Champions League Power Rankings: PSG shine in matchweek 1
By James Dudko
12. Sporting Lisbon
Scoring three goals without Dost showed the depth of quality in Sporting’s squad. His replacement, Seydou Doumbia, has long been an underrated finisher who used to get Champions League goals for CSKA.
Yet it’s the younger stars in the Sporting ranks who offer cause for excitement. Terrific winger Gelson Martins was also on the scoresheet in Athens. But it was 23-year-old midfield dynamo Bruno Fernandes who stole the show.
He netted Sporting’s third and bossed the game. Fernandes sauntered around the middle of the park playing smart passes and deft touches between the lines.
More than his distribution, Fernandes consistently broke from deep with well-timed runs. His box-to-box movement adds an element to Sporting’s attacking play Champions League opponents will find difficult to track.
The concern for Sporting won’t be what they do going forward. Rather, manager Jorge Jesus will be mindful of the defensive lapses Pardo and Olympiakos exploited late on.