Match Analysis: Porto Vs. Sporting

by Mário Cesar Navarro Handball Analysis, Placard League

Last Saturday, the main contenders to the Placard League title faced each other in the Dragão Arena, F.C. Porto and Sporting C.P., who only knew the taste of victory in the League,

A great handball game was expected and could influence the future winner of the Placard League.

Stay with another detailed analysis of a fantastic and exciting handball match.

Sporting C.P. started the game stronger, playing an extremely aggressive and deep 5:1, which caused great difficulties to the organised attack of F.C. Porto, reaching an advantage of six goals in the scoreboard at the 13th minute. But from that moment on, F.C. Porto reacted with their traditional and very strong 7:6, but at the end of the 19th minute, the disadvantage remained at three goals difference.

However, F.C. Porto proved to be better, and Sporting C.P.’s levels of effectiveness were lower, and proof of this was the fact that they could not take advantage of the exclusion of an F.C. Porto player at the 20th minute.

This way, F.C. Porto took advantage of their 7:6, as well as a double exclusion on the 26th and 27th minutes, to reduce the advantage, reaching the draw and going ahead with 12 seconds left in the first half through the conversion of a 7 meters free-kick.

At half-time, F.C. Porto was winning by one goal difference with a shooting efficiency of 75%, where we highlight only two goals in five organised attacks in a 6:6 situation and the six goals in eight attacks in 7:6.

From Sporting’s side, the highlight was the excellent defensive performance until the moment F.C. Porto put their 7:6 into action, and from that moment on, Sporting would lose their four-goal advantage. It would reach the end of the first half losing by one goal due to the double exclusion suffered on the 26th and 27th minute.

After improving their offensive performance with their traditional 7:6, F.C. Porto kept that system, while Sporting C.P. did everything to stop Porto’s offensive but without result. In the 50th minute, Sporting C.P. took their chances with a 5:1 against the 7:6 and managed to draw level two minutes later, but would be one or two goals down until the end of the match.

One of the crucial moments in the second half was the exclusion in the 56th minute, leading to 7 meters scored by Porto, thus leaving Sporting C.P. with a two-goal deficit on the scoreboard.

However, the young Sporting C.P. team showed, once again, all their dedication and race, not giving up the game and managed to reduce the disadvantage on the scoreboard but not enough to take points at Dragão Arena.

The big highlight would be the experienced Pedro Cruz, who arrived at F.C. Porto this season at 37 years of age and scored 16 goals in 18 shots at the end of the game.

Thus, F.C. Porto beat Sporting C.P. by 31:30 in a great game of handball, thus maintaining the lead of the Placard League with only wins, while Sporting C.P. is in second place with two more minor points.

Stay with some data about this great match.

Author Profile

Mário Cesar Navarro
Portuguese handball coach with over 15 years of experience coaching both male and female youth and senior teams. Passionate about game analysis and coaching.