After a defeat that cost Sporting the chance to play in the first final of the season, the “lions” could not have reacted in a more imposing way. Six days after being penalized for their lack of effectiveness in the semi-final of the League Cup in Leiria against Sp. Braga, the Sporting fans overcame Casa Pia, achieving their biggest defeat to date in the I League: 8-0. With a brace from Gyökeres, Coates and Trincão – Pedro Gonçalves and Geny Catamo also scored -, Sporting recorded their sixth consecutive victory in the championship – 21 goals in the last four rounds -, thus ensuring they maintained their lead.
Rúben Amorim, in his unmistakable style, set the bar very high after the defeat in the League Cup. With the team at the top of the championship, the coach did not hide and, at the start of the 19th round, he was clear: “Obviously, if we don’t win titles, I will leave on my own.” But Amorim said more. He admitted that “it was a long week” and that his players “really felt the defeat” against Sp. Braga: “We have never needed to start a game so much to get back on track.” And, when the duel with Casa Pia began, Sporting could not have shown greater strength.
Maintaining confidence in the team that had played in Leiria – Adán’s return to goal was the only news -, Amorim showed confidence in his players and, two days after celebrating his 39th birthday, received as a gift what he had not had in the last match: offensive effectiveness.
With a high pace, but without showing eagerness, Sporting took the game from the opening whistle, and, at the first opportunity, scored: following a free kick, Nuno Santos placed the ball at the edge of the small area and Coates, faced with Casap’s passivity , confirmed that he is fearsome from set pieces.
A dozen minutes later, another sign of Casa Pia’s weakness. Pedro Gonçalves recovered the ball in midfield, was launched by Inácio and offered, in the 23rd minute, the 23rd goal of the season to Gyökeres. With the “geese” lost in Alvalade, the 3-0 came two minutes later – in the face of Ricardo Batista, Pedro Gonçalves did not forgive – and, after half an hour, Gyökeres was only stopped in the area by a missing João Nunes, and , when converting the penalty, the Swede scored twice.
With a third of the game played, Sporting had already exorcised any ghosts after Leiria’s disappointment, but even so, they did not reduce their intensity. Although Pedro Moreira tried to stop the permeability of his defense with the entry of Fernando Varela, at half-time Trincão reinforced his good form: the winger scored for the fourth consecutive game in the championship.
With 5-0 at the end of the first 45 minutes, the second half was what was expected: less interesting. At half-time, Amorim chose to rest Pedro Gonçalves and pace Bragança, but the “lions” and “geese” returned from the dressing room with the same objective: managing the result. However, Casa Pia did not prevent the rout from escalating.
Returning from the African Cup of Nations, Geny Catamo needed just eight minutes on the field to, in the 64th minute, reach half a dozen with a great goal, and, towards the end, the Mozambican offered Coates the opportunity to score twice at departure. However, Casa Pia’s nightmare was not over and, in stoppage time, it was Trincão who closed the score, making the final 8-0.
The tradition, however, had already been fulfilled for a long time: in I Liga games, Sporting always beat Casa Pia and, in the last 17 games played between the two teams, the Sporting fans always scored two or more goals.