Why a dream Champions League return unraveled into a Sporting CP nightmare

For four years, Sporting CP were Champions League outcasts, unable to qualify for Europe's top club competition. The wait made the eventual return even sweeter.

But even the most pessimistic of Sporting supporters would not have been prepared for the thrashing that was to come their way at the hands of Dutch outfit Ajax, who trounced the Portuguese champions 1-5 in Lisbon.

Heading into the meeting, Sporting had never lost a competitive home fixture against Dutch opposition, while their only other clashes with Ajax back in 1988-89 ended in home and away wins for the lions from Lisbon. The omens, at least, were good.

This was always going to be a difficult match though. Regardless of the optimism and enthusiasm heading into it, this was an Ajax side who were Champions League perennials, and they knew how to win on the biggest stage, having even reached the Champions League semifinal just three years ago.

However, the scale at which Ajax managed to destroy Sporting was simply alarming, and an indication that Ruben Amorim has much work to do to take his team to the next level.

Nevertheless, there were some potentially legitimate explanations as to why it was such a horror show for Sporting - some of which can, and will, be resolved imminently, while others could ensure this remains a testing campaign for the young lions.

Sporting were missing their two best players

Certainly one of the most significant problems Sporting faced was the absence of their captain and defensive rock, Sebastian Coates, and their top scorer and attacking star, Pedro Gonçalves. Two of their three best players over the course of Ruben Amorim's reign, they were two omissions that were always going to be heavily felt.

Coates played all but one of Sporting's 34 league matches last season as they went on to win the Primeira Liga in style, and even proved a major goalscoring threat, chipping in with 5 goals in the process. His leadership and understanding of the game was sorely missing as Ajax carved through Sporting’s backline time and time again.

Equally, with Pedro Gonçalves on the field at the other end, things could have been a little more respectable for Sporting. He is a player that has the ability to almost make something from nothing. Such a lethal finisher - and a creative spark too - he may have been able to breathe some attacking life into a Sporting side who, but for some more clinical finishing, already could have scored 2 or 3 without him. When he returns from injury, Sporting’s Champions League fortunes may just turn around.

A shocking lack of depth at centreback

For a side that exclusively play three at the back in the much-praised 3-4-3 system implemented by Ruben Amorim, it seems criminal that they are going into the season with just 4 senior out-and-out central defenders.

And, in addition to Coates being unavailable, it wasn't long before young star Gonçalo Inacio joined him on the sidelines, picking up an injury in the opening 10 minutes that he simply couldn't shrug off, forcing summer signing - and right wingback at trade - Ricardo Esgaio to come on in his place.

Sporting stuck with the three at the back, shoehorning in a player in the heart of defence that for years spent his career bombing up and down the right flank. That lack of options in such a crucial position shouldn't be happening to a team in the Champions League.

An extraordinarily inexperienced Sporting team

Another major consideration when looking at the scoreline is the sheer inexperience of this very youthful Sporting team.

In many ways following the model of Ajax - who have several years' head start in their own necessary mini revival - Sporting are embedding youth products into their first team to go alongside a handful of equally young and energetic signings to build a squad capable of competing for the title in Portugal immediately and, hopefully, on the European stage further down the line too.

Indeed, of the eleven players that started for Sporting that evening, 7 were making their Champions League debuts. That's an extraordinary lack of experience at Europe's most elite level, and a slow start against Ajax was always likely to lead to a long and difficult night for the Sporting faithful.

Tactical rigidity?

Ruben Amorim has got so much right since arriving as head coach of Sporting CP. In fact, that statement probably does the 37-year old a disservice. The ludicrously young manager has got almost everything right since becoming Sporting boss in 2020.

However, there was perhaps an element of naivety in their approach against such an established side in Ajax, turning up and playing their typical attacking brand of football despite missing two such vital players.

You could say it played directly into Ajax’s hands, who knew exactly how Sporting were going to set up, and exactly how to beat them, getting players running through the lines and in between the central defenders, with Coates not present to help organise the defence. Ajax were a constant threat, and incredibly clinical - yet they still could have scored one or two more.

Amorim is still an exceedingly young manager. In many ways, he's learning on the job, in particular on the European stage. Before this, his only other European fixtures as manager were a double-header against Rangers whilst head coach at Braga - meetings which he lost both home and away in the Europa League round of 32 - and then, while in charge of Sporting, against Aberdeen - who they narrowly defeated 1-0 - and LASK - who they were comprehensively beaten 4-1 by - in the Europa League qualifiers.

This loss to Ajax makes it just one European victory in 5 attempts for Amorim - a return that runs in startling contrast to his near impeccable domestic record.

Ajax are the real deal…

And finally, it should be pointed out that this heavy defeat to Ajax is by no means as disastrous as it may appear. Because the Dutch champions are a seriously good side.

You only need to look at Ajax’s results following that destruction of Sporting to see that scoring goals and winning handsomely is something they do regularly.

Immediately after beating Sporting 1-5, they went on to secure a 9-0 - yes, nine-nil - win over Cambuur, before earning a 5-0 victory over Fortuna Sittard and a 3-0 win vs Groningen. And that’s not including the other two 5-0 wins they have already secured in the Eredivisie this campaign, ensuring they currently have a +29 goal difference after just 7 league matches, having just conceded one domestic goal all campaign.

They are a few years ahead of Sporting in their rejuvenation attempt - and that was evident in their Champions League meeting.

Ten Haag. Photo author: Кирилл Венедиктов. License link.