Ruben Amorim has revealed the tactical tweak he orchestrated at half-time that helped Sporting storm to a stunning 4-1 victory against Manchester City on Tuesday. The incoming Manchester United head coach saved one of his greatest Sporting results for his Jose Alvalade Stadium farewell on a magical Champions League night.
Phil Foden fired City ahead after just four minutes, dampening spirits after an emotional pre-match ceremony, where Amorim was thanked for his transformative work since arriving in 2020.
Viktor Gyokeres repented for squandering a glorious one-on-one opportunity shortly after Foden’s opener, striking the hosts level before half-time.
Less than 30 seconds after the break, Maximiliano Araujo’s low effort beat Ederson and sent Sporting ahead.
In a period of madness, Gyokeres notched up his second of the match from the penalty spot three minutes later after Francisco Trincao drew a foul from Josko Gvardiol.
The rampant 26-year-old Swede completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute, again from the penalty spot following a reckless challenge on Geny Catamo from Matheus Nunes.
It condemned City to a third consecutive defeat in all competitions for the first time since April 2018, having lost 2-1 to Tottenham and AFC Bournemouth last week.
Sporting’s display fuelled excitement on the red side of Manchester, where Amorim will land on Monday after his final match as the Lions’ boss at Braga.
And the 39-year-old sparked further praise as he explained how he outwitted Pep Guardiola after a first half dominated by the visitors.
“It was written. The first half was tough for us. We were very lucky. It was an amazing night. We changed the pressure in the second half and closed more in the middle,” Amorim explained after full-time.
The Portuguese tactician joked about being touted as the next Sir Alex Ferguson if he beat City in the build-up to the box office showdown.
He issued a reminder of the light-hearted nature of his comment after the four-goal mauling while insisting he plans to shut out all external noise at the start of his United reign.
Amorim continued: “That was a joke. I’m certainly not going to read anything for six months. I did the same at Sporting.
“I’m not going to read anything or have access to anything. It’s the only way to do my job and things well.
“We changed tactically in the second half, we closed down the middle better, but until 3-1 there was no change at all because it was two situations in a row.
“Manchester City even missed a penalty. It had to happen like that. It was written.”
