In the early hours of November 6, 2024, in the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, Premier League champions Manchester City visited Portuguese powerhouse Sporting CP. This match marked Sporting’s final game under coach Rúben Amorim, who will soon take charge of Manchester United.
In the first half, Phil Foden scored within four minutes to put City ahead, but Chermiti equalized for Sporting. In the second half, Araújo scored early to put Sporting in the lead. Chermiti then converted two penalties, while Haaland missed his own penalty, hitting the crossbar. Amorim’s Sporting claimed a 4-1 home victory, handing Manchester City their third consecutive loss across all competitions.
Match Summary
The game began with a moment of silence for victims of the recent flooding in Spain. In the 4th minute, Foden intercepted a pass, dribbled into the box, and struck a powerful shot from the left side to give City an early 1-0 lead.
In the 38th minute, Sporting hit back on a counter-attack. Koundé played a through ball to Chermiti, who chipped the ball past Ederson to make it 1-1. The first half ended with both teams level.
In the second half, Sporting quickly took the lead in the 46th minute as Maximiliano Araújo received a through ball and fired low from the left side to make it 2-1.
One minute later, Gvardiol fouled Trincão in the box, giving Sporting a penalty. Chermiti converted it, shooting hard to the right to extend the lead to 3-1.
In the 69th minute, City was awarded a penalty after Diomande’s handball in the box, but Haaland’s powerful strike hit the crossbar, missing a chance to close the gap.
In the 78th minute, Nunes fouled Catamo in the box, resulting in another penalty for Sporting. Chermiti scored his third goal, securing a hat-trick and sealing a 4-1 victory.
The game ended with Manchester City losing 4-1 to Sporting CP.
