The Norwegian striker squandered several scoring chances in Lisbon, including a missed penalty, while his fellow Scandinavian showed no such mercy. Ruben Amorim, soon to be Manchester United’s new manager, earned the admiration of United supporters a week before his Old Trafford debut by orchestrating an astonishing 4-1 victory over Manchester City. In his final home match with Sporting CP, Amorim displayed his tactical expertise, particularly evident in his team’s stunning second goal. But this was also a night when Viktor Gyokeres showcased his clinical finishing ability, upstaging Erling Haaland in the process.
City started brightly, taking an early lead in the third minute when an alert Phil Foden intercepted the ball high up the pitch and converted. City could have put the game to bed within the opening 30 minutes, as Bernardo Silva narrowly missed and Haaland had three good chances. Haaland’s struggles were highlighted as he skewed a volley wide and was denied by goalkeeper Franco Israel, as well as Gyokeres himself, who cleared Haaland’s header off the line.
Sporting capitalized on City’s missed opportunities, with Gyokeres redeeming himself for an earlier miss by leveling the score just before halftime. City’s defense was then dismantled by two sharp attacking moves from Sporting at the start of the second half. Maximiliano Araújo finished off an exquisite team sequence, and shortly after, Gyokeres converted a penalty to give Sporting a commanding lead.
City had a chance to narrow the gap with a penalty awarded for an accidental handball by Ousmane Diomande—a decision that felt harsh on Sporting. Haaland, however, missed again, striking the bar. Sporting was awarded yet another penalty, providing Gyokeres the opportunity to complete his hat-trick, which he confidently converted.
Amorim’s farewell performance in Lisbon was a tactical masterclass that showcased his coaching acumen, while Gyokeres stole the spotlight with a remarkable display that exposed City’s frailties and outshone their usually prolific striker.
