A courageous performance right up to the end wasn’t enough for the Graz team, who competed without playmaker Otar Kiteishvili, to really put the Portuguese champions in trouble.
Nuno Santos (23rd) and Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres (53rd) scored the goals for the Portuguese, who now have seven points. Meanwhile, the Sturm players are still waiting for their first goal in the new league phase of the Champions League. In the 4th round (November 5th) we face Borussia Dortmund.
In Sturm, Kiteishvili, the offensive control center, was unavailable after a calf injury sustained in the derby. Tomi Horvat started in his place in front of around 25,000 spectators. Otherwise, Ilzer relied on the starting eleven that last won the league. Dimitri Lavalée led Sturm onto the field as captain for the first time. A few minutes earlier, the now ex-sports director Andreas Schicker was given a ceremonial farewell after his move to Hoffenheim. The search for a successor is ongoing.
Sturm defended deep
It was not for nothing that Ilzer had praised the flawless opponent at home (8 wins) for his dominant ball possession and positional play. The “Leões” (Lions) let the ball circulate nicely from the start without really focusing on the end goal. Sturm defended deep and the path became very long for switching actions.
Striker Gyökeres showed his class for the first time in the 16th minute, storm goalie Kjell Scherpen blocked the Swede’s attempt, which came to the ball after a deflected shot in the penalty area, over the crossbar. Sporting took the lead with the next chance. Geny Catamo broke through on the right and played to the middle, where Gyökeres shaved over the ball, but Nuno Santos, who was positioned behind him, pushed it in (23′).
Sturm tried to react forward. Seedy Jatta tested Sporting goalie Franco Israel for the first time with a header from an offside position (28th) and shortly afterwards initiated Graz’s best chance in the first half with a run through the midfield. The cross from William Böving, who had sprinted into the interface, to Biereth was not received. The Danish striker was just prevented from finishing by Ricardo Esgaio.
Another good combination ended with a roller from Jatta (34th), Sporting coach Ruben Amorim shouted at his team almost continuously during this phase. As if on orders, his team increasingly reflected on defensive virtues and Sturm’s pressure phase subsided again.
Gyökeres with the decision
The game continued with half chances from Sporting, and an individual action from Gyökeres brought the preliminary decision. The center forward, valued at 70 million euros, shook off Niklas Geyrhofer as the last of the forward four-man attack chain, went around Scherpen and shot into the empty goal. It was the 30th competitive goal for the 26-year-old in 2024.
Afterwards both teams exchanged turns and the flow of the game ebbed. The Georgian referee Giorgi Kruashvili revised a penalty whistle for Sporting according to the TV images. Jusuf Gazibegovic played the ball first in his appearance against Catamo. Sturm reared up again, dictated the action in the finish and recorded some dangerous actions. Israel had to intervene twice when Gazibegovic fired violent shots (79′, 82′). But Sporting also still had a chance to make it 3-0.