EL 15/16 Group H, M6 |SPORTING - Besiktas |Alvalade, 10.12.2015, 21:05 CET

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE 2015/2016

GROUP H
Matchday 6



Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon
10 December 2015, 21:05 CET

Ref: Manuel Gräfe (GER)



x

SPORTING CP - Besiktas (TUR)



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Europa League's group stage ends today with a final for us. We need a win to be sure we go through to the knockouts (a draw will also do if Skenderbeu beats Lokomotiv).

In spite of the many voices that within the club claim that this should not be our priority I have a feeling that JJ really wants to win this one and the list of players called seems to prove me right. He called practically the same players he usually does when we have league games and I think our starting XI will not differ much from the one that has been more regular this season.

I think we are the best team of this group and although Besiktas are right now the best side in Turkey I think we can beat them.

So, here's the group of players called by Jorge Jesus for the match:

EL 15/16 Group H, M6 |SPORTING - Besiktas |Alvalade, 10.12.2015, 21:05 CET

EL 15/16 Group H, M5 |Lokomotiv Moskva - SPORTING |Moscow, 26.11.2015, 19:00 CET

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE 2015/2016

GROUP H
Matchday 5



Stadion Lokomotiv, Moscow
26 November 2015, 19:00 CET

Ref: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)


x

Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS) - SPORTING CP



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I will not be exaggerating if I say that there is a substantial part of Sporting fans that would not mind seeing us not qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League. In the past I used to criticize the attitude of both English and Italian sides who used to constantly field second tier sides when playing in this competition but now I started to understand them better. The amount of prize money that a club gets from EL is ridiculous when compared with the CL and the increasing lack of prestige of this trophy is of UEFA's making. If they started sharing more equally the prize money between their only two club competitions I am sure that clubs would regain the respect towards this tournament.

Having said so, and also looking at the list of players that travelled to freezing Moscow, I don't think we will field a team as different as our regular one, at least compared to the one that had such a poor display in Albania in the previous matchday.

From the regular starting XI, Rui Patrício (suspended), Jefferson, William and Teo Gutiérrez (injured) did not travel. Also Bruno Paulista and Carlos Mané are injured and did not go to Russia. Youngsters Stojkovic (nephew of the current Serbia keeper and ex-SCP player) and Podence joined the first team.

So, here's the group of players called by Jorge Jesus for the match:

Goalkeepers:
22 Marcelo Boeck, 26 Azbe Jug and 88 Vladimir Stojkovic.

Defenders:
21 João Pereira, 47 Ricardo Esgaio, 15 Paulo Oliveira, 44 Naldo, 55 Tobias Figueiredo, 5 Ewerton and 3 Jonathan Silva.

Midfielders:
6 Aquilani, 17 João Mário, 23 Adrien, 20 Bryan Ruiz and 28 André Martins.

Forwards and Wingers:
60 Gelson Martins, 73 Matheus Pereira, 56 Daniel Podence, 10 Fredy Montero, 8 Tanaka and 9 Slimani.


If we want to maintain hopes to qualify, only a win will do.

EL 15/16 Group H, M5 |Lokomotiv Moskva - SPORTING |Moscow, 26.11.2015, 19:00 CET

EL 15/16 Group H, M4 |Skënderbeu - SPORTING |Elbasan, 05.11.2015, 21:05 CET

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE 2015/2016

GROUP H
Matchday 4



Elbasan Arena, Elbasan (ALB)
5 November 2015, 21:05 CET

Ref: Kristo Tohver (EST)


x

KF Skënderbeu (ALB) - SPORTING CP



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When we lost at home in the opening match of this group stage with Lokomotiv Moscow we also lost the chance of continue to hold a remarkable record. We were the only team that never had lost a home match since the start of Europa League. If we do what is expected from us and win tonight in Albania we will also break a record as we haven't won away in Europe since 2011.

JJ left important players in Lisbon (William, Bryan Ruiz and Teo Gutiérrez) and Aquilani is still absent due to injury but João Mário is available for the first time in this EL and we should field a strong XI. A win tonight and we jump to second place in the group surpassing Besiktas.

The starting line-up should be known soon.

EL 15/16 Group H, M4 |Skënderbeu - SPORTING |Elbasan, 05.11.2015, 21:05 CET

EL 15/16 Group H, M3 |SPORTING - Skënderbeu |Alvalade, 22.10.2015, 19:00 CET

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE 2015/2016

GROUP H
Matchday 3



Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon
22 October 2015, 19:00 CET

Ref: Clayton Pisani (MLT)


x


SPORTING CP - KF Skënderbeu (ALB)



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I'll miss the first half of this one today but I hope that by half time we have already done enough not to worry about it, just like we did against Vilafranquense last weekend for the Cup. It is no secret that Sporting's players, fans and coach (he said it himself yesterday in the pre-match press conference) are already thinking about Sunday's derby and that will be reflected in the line-up of this match. It is expected that JJ will field a team with players that will not start on Sunday but nevertheless it is important to win this game.

I'd like to see us starting with this XI:

Marcelo Boeck
João Pereira - Naldo - Ewerton - Jonathan Silva
Adrien
Carlos Mané - André Martins - Matheus Pereira
Montero - Slimani

Let's see if JJ think the same.

EL 15/16 Group H, M3 |SPORTING - Skënderbeu |Alvalade, 22.10.2015, 19:00 CET