The opinion on a subject results from the place from which the individual looks at it. It was sitting in his position of power that Rúben Amorim analyzed Sporting’s draw at the Estádio do Dragão (2-2), four rounds before the end of the championship. What in other times, away from the leadership, would be a horror, a tragedy, a fatality, this time, in the words of the Leonine coach, was seen as a scenario that was not very harmful to the ambitions of the Alvalade club in winning the championship: “It’s less a point we have to make.”
Rúben Amorim’s levity is supported by the point advantage that Sporting, even after the defeat, will have at the start of round 32 of the championship. Benfica took advantage of the outcome of the classic to shorten the distance to first place. The Reds, who have already guaranteed that they will finish at least in second place, beat SC Braga (3-1) and placed themselves just five points behind their Lisbon rival.
Sporting missed the first championship point after failing to win at Dragão. In fact, it didn’t just depend on this eventual triumph. Benfica would also have to have lost for the green and white party to take place last weekend. None of the conditions were met and, with each of the teams still able to win a maximum of nine points, it will not be on matchday 32 that Sporting will depend solely on themselves to guarantee the title.
The lions host Portimonense in Alvalade, and they will always have to wait for Benfica’s result against Famalicão to find out if the accounts are closed this week.
Rúben Amorim’s team always needs to score to put pressure on the Reds. In case of victory for the leaders, Clube da Luz also needs to be able to triumph in Minho, under penalty of, in any other scenario, anticipating the opponent’s celebrations in the title dispute. In the event of a draw for Sporting and a defeat for Benfica, the league is 99.99% doomed, given that, in the worst case scenario for the Alvalade team, the final classification would be decided on the difference between goals scored and goals conceded, where the lions have a 14 advantage over their opponent.
Assuming that Sporting and Benfica do not slip until the end, Rúben Amorim’s team can only be champions in Estoril, when they travel to the António Coimbra da Mota Stadium in the penultimate round (Saturday, the 11th), a round in which Benfica hosts Arouca (on Sunday, the 12th). The lions finish the championship at home, against GD Chaves, and the eagles in Vila do Conde, against Rio Ave.
As Rúben Amorim pointed out at the end of the match against FC Porto, with nine points up for grabs, Sporting can no longer reach the record for points in the Primeira Liga (92), but can reach the club’s maximum record in the competition (86) . Parked at 81, the green and white team is six points away from defeating that goal.
What Sporting lacks:
32nd round: Sporting – Portimonense (Saturday at 6pm)
33rd round: Estoril – Sporting (11th at 6pm)
34th round: Sporting – Chaves (no date yet)
What Benfica lacks:
32nd round: Famalicão – Benfica (Sunday at 8:30 pm)
33rd round: Benfica – Arouca (12th at 6pm)
34th round: Rio Ave – Benfica (no date yet)
