Sporting v LASK Linz
Play By Play
What a Champions League thriller that was!! Sporting CP see their perfect start to the league phase ended in sublime style by LASK, who leave Lisbon with the points after a dramatic 3–2 victory. Level at half-time following early goals from Suarez and Lang at either end, LASK weathered an early storm from Sporting and an injury to their goalkeeper Jungwirth, responding with a saved header from Mbuyamba before opening the hosts up on the counter-attack. Ljubicic's break left Sporting scrambling to get back, and Kalajdzic's finish across the face of goal put the Austrian champions ahead for the first time. Five minutes later, LASK doubled their lead, with Danek drilling in off the near post to make it 3–1 and put the visitors in control. They only managed 1.12 xG to Sporting's 3.16 xG at the other end, with the hosts throwing caution to the wind late on and creating chances for Doumbia, Suarez and Derry. The latter duo combined from close range to finally reduce the deficit; Suarez tapping home from Derry's saved header, but last-gasp openings for the pair both went astray in stoppage time as LASK clung on for the win. A maiden Champions League victory lifts the visitors up to 24th in the overall table, with Sporting dropping down to twelfth, after suffering their first defeat in all competitions this season.
FULL-TIME: SPORTING CP 3–2 LASK.
BLOCKED!!! One last corner is given Sporting's way, with Kaique coming up from the back to get involved. Inacio gets on the end of Derry's delivery ahead of his goalkeeper, but can't get a clean connection on his header and LASK survive once more
Austrian sides have lost 19 of their last 23 Champions League games, with LASK losing both of theirs so far this season, but the Austrian champions are oh so close to breaking that sorry streak!
Guilherme's cross from the right is blocked back into his path, with the Brazilian instead cutting inside to switch possession to Araujo on the left. The Uruguayan's low delivery is deflected and almost sits up perfectly for Derry, but the youngster can't time his finish correctly and the ball sits up for LASK's defenders to hammer clear!
WIDE!! Sporting's players are all looking for Suarez now, and Guilherme plays a one-two with Ioannidis to find him on the edge of the box, but the Colombian can only curl a rushed snap-shot high and wide of the target!
A yellow card is also raised in Danek's direction by the official, after the potentially winning goalscorer's time-wasting before a LASK free-kick on halfway.
We're into the first of SEVEN added minutes at the Jose Alvalade, with Os Leoes' tails well and truly up now!
Schutzenauer pleads his side's case to the referee in the aftermath of that goal, but is soon shown a yellow card by the referee.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!!!! Sporting score late to set up a nail-biting finish!!! Guilherme's mid-height cross from the right is missed by Suarez and met by a diving, glancing header from Derry, who can only find the gloves of Schutzenauer with a last-ditch save. Suarez follows in, however, tapping home the rebound from close range, making it 3–2 with stoppage time in sight!
Goncalves finds space to slip Fresneda into the box, but the right-back's first-time cross is deflected back into the gloves of Schutzenauer.
BLOCKED!! Andrade arrives on the edge of the area to strike a half-cleared LASK corner, but Inacio again gets in the way with a block that also takes a ricochet off Quaresma!
BLOCKED!! Another lightning-fast LASK counter-attack sees Ljubicic race into plenty of open space on a 70-yard run forwards, before finding Usor in space to his right. The Nigerian has Inacio beaten for pace and cuts inside to shoot, but the Sporting captain makes a late block to steer his effort up and over the bar!
Jorgensen will also come off for Florian Flecker to finish the game; the substitute having certainly made his presence known against Liverpool last week...
Another two late changes coming up for LASK, with Kalajdzic replaced in attack by Moses Usor.
WIDE!!!! By mere inches!! A silky first touch from Ioannidis takes him past Schopf and into the box, winning a corner via a deflection off the LASK substitute. An overhit delivery falls for Suarez on the edge of the box and he squares for Derry, whose left-footed finish from 20 yards flashes through a crowd before whistling agonisingly wide of Schutzenauer's right-hand post!
Sporting went undefeated in their last 10 games across all competitions heading into this contest, but it's LASK of all sides who look set to end that run, which extends into the back end of last season.
Doumbia will also be replaced at the base of Sporting's midfield, with Greece international Fotis Ioannidis coming on.
Jesse Derry also comes on for Irankunda on the left flank, following his summer move from Chelsea.
A triple change coming up late for a Sporting side whose 100% record is rapidly slipping away, with Catamo replaced out wide by Luis Guilherme.
Suarez has scored in all three of his Champions League matches this season, equalling the longest consecutive scoring streak by a Sporting CP player in the competition – after Nani in November 2014 and Sa Pinto in September 2000 – but he's been kept rather quiet by LASK's backline since that fifth-minute penalty.
OVER!! Fresneda's far-post cross finds Suarez climbing up the back of Andrade, but the Sporting striker can't get any control over his header and nods it over the bar!
SAVED!! Schutzenauer is finally summoned into action!! Loose LASK possession allows the hosts to hurtle forward on the counter-attack through Irankunda, who surges into space and plays in Suarez ahead of him. The Colombian shoots first-time with his left foot, but the replacement goalkeeper gets down to parry the ball back out before Alemao clears LASK's lines!
WIDE!! After seeing one byline cut-back blocked, Fresneda gets another chance to sweep a low cross into the box and picks out Doumbia arriving late, but the Italian can only steer his first-time finish wide of the mark!
LASK eventually clear their lines from a Sporting CP free-kick, with the hosts looking to recycle possession through Altimira. He passes inside towards Fresneda, but the Spaniard is scythed down from behind by Kalajdzic in a challenge which will always lead to a yellow card.
