Trincão nets golaço as Sporting brush aside tame Estoril 2-0 at Alvalade

Sporting clinched three wins tonight with a regular 2-0 win over the ailing Estoril Praia in Alvalade.

Goals in each half from Héctor Bellerín and Francisco Trincão gave the Lions the points.

After his superb Europa League performance against Midtjylland last Thursday, Pedro Gonçalves was brought back into midfield by Rúben Amorim with Manuel Ugarte suspended. Trincão joined Edwards and Paulinho up front, while Gonçalo Inácio started with Matheus Reis on the bench and preferred Bellerín at right-back to Esgaio.

Estoril’s interim coach Pedro Guerreiro, who came on for the sacked Nélson Veríssimo, handed over new signing Rafik Guitane from the start.

Slow start

A restrained first half followed with little action on goal in the first 35 minutes. Sporting dominated possession but were unable to assert themselves against Estoril’s tight defense, Marcus Edwards looking for the liveliest outlet to get something going.

In the 18th minute, the England winger made room and swung a beautiful cross to Paulinho’s head, the striker’s shot being saved well by the diving Dani Figueira.

On a chilly evening in Lisbon, the sparse crowd of 22,313 had to wait until just before half-time for more action to warm up. Edwards was the instigator again, rolling a 20-yard shot just inches wide of the post in the 38th minute.

Two minutes later and the deadlock was broken. Spain full-back Héctor Bellerín was in front for the whole half and when he won the ball after a scramble in the box, he stepped forward and hit a solid low shot over Figueira and into the net to put the hosts ahead .

Bellerín soon rushed forward again, his cross sending Trincão’s header over the bar. Estoril finally created a degree of danger just before half-time as João Carvalho watched a ball curled out of a corner and his right foot caught a powerful volley that went over the bar.

Trincao comes alive

The second half started similarly until Francisco Trincão pulled out something special in the 52nd minute. The winger had endured another frustratingly ineffective evening so far, but as he picked up the ball near the left touchline he ran horizontally across the pitch, pushing past three defenders with the ball on his left foot before scoring a fine finish roof of the net shot into the goal with his right boot. GOLACO!

The goal visibly boosted Trincão’s confidence, the former Braga and Barcelona player testing Figueira with a snap from 20 meters that forced a save from the Estoril goalkeeper.

Soon after, livewire nutmegd Trincão in midfield, advanced, firing powerfully from the edge of the box but too close to Figueira, who saved.

A series of substitutions disrupted the flow of play and the sustained subdued atmosphere befitted a rather forgotten game. The visitors almost came back into play in the 83rd minute when a corner from Estoril was only half cleared. Sporting’s defenders were too slow to knock out Tiago Araújo, who didn’t need a second invitation, and he hit the foot of the post with a shot.

A clever turn and a Chermiti shot saw another save from Figueira, with Edwards and Morita also working the keeper in stoppage time, but no further goal saw the Lions move five points clear of third-placed Braga, at least by the End of the Minho Derby later tonight.

From Tom Kundertat the José Alvalade Stadium

Goals:

[1-0] Héctor Bellerin, 40′

[2-0] Francisco Trincao, 52′