Author: liquidsp
- Arsenal take on Inter at San Siro in the Champions League on Wednesday night
- Gunners have picked up seven points from opening three league phase games
- Inter have re-emerged among Europe’s very best in the 2020s
Arsenal must rid themselves of their Tyneside nightmare when they take on Serie A champions Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Gunners performed as poorly as they have in a very long time under Mikel Arteta’s watch at Newcastle on Saturday, falling to a 1-0 defeat thanks to Alexander Isak’s early header. Arsenal are now seven points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, with their recent loss extending their winless run in the competition to three games.
They’ve been productive in Europe, though. Arteta’s side head into this league phase bout with seven points from three games. After drawing at Atalanta on Matchday 1, Arsenal beat Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates without conceding.
Inter sit above the Gunners in the Champions League table on goal difference having also amassed seven points. Simone Inzaghi’s Scudetto holders drew at Manchester City before securing victories over Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys.
A 1-0 win over Venezia on Sunday moved the Nerazzurri to within a point of Antonio Conte’s Napoli at the top of Serie A.
Inter team news
Inzaghi has not been afraid to rotate in this competition, and we should see changes from the team that lined up against Venezia at the weekend.
Mehdi Taremi and Marko Arnautovic are both in contention for starts up top, even if Lautaro Martinez broke his San Siro duck on Sunday. Marcus Thuram could be used off the bench after playing the entirety of Inter’s recent win.
Davide Frattesi and Hakan Calhanoglu could be rotated into Inzaghi’s midfield, as could Francesco Acerbi at the heart of the Nerazzurri’s defence.
Carlos Augusto and Kristjan Asllani miss out through injury.
Arsenal team news
Getty images
The Gunners have received a huge boost ahead of Wednesday’s game, with Martin Odegaard returning to full training on Tuesday following six weeks on the sidelines. The Arsenal captain is expected to travel to Milan, but a spot in Arteta’s starting XI is unlikely.
Ben White and Gabriel were both fit enough to feature at the weekend, and the pair should be included in Arteta’s defence on Wednesday. Jurrien Timber will continue to deputise for Riccardo Calafiori at left-back.
Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both hoping to make their respective returns from injury after the international break.
Inter vs Arsenal prediction
Odegaard’s return is a big boost for the visitors, even if the captain is unlikely to start. A cameo appearance would appease a fanbase that’s been forced to slog through the past few weeks.
After Saturday’s dire display, Arteta will be keen to avoid defeat here and a cautious plan which focusses around stymying their wily hosts may be prioritised.
Neither side is particularly desperate for three points at this stage, and Arsenal, in particular, will be content with another draw in Italy.
Prediction: Inter 0-0 Arsenal
Credit: 90Mins
- Amorim’s Sporting CP defeated Man City 4-1 in the Champions League
- Portuguese coach will join Man Utd later this month
- It is the largest defeat for Pep Guardiola’s side in more than four years
Ruben Amorim not only refused to speak English, teasing a wonderful hissy fit out of reporter Gary Cotterill, but also hedged his bets ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Manchester City.
“If the result is very negative,” the Old Trafford-bound head coach warned. “Expectations will drop and I don’t think that’s a bad starting point when you begin at Manchester United.”
The result, as it transpired, was rather positive. After a shaky start, Sporting romped to a 4-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s English champions, scoring two goals in the first four minutes after Amorim’s half-time team talk.
“I’m fully aware that I’m going to be judged as a manager on this game, and only on this game,” Amorim sighed pre-game. That inevitability was framed as a negative by the studious head coach, casting aside four-and-a-half years of success for Sporting, but his side’s display in Tuesday’s set of 90 minutes certainly contained plenty of positives.
Focused attacking plan
Most of Sporting’s tangible threat in midweek came through forward thrusts – or rather, their forward’s thrust. The hosts were primed to spring up the pitch at each turnover, invariably funnelling almost every attack through the team’s in-demand striker, Viktor Gyokeres.
The burly Swede barrelled through City’s precarious offside trap inside the opening seven minutes only to tamely dink his effort into Ederson’s gloves. When a more difficult opportunity presented itself half an hour later, Gyokeres made no mistake.
City have become increasingly vulnerable to counter-attacks this season – particularly in the absence of the team’s central totem, Rodri. Guardiola’s side only conceded an average of 0.6 shots from fast breaks last term – yet that figure has almost trebled this season. Bournemouth exposed these gaping wounds in a deserved win last weekend and Amorim clearly – and sensibly – pointed his human wrecking ball at the same avenue of weakness.
It also helped that one of Europe’s most prolific players was hurtling into the channel patrolled by poor Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, a 19-year-old centre-back making the first senior start of his career.
The Portuguese champions didn’t only target the teenager, spearing forward into the spaces vacated on both sides of an increasingly porous defence to inflict City’s heaviest defeat since a 5-2 reverse against Leicester City in September 2020.
Principled possession play
The game wasn’t five minutes old when Hidemasa Morita was mugged on the edge of his own penalty box, gifting Foden the chance to fire City in front. It would not be the last cheap turnover offered up by a home side that endured an uncharacteristically skittish start in front of their own fans.
Amorim cannot be blamed for the nervy passing of his players, but he should be credited for sticking with this approach. It was the considered and composed string of passes which lured City forward from the second half restart, purposefully pinging the ball down the left flank with an up-and-back sequence which has become a signature for Sporting under Amorim.
Pedro Goncalves left Mateo Kovacic in a spin and slipped the advancing left wing-back, Maximiliano Araujo, into the box to finish off a dizzying blur of passes 20 seconds after the restart. City’s first touch of the second half was when Ederson picked the ball out of his net.
The resolve of the Portuguese boss may be more thoroughly tested in Manchester. Erik ten Hag ditched building up from the back two games into his United tenure, indelibly scarred by that 4-0 thrashing at Brentford back in August 2022.
Easy to play through
When speaking to a Bayern Munich fan club while he was manager of the Bavarian giants, Guardiola stressed how difficult it was to break down a 5-4-1 formation. “That’s not easy. It doesn’t matter what happened 75 years ago or in the next 50 years. If the opposition team has their players like that, it is never easy.”
That system is easier to navigate when there is space between the lines of five and four. City were not short of flitting left-footers looking to receive the ball in this dangerous corridor of opportunity on Tuesday night, with Bernardo Silva, Foden and Savinho all lurking with intent.
City were suffocatingly on top in the first half, teasing open the loose stitching of Sporting’s oddly spacious shape. The visitors took 11 shots to Sporting’s three in an opening 45 minutes which Guardiola rightly hailed as “fantastic” and still finished the game with twice as many efforts as their hosts.
Sporting did tighten up after the break – another consequence of what must have been a rousing half-time sermon from Amorim – but Bernardo still found space to exchange passes with Rico Lewis and win a penalty for City. On a night when Sporting’s number nine was remorselessly ruthless, City’s Erling Haaland proved to be unusually wasteful; the missed penalty was his fifth and final squandered chance.
Amorim was wary of defeat ahead of Tuesday’s contest but perhaps even more worried about a potential victory. A win for Sporting CP, he warned, would lead to the unwanted tagline of “the new Alex Ferguson”. Well, the original Ferguson faced Guardiola twice in the Champions League and lost on both occasions, Amorim will always be able to point to this famous victory.
Credit: Grey Whitebloom
- Real Madrid face Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night
- Carlo Ancelotti takes on former club in Spanish capital
- Madrid in action for first time since El Clasico thrashing
Carlo Ancelotti faces his former club on Tuesday night when Real Madrid take on Milan in the Champions League league phase.
Ancelotti lifted the trophy as a player and manager for the Rossoneri and remains venerated in Italy’s fashion capital. The all-time great coach has blossomed into a perennial victor of the competition at Madrid, but not much has gone his way at the start of the 2024/25 season.
The tragic events which continue to unfold in the south of Spain means Madrid’s La Liga clash with Valencia was postponed at the weekend, meaning their last outing before Tuesday’s game was their 4-0 defeat to a rampant Barcelona in El Clasico on 26 October.
Ancelotti’s side enter this contest having won two of their opening three league phase games, with Vinicius Junior inspiring Madrid to a come-from-behind 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund last time out.
Paulo Fonseca has endured an up-and-down start to life as Milan manager, with their domestic inconsistency leaving them seventh in Serie A. They did, however, secure their first league phase win on Matchday 3, beating Club Brugge 3-1 having previously lost to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
Real Madrid team news
Madrid will be boosted by Rodrygo’s return to the matchday squad after a brief spell out due to injury and the Brazilian could come straight back into the Madrid XI on Tuesday night. Antonio Rudiger should also be fit to feature despite concerns over his knee.
Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe will once again operate up top, potentially alongside Rodrygo, while veteran Luka Modric will be considered in the middle of the park. There is some worry over midfielder Federico Valverde’s workload, but the Uruguayan may well come through to start.
Madrid are still without Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Dani Carvajal.
Milan team news
Tammy Abraham returned to Fonseca’s squad at Monza on Saturday, but the Milan boss will likely stick with Alvaro Morata up top on Tuesday. The Spaniard broke through in his homeland’s capital a decade ago.
Abraham may be off the injury list, but the Rossoneri are still without Alessandro Florenzi, Luka Jovic and Mattia Gabbia. Metronomic midfielder Ismael Bennacer is also set to miss out again with an ankle injury.
Rafael Leao has shown signs of rediscovering his most electrifying form in recent outings and will join Morata and Christian Pulisic in Milan’s frontline on Tuesday.
Real Madrid vs Milan score prediction
Milan have been so up and down at the start of Fonseca’s reign, but every opponent has a chance against Madrid at the moment.
Vini Jr spared their blushes on Matchday 3 with an outstanding hat-trick before Ancelotti’s side were blown out of the water by Barca on their previous outing. The mini-break they’ve enjoyed as a result of their postponed fixture at the weekend will do Madrid some good and they should appear rejuvenated on Tuesday night.
Outside of their surprise Derby della Madonnina triumph, the Rossoneri have fallen short against superior opposition this season and, while Madrid will hand them periods of control in Tuesday’s game, their proficiency up top will prove far too much for the visitors to handle.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 Milan
Credit: 90Mins
- Liverpool take on Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 4 of Champions League league phase
- Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield as visiting manager
- Reds have won their opening three league phase games
Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield on Tuesday night as his Bayer Leverkusen team take on Liverpool in the Champions League league phase.
Alonso’s long-awaited Merseyside return arrives on Matchday 4 of the new format, with Leverkusen facing a Liverpool side that have won their opening three league phase encounters to sit joint-top of the table with Aston Villa.
The Bundesliga champions impressively beat Feyenoord and Milan in their first two games before drawing away at surprise-package Brest on Matchday 3. Their record is enough to have them in the top eight as the halfway point approaches.
Leverkusen will benefit from having an extra day’s recovery as they prepare for a daunting visit to Anfield under the lights. Alonso’s team were held by Stuttgart on home soil on Friday night, with Bayern Munich’s subsequent victory over Union Berlin meaning Leverkusen are already seven points adrift of Die Roten in the Bundesliga table.
Liverpool, meanwhile, continue to impress with Arne Slot at the helm. A come-from-behind 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday saw them climb to the top of the Premier League table following Manchester City’s defeat at Bournemouth. Slot’s Reds have lost just once in all competitions this term.
Liverpool team news
Ibrahima Konate was forced off at half-time on Saturday after his arm was inadvertently stamped on by centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk, but the Frenchman alleviated fears over a prolonged absence on Sunday when he revealed that scans showed no fracture.
The defender is hopeful of playing on Tuesday, but Slot and his medical team might take a more cautious stance.
Liverpool are without Diogo Jota, Alisson and Harvey Elliott until after the international break, while Federico Chiesa has suffered multiple setbacks while attempting to recover from a muscle injury.
Bayer Leverkusen team news
Alonso is hopeful that summer arrival Martin Terrier will be available for Tuesday’s game after the forward missed Friday’s stalemate with Stuttgart.
Nordi Mukiele picked up a thigh injury during Leverkusen’s previous outing and will be out until after the November break. Jeremie Frimpong will drop into a wing-back position to cover the Frenchman’s absence.
The visitors are also without Amine Adli and Jeanuel Belocian for this midweek fixture.
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction
Facing Liverpool under the lights at Anfield is as tough as it gets, but Leverkusen have reason to believe.
Despite the context surrounding Alonso’s homecoming, this fixture won’t feel particularly significant given that it arrives halfway through an extended league phase.
The Reds aren’t exactly desperate for three points having maintained a 100% record through three games and there’s scope for the visitors to enter Merseyside and do a job on the hosts, even if their domestic form at the start of the new season has been far from spotless.
Alonso will favour security over exuberance here, with a cagey affair in the offing. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the spoils are shared in a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Credit: 90Mins
- Man City take on Sporting CP in the Champions League off the back of two defeats
- Pep Guardiola faces up against incoming Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim
- Two teams have collected seven points from opening three league phase games
There’s a chance for incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim to get one over his future local rivals on Tuesday night as his Sporting CP side face Manchester City in the Champions League.
Amorim was confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor last week but the Portuguese coach won’t assume his role at Old Trafford until 11 November. This is his penultimate game in charge of Sporting.
The Primeira Liga champions have started the 2024/25 campaign in remarkable form. Their title defence has begun with ten wins from ten matches and they’ve accumulated seven points through three league phase games. Sporting beat Lille and Sturm Graz either side of a 1-1 draw at PSV.
Man City’s healthy goal difference leaves them third in the league phase table despite also picking up seven points. Pep Guardiola’s side have claimed comfortable triumphs over Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague after being held by Inter on Matchday 1.
Tuesday’s visitors, though, enter the contest off the back of two consecutive defeats. After losing to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup last Wednesday, City suffered their first Premier League loss of 2024 at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Sporting CP team news
Sporting’s injury woes pale in comparison to their visitors’ concerns, with Amorim only likely to be without Nuno Santos due to a knee injury which could keep him out for the rest of the calendar year.
Centre-backs Goncalo Inacio and Zeno Debast were withdrawn in the second half during Friday night’s win over Estrela, potentially with Tuesday’s game in mind.
Viktor Gyokeres is the man to watch up top for Sporting as he enters this contest having scored 20 goals in 16 games this season. Pedro Goncalves will operate as the home side’s primary playmaker from an inside left position.
Man City team news
Man City’s injury crisis perhaps isn’t as bad as Guardiola feared last week, but Tuesday’s visitors will be without several key names up until the November international break.
Ruben Dias and John Stones both missed Saturday’s defeat due to respective muscle and foot injuries. Neither player will be involved in Lisbon. City are also without Jack Grealish, Oscar Bobb and Rodri.
Savinho and Kevin De Bruyne were unused substitutes at the Vitality which means they should at least travel to the Portuguese capital. De Bruyne hasn’t been in action since Matchday 1 of the league phase.
Sporting CP vs Man City prediction
It’s rarely time to overreact to City defeats, but there’s certainly reason for Guardiola to be concerned. Things don’t get any easier for the Cityzens here as they face a rampant Sporting team aiming to end Amorim’s tenure on a high.
There are chinks in the home side’s armour, especially out of possession, but this City team are not best placed to take advantage of such vulnerabilities given their form and absentees. The visitors are exploitable in transition without Rodri and Sporting boast a master counter-attacking outlet in Gyokeres who will pounce on an unsure defensive line.
The battle for control will be fierce and City are bound to suffer in Lisbon. Don’t expect thrills and spills, with Guardiola’s side just about doing enough to earn a point.
Prediction: Sporting CP 1-1 Man City
Credit: 90Mins
- Rafael Leao has suddenly fallen out of favour at AC Milan
- Barcelona were intiially interested during the summer transfer window
- A deal has previously not been financially feasible for Catalans
Barcelona are reported to be monitoring the “difficult situation” longstanding transfer target Rafael Leao has encountered this season at AC Milan.
Leao has been a key player for Milan since his 2019 arrival but has suddenly found himself out of favour in recent weeks amid rumours of an uneasy relationship with coach Paulo Fonseca.
SPORT explains that Barcelona initially explored their interest in Leao during the summer transfer window when primary target Nico Williams became unattainable. Milan were not prepared to sell at the time, with Barca making their approach through Jorge Mendes acting as an intermediary. But the finances of a potential deal were considered unfeasible given the club’s limitations.
Now, it is suggested that Leao is growing tired of his situation, with Barcelona hoping that it pushes him onto the transfer market at a more reasonable price.
The Portugal international fits the profile that Barcelona are looking for in terms of a left winger. He is described as “very liked” by president Joan Laporta and an “absolutely differential player” in the eyes of sporting director Deco and head coach Hansi Flick.
From Milan’s perspective, Fonseca has played down any suggestion of a rift.
“There is no conflict with Leao,” he said. “I decide as a coach and everyone must give their maximum. I should not beg anyone to give this maximum.”
“Leao entered with a correct attitude against Napoli and there is nothing more to talk about,” Fonseca added, referencing the 25-year-old coming off the bench during Milan’s last game for his first appearance since before the October international break.
Leao’s current contract with Milan runs until 2028 after signing fresh terms last year. He has scored 59 times in 221 games for the club to date and played an instrumental in the 2021/22 Scudetto.
Credit: 90Mins
Manchester United are all set to start yet another new era with a deal for Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim inching closer following Erik ten Hag’s sacking on Monday.
INEOS had dilly-dallied for a long time over the decision but Sunday’s disappointing defeat to West Ham proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and the new co-owners were left with no choice but to end the Dutchman’s tenure with the club languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.
While two trophies were won during the former Ajax coach’s tenure, the two-and-a-half years were characterised by player tussles, puzzling selection calls and thelack of a clear identity.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new-look team had spent big in the summer to help Ten Hag but his reluctance to use Manuel Ugarte in midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo did not impress the hierarchy.
ETH out, Amorim in
With Amorim expected to take charge, young players are expected to earn more minutes while plenty of underperforming stars will be playing to save their United careers.
One among them is Antony with the big-money signing failing his former mentor since his arrival at Old Trafford. The Brazilian is currently injured.
As per Talksport, United have decided to cut loose the former Ajax winger as early as January with Ajax, Flamengo among the teams interested.
United are expected to take a huge hit on their initial £86 million outlay with Ten Hag’s favouritism regarding the Brazil international causing issues within the dressing room, something INEOS are keen to fix.
“talkSPORT understands Antony has already been told he can leave Old Trafford when the transfer window reopens in January after failing to justify becoming the second-most expensive player in United’s history.
“This notebook can also reveal Ten Hag’s loyalty to the under-performing 24-year-old over their players was a bone of contention inside the United dressing room.”
Antony out, Chelsea keen
Interestingly, Spanish outlet Fichajes have claimed that Chelsea, who took Jadon Sancho on loan in the summer, could be ready to rid United of another of their problem stars.
The Blues feel Antony can add dynamism to their final third with Mykhailo Mudryk among the players who look to be on their way out of the club.
“Chelsea, managed by Enzo Maresca, have set their sights on a Manchester United reject, Antony, with the Brazilian winger of the Red Devils reportedly on the way out.
“At Stamford Bridge, the directors see Antony as a signing who could give them greater dynamism in the final third of the pitch, one of the areas in which the team has shown deficiencies.”
The 24-year-old’s current market value stands at €20 million as per Transfermarkt with his United deal valid until 2027.
Credit: ThePeoplesPerson
- Vinicius controversially finished second in Ballon d’Or running
- Award won by Man City & Spain star Rodri
- Pau Cubarsi not surprised by decision
Many had expected Real Madrid star Vinicius to pick up the prize earlier this week before news broke confirming he had not won, at which point everyone associated with the Spanish side decided to boycott the ceremony.
While many Madrid stars took to social media in support of Vinicius, Barcelona’s Cubarsi confessed he felt Rodri was a deserving winner.
“I was not surprised that Vinicius did not win, he was very even with Rodri,” Cubarsi told RAC1.
Cubarsi also voiced his disappointment towards Madrid’s decision not to attend the ceremony, insisting those nominated for awards should be present.
“Being among the top 10 or top 20 of the Ballon d’Or is already a good prize and it is important for a footballer to be there,” Cubarsi continued. “Dani Olmo and I were there and we didn’t win.”
La Liga president Javier Tebas accused Madrid of acting childish in the face of defeat and condemned the La Liga giants’ decision not to turn up.
“I believe Real Madrid has lacked the gentlemanly conduct that has always been one of its hallmarks, which is also part of their anthem, to shake hands when they lose,” he explained. “A lack of gentlemanly conduct that has been missing for some time. I wasn’t surprised. It was a childish attitude, an exaltation, call it what you want.
“We already saw it in the attitude of Real Madrid TV with the videos. We see a supremacist behavior that everything has to revolve around them.”
Credit:90Mins
Man United and Chelsea face each other this Sunday at Old Trafford, and it id widely expected that the clash will be cinema of the highest order. Let’s look at Chelsea, and specifically at manager Enzo Maresca, who so far has done a remarkable job on and off the pitch.
Fans of the game judge success by what they see on the field, but what happens in those 90 minutes is a result of the work on the training ground. The top managers implement scenarios in training that translate to success in the games. It doesn’t always go as planned, but more frequently than not, a victory or solid performance draws from the lessons applied in good training. As the legendary, Hall of Fame NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, “practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
Look at the top four managers in the Premier League right now: Pep Guardiola, Arne Slot, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery. All of them are obsessed with preparation and detail, and it’s their all-consuming hunt for perfection that separates them from everyone else. Maresca is cut from the same cloth. He is a hungry student of the game.
We know him most recently as a former assistant to Guardiola at Man City who then led Leicester City to a Championship title and promotion last season, but his managerial training began way before that. He was a former multipurpose, traveled midfielder once coached by Carlo Ancelotti, Marcello Lippi and Manuel Pellegrini, who told him he could one day become a great coach.
He wrote a thesis comparing football to chess, as he was enamored with positional play and strategy. And that’s how his philosophy has quickly succeeded at Chelsea, the club with a million chess pieces. In his first season, he is giving structure and strategy to a squad that’s been dysfunctional recently. He has several players who are not just delivering but becoming stars, and one of them in particular — Cole Palmer — is in my opinion the best player in the league. Palmer is their most prized player.
Maresca’s tactics prioritize complete ball domination, but not just for the sake of possession. He wants wave after wave of attacking transition to overwhelm the opponents. There might be some risk as the team can be left exposed, but just like with a Queen’s Gambit in chess (where one side sacrifices a pawn to gain control of the center of the board), the risk can result in reward.
Given the midweek loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup, it’s also worth remembering that Chelsea has a young and bloated squad while Maresca continues to rotate players amid a hectic schedule. Overall, though, especially with his current run in the Premier League, the Italian is managing a great season and the risks are paying off.
Credit: ESPN
- Manchester United have officially confirmed Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag’s successor
- Amorim has faced off against three Premier League clubs in career
- Former club Sporting beat both Arsenal and Tottenham in same seaso
Ruben Amorim has been officially confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor in Manchester, but the Sporting CP boss will not assume the role until the November international break.
Amorim’s Premier League ascent arrives following some excellent work in the Portuguese capital which saw him inherit a situation of considerable dysfunction and quickly evolve Sporting into the best team in the land. He’s highly regarded and already well-decorated, but he’s been handed a poisoned chalice at Old Trafford which has seen some of the sport’s brightest minds succumb.
Excluding a forgettable loan spell in Qatar at the end of his playing days, 39-year-old Amorim has spent the entirety of his football career in Portugal. However, thanks to Sporting’s continental ventures under his reign, the Premier League is a division he’s previously come into contact with.
Amorim faced three Premier League clubs during his time with Sporting, here’s a rundown of his record against each ahead of his arrival on English shores.
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Man City
Sporting were Primeira Liga holders entering the 2021/22 campaign and gunning for an improvement in the Champions League having last progressed into the knockout stages of the competition in 2009.
Amorim’s side advanced from a hotly-contested Group B in second place at Borussia Dortmund’s expense, but were dealt the short straw in the round of 16 as they were paired against a Manchester City side still hunting their first Champions League crown.
City beat Paris Saint-Germain and all their superstars to the top spot in Group A before ending their last 16 duel with Sporting 58 minutes into the two-legged affair. The Cityzens completely overwhelmed Amorim’s side in Lisbon, with goals from Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, and a Bernardo Silva brace thrusting City into a 5-0 lead before the hour mark.
Sterling’s strike proved to be the last of the tie as the two sides played out a pretty dull 0-0 stalemate in Manchester three weeks later.
|
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
+/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0:5 |
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Tottenham
2022/23 was undoubtedly the most disappointing season of Amorim’s Sporting tenure. His side fell to fourth in the Primeira Liga amid a trophy-less campaign.
However, they did have some success in Europe. Sporting were placed into an even-looking Group D alongside Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham. Their group stage started with a 3-0 win over Frankfurt in which they dominated the Bundesliga team in transition before they faced Spurs on Matchday 2.
A tactical affair between a pair of coaches who rely on build-up patterns and stringent work without the ball meant few chances arrived at either end before Sporting nicked it at the death thanks to a flicked Paulinho header from a corner. Arthur Gomes put more gloss on the Portuguese side’s triumph with a fine solo effort in stoppage time.
Sporting’s campaign peaked after two games, though, and both sides were in need of points when they met on Matchday 5 in north London. In the end, the spoils were shared after a controversial finale which saw VAR rule out Harry Kane’s likely winner for offside. Rodrigo Bentancur had headed home a second-half equaliser after former Spurs star Marcus Edwards had given Sporting the lead with a pinpoint effort from distance.
|
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
+/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3:1 |
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Arsenal
A defeat to Frankfurt in their final group game saw Sporting, thanks to Spurs’ 2-1 win over Marseille, finish third in Group D and drop into the Europa League knockout round play-offs.
Danish side Midtjylland were cast aside after an emphatic 4-0 second leg win away from home which set up a meeting with an up-and-coming Arsenal side that were then atop the 2022/23 Premier League table.
Due to their success in the league, the Gunners’ priorities lay elsewhere when they faced off with Amorim’s side, but this was a belting two-legged affair nonetheless. A back-and-forth first leg in Lisbon ended two apiece before Pedro Goncalves cancelled out Granit Xhaka’s early opener in the return leg with an outrageous effort from the halfway line.
Manuel Ugarte was particularly brilliant in midfield for Sporting as the game went to penalties, and the Portuguese side were perfect from the spot. Gabriel Martinelli’s miss allowed Nuno Santos to score the winning spot-kick for the visitors, who were then beaten by Juventus in the last eight.
|
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
+/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3:3 |
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Premier League clubs
|
Opponent |
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
+/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Man City |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0:5 |
|
Arsenal |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3:3 |
|
Tottenham |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3:1 |
|
Total |
6 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6:9 |
Credit: 90Mins