Pep Guardiola got a ringside view of what he can expect in the Premier League in a fortnight’s time as Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP swept Manchester City aside in the Champions League tonight.
Amorim will take up post at Manchester United on November 11 after being chosen as the successor to the sacked Erik ten Hag and he ensured it was a fitting farewell in his final home game as Sporting hit back from 1-0 down to inflict more misery on stuttering City.
The injury-ravaged visitors took the lead through Phil Foden’s early strike but were then blown away as Viktor Gyokores scored another hat-trick to add to a goal from Maximiliano Araujo.
FULL-TIME | Defeat in Lisbon.
🟢 4-1 🩵 #ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/2qJpvXaRQ2
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 5, 2024
Any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Erling Haaland missed from the penalty spot midway through the second half.
City have now suffered three defeats on the trot for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
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It started so well
There was no sign of the collapse to come as City went ahead through their first attack of note in the fourth minute.
Sporting attempted to play out from the back but Hidemasa Morita dallied too long on the ball and Foden nipped in before slamming a low shot past Franco Israel in goal.
Gyokores ought to have equalised four minutes later but, having been put clean through, chipped a tame effort straight into Ederson’s arms.
Israel made a smart stop from Haaland at the other end before the burly Norwegian shanked an effort wide from close range as City continued to look a threat going forward.
The Premier League champions were dominating, Gyokores hacking a Haaland header off the line, Israel saving well from Haaland and Bernardo Silva firing inches wide of the post.
It seemed a matter of time before there was another goal and so it proved, only not at the end the crowd expected.
Gyokores equalises
Geovany Quenda played Gyokores in with a fantastic through ball and the centre-forward impressively held off Manuel Akanji before slotting past Ederson.
Foden brought another smart save from Israel on the stroke of half-time but that was as good as it got for City as they were blown away after the break.
The onslaught started immediately as, within a minute, Araujo slammed a shot past Ederson after good work from Pedro Goncalves.
THE SCENES! 😳
Max Araújo fires Sporting ahead just moments after the second half kicked off 🎯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/vVQYgcLKu1
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 5, 2024
A tale of three penalties
It was 3-1 three minutes later. Josko Gvardiol bundled over Francisco Trincao in the area and Gyokores sent Ederson the wrong way from the spot.
City were stunned but did not buckle and ought to have halved the deficit after 67 minutes when Ousmane Diomande was adjudged to have handled Silva’s shot in the area.
Haaland took responsibility but blazed his shot over via the top of the bar.
Gyokores showed him how it should be done with 10 minutes to go after Matheus Nunes was deemed to have brought down substitute Geny Catamo inside the area.
The Sweden international stepped up and, although Ederson guessed right this time, his shot was drilled into the corner.
Viktor Gyökeres completes his hat-trick to make it 4-1 against Man City 🎩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/jfnKwGbOYg
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 5, 2024
De Bruyne returns
The only silver lining on a dismal night for City was the late introduction of Kevin De Bruyne after a spell out with injury.
His experience will be needed as City look to overcome what for them constitutes a crisis.
As for Amorim, his stock with the red half of Manchester just moved up a notch.
