Sporting CP 3-1 Galatasaray: result and report

Report

Sporting CP came from behind to beat Galatasaray 3-1. They deserved the win, even though the two-goal margin was kinder to them than the chances were.

Sporting CP fell behind after five minutes when Gonçalo Inácio scored an own goal. However, there was plenty of time to respond, and Geny Catamo equalised on 27 minutes.

The game turned early in the second half. Luis Suárez put Sporting CP ahead from the penalty spot on 57 minutes. Rodrigo Zalazar then made it 3-1 on 63 minutes, so the comeback was complete inside six minutes.

Suárez's penalty proved to be the winning goal, and he finished as the match's top-rated player.

Galatasaray: more of the ball, less of the threat

Galatasaray had most of the ball, yet they did not get much out of it. They had 62% possession, ten shots to Sporting CP's six and 26 dangerous attacks to 17. They also made seven key passes to Sporting CP's two.

Despite all that pressure, Galatasaray managed only three shots on target. They created two big chances and missed both. As a result, their only goal came from a Sporting CP own goal.

Sporting CP made their chances count

Sporting CP needed far fewer attempts. Five of their six shots were on target. They also edged the xG count 1.41 to 1.18, despite having much less of the ball.

That gap is narrow, though. A 3-1 scoreline suggests a comfortable home win. The chance quality points to a closer contest, one that Sporting CP won because they turned a small number of shots into goals.