'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#4 What was Sporting's gameplan?
A team that had everything to play for in the final group game; you'd presume Sporting would have seen how Barca succumbed to Celta Vigo's pressing this past weekend. However, what we got was a team who rarely ventured forward.
Jorge Jesus' side lined up with five midfielders, a formation that stifled Barca's creativity. But they lacked the urgency to attack the Blaugrana after the turnovers. In William Carvalho, they had the midfielder who could have made the forward forays, but he was more or less stationed at the halfway line.
Gelson Martins, arguably Sporting's brightest talent, was named on the bench and came on in the second half. When he did get the ball, he lacked the support and was naturally dispossessed by Barcelona.
Jasper Cillessen had to make just one good save in the game, to thwart Bas Dost, but the way Sporting allowed Barca to dominate the midfield was a bit hard to believe.
