Viktor Gyokeres’ Hat-Trick Shatters Manchester City as Sporting CP Thrash Premier League Giants 4-1

Sporting CP demolished Manchester City 4-1 in a thrilling UEFA Champions League encounter at the Estádio José Alvalade on Tuesday. Viktor Gyokeres was the star of the show, scoring a remarkable hat-trick as Sporting came from behind to secure a victory that will go down as one of Amorim’s finest moments in charge.

Manchester City got off to a flying start when Phil Foden opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Capitalizing on a sloppy pass from Sporting’s Hidemasa Morita, Foden made no mistake, curling a stunning left-footed shot into the top corner from outside the box, registering his third Champions League goal of the campaign.

City continued to dominate the early stages, creating several chances, including an opportunity for Mateo Kovacic whose goal-bound shot was deflected wide. Sporting, on the back foot, had a lucky escape when Gyokeres failed to convert a clear-cut chance, with Ederson making a comfortable save to deny the Swedish striker.

Despite City’s early dominance, Sporting grew into the game, and they were unlucky not to equalize earlier. Gyokeres, though wasteful in possession at times, came alive in the 38th minute when he latched onto a precise pass from Geovany Quenda, holding off debutant Jahmai Simpson-Pusey before calmly finishing past Ederson to make it 1-1.

Sporting came out after the break on a mission, and within two minutes, they were ahead. A slick move straight from the kick-off saw Maximiliano Araujo break free, racing into the box and firing into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

The blow was compounded just moments later when Sporting were awarded a penalty after Josko Gvardiol was penalized for elbowing Francisco Trincão in the box. Gyokeres stepped up confidently, sending Ederson the wrong way with a powerful shot into the top right corner, and suddenly, City found themselves 3-1 down.

For all of their early dominance, Guardiola’s side were now in full retreat. A stunned City were unable to find a way back into the game, and matters only worsened when Erling Haaland missed a golden opportunity to pull one back. The Norwegian striker, who had failed to score in four of his last six matches, blasted his penalty against the crossbar after Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande was judged to have handled the ball in the box.

With City’s hopes of a comeback dashed, Sporting sealed their stunning victory in the 80th minute when Gyokeres completed his hat-trick with a second penalty. This time, it was Geny’s shirt-pulling foul on the substitute that led to the spot-kick, and Gyokeres made no mistake, completing a memorable night for the Swede.

For Ruben Amorim, this was the perfect way to end his tenure at Sporting CP before his upcoming move to Manchester United. The 39-year-old coach, who will take over at Old Trafford next week, reflected on the significance of the victory, which marked his final home game in charge of the Lisbon club.

“I think it was clearly a landmark moment for everyone,” said Amorim after the game. “The result, the performance, and the feeling of saying goodbye to the fans in this way… it adds a special touch. Everyone here deserved this moment, and we’re very happy with how it ended.”

For Manchester City, it was a night to forget. Guardiola’s men have now suffered three consecutive defeats in all competitions, a run they have not experienced since April 2018. Their defeat to Sporting was also their heaviest loss in the Champions League since September 2020.

The result leaves City on seven points in Group G, while Sporting’s stunning turnaround sees them take control of the group with 10 points, putting them in a strong position heading into the final stretch of the group phase.