Sporting CP vs Vitória SC

Sporting put on a dominant first-half display at Alvalade to leave Vitória SC thoroughly dismantled by the break, racing into a 3-0 lead. The visitors offered little resistance early on, though they'd have legitimate gripes about what followed. Fotis Ioannidis was the star turn, earning the official Man of the Match rating with a performance that proved too much for Vitória's backline to handle. The second half told a different story entirely. Vitória came out swinging and scored twice to make it 3-2, piling pressure on Sporting and forcing some nervous moments. With the home side's attention seemingly drifting and Vitória suddenly dangerous, there was genuine drama in those closing stages, but Sporting held firm to secure the three points. A 3-2 scoreline that flatters the visitors somewhat, though credit to them for at least making a game of it after the interval.

Sporting CP beat Vitória SC 3-2 at Estádio José Alvalade, and the numbers from the match back up how the game played out. Sporting CP also had the better share of the ball, holding 56% possession, which usually goes hand in hand with the extra control a winning side tends to show. The shot count told a similar story, with 5 attempts from Sporting CP against 12 from Vitória SC over the course of the game. Vitória SC had their moments and did not make it easy from start to finish, but ultimately came up short on the day. Small margins like this one tend to add up over a season, and results such as this are often what separates teams in the table further down the line. Here is a closer look at exactly how the two sides compared, statistically.