in 11th place in the German league.
In an interview with a broadcaster, Kovac cautioned that “it’s just the first half” of the playoff tie, but he lauded his team’s mindset. “We showed mentality, physicality, aggression,” he added, highlighting the positive aspects of their performance.
