Portuguese champions Sporting put in their strongest performance since the Ruben Amorim era with a 3-0 victory at Rio Ave tonight, the home side only averting a thrashing thanks to the outstanding display of Polish goalkeeper Cezary Miszta.
An early Aderllan Santos own goal and a penalty converted by Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand gave the Lions a comfortable two-goal cushion midway through the first half.
With star man Viktor Gyökeres on the bench nursing an injury, his deputy Conrad Harder had chances galore to increase the lead but a mixture of poor finishing and Miszta heroics frustrated the young Dane.
Gyökeres came on for the final 10 minutes and showed his fellow Scandinavian how it’s done with a typically clinical goal to seal a 3-0 win that takes Sporting back to the top of the table.