Sporting CP secured a commanding home victory on Sunday night in the Liga Portugal, defeating Rio Ave 4-0 at the Estádio José Alvalade in the 16th match week. Luis Suárez was the undeniable star of the show, delivering a hat-trick and registering one assist.
Sporting, which featured Vagiannidis starting at right-back instead of Fresneda, immediately took the offensive. Suárez issued the first warning shot just two minutes into the game, narrowly missing the target. A major opportunity followed in the 15th minute when Trincão penetrated the area, and the ball fell to Maxi Araújo (who had recovered from physical issues to start). The Uruguayan struck the ball from a central position, only to be denied by a superb save from Rio Ave goalkeeper Miszta.
Rio Ave, notably shorthanded in attack, offered little resistance. Despite the pressure, the opening goal only materialized after the half-hour mark. Following a corner kick from the left, João Simões provided a headed deflection toward the back post, where Suárez arrived opportunistically ahead of Miszta to tap the ball in with his chest for the 1-0 lead. The teams headed to halftime with Sporting holding a narrow advantage.
If the lead was slim at the break, it was rapidly extended when the second half began. In the 53rd minute, Suárez delivered a brilliant left-footed pass that put Maxi Araújo through on goal. The Uruguayan cleverly rounded Miszta and, even while falling, managed to guide the ball into the back of the net, making it 2-0.
Sporting did not ease up. Just seven minutes later, Suárez struck again, this time with a precise header following another corner kick. The Colombian powerhouse needed only one minute more to seal his hat-trick, capitalizing on a rebound after Miszta struggled to handle a low shot from Trincão, pushing the scoreline to 4-0.
With a comfortable four-goal cushion secured, coach Rui Borges began making multiple substitutions to rest key players. Rio Ave managed to gain some possession in the midfield but failed entirely to trouble Rui Silva in the Sporting goal.
The score remained unchanged until the final whistle. This 13th victory in 16 matches solidifies Sporting`s position in the league table, creating distance from Benfica and applying immediate pressure on FC Porto, who are scheduled to play their match at home against AVS on Monday. Rio Ave remains in 11th position with 17 points.
Mark Thompson
