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Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim led Sporting Lisbon to a dominant 4-1 Champions League win over Manchester City on Tuesday evening.
In what was his final match at Estádio José Alvalade ahead of his official arrival at United, Amorim made a huge statement of intent by beating Guardiola, a manager he recently described as “the best in the world.”
United officially confirmed Amorim’s appointment on Friday as a replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag. The club stated that Amorim will take over the reins at Old Trafford on November 11, after Sporting’s Liga Portugal meeting at Braga on Sunday.
A large number of United fans had their eyes on the Lions’ fixture with City and Amorim certainly didn’t disappoint.
The 39-year-old’s side suffered an early setback, as Phil Foden broke the deadlock just four minutes in. The England international took full advantage of some pitiful handling of the ball by Hidemasa Morita before firing past a helpless Franco Israel in the Sporting goal.
City dominated possession as they looked to extend their lead but Sporting had an answer for most of what was asked of them. Erling Haaland had chances to double the visitors’ advantage but he was thwarted by Israel and some poor finishing on his part.
Seven minutes before the break, red-hot striker Viktor Gyokeres restored parity. He got on the end of a brilliant ball from teenage winger Geovany Quenda, outpaced Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and expertly lifted his effort over Ederson.
Maximiliano Araujo put Sporting in the driving seat immediately after the restart as he combined well with the tricky Pedro Goncalves before rifling in a powerful shot that once again, evaded Ederson.
Gyokeres – who has been heavily linked to United – was at it again, this time converting from the spot-kick to put Sporting in the driving seat.
The hosts were awarded a penalty after Josko Gvardiol was judged to have illegally brought down Francisco Trincao inside the box.
Gyokeres would go on to seal his hat trick with another penalty, courtesy of Matheus Nunes pulling back Catamo.
Haaland also had a chance to get on the score sheet from the penalty spot but hit the woodwork with his attempt.
The result has left Sporting in second place in the 36-man Champions League standings, just two points below table leaders Liverpool.
On a night widely seen as an audition for Amorim, the Portuguese tactician excelled, offering United fans a promising preview of what his managerial tenure could bring.
Even sweeter was that his victory came at the expense of one of United’s cross-town rivals—a perfect way to win over the fans before even stepping into the hot seat.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
2024-11-05 22:25:46
