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Ruben Amorim, who guided Sporting to two consecutive Portuguese championships, will coach Manchester United for the first time on November 24 in Ipswich.
Viktor Gyokeres’s hat-trick fired Sporting Lisbon to a stunning 4-1 rout of Manchester City in the Champions League, as Ruben Amorim showed why Manchester United were so keen to lure him to Old Trafford. Sporting manager Amorim has accepted United’s offer to replace Erik ten Hag and will officially take charge of the troubled Premier League club on November 11. Regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young managerial minds, the 39-year-old delivered a tantalising glimpse of his acumen as Sporting exposed injury-hit City’s defensive weaknesses.
Phil Foden gave City the lead in the first few minutes at the Jose Alvalade stadium, but Sporting made them pay after the visitors squandered several chances to extend their lead.
Gyokeres equalised before halftime, and Maximiliano Araujo bagged Sporting’s second after the break before Gyokeres’s penalty capped their incredible fightback with two penalties.
Erling Haaland squandered a chance to give City a second-half lifeline when his penalty hit the bar.
Amorim said United fans might think “the new Alex Ferguson has arrived” if his team beat City.
With United in the bottom half of the table and Ten Hag’s reign coming to a turbulent end in October, Amorim will undoubtedly have a difficult time getting the team back to the glory of the Ferguson era.
Fans will be eagerly awaiting his arrival after Sporting’s thrilling victory, but comparisons with United’s illustrious former manager should be put on hold for the time being.
On November 24, Amorim, who guided Sporting to two Portuguese championships in a four-year span, will coach his first United match in Ipswich.
On December 15, Amorim’s first Manchester derby will take place at the Etihad Stadium, giving Pep Guardiola the opportunity to exact revenge.
However, Guardiola has a lot of work ahead of him as he attempts to address City’s unexpected three-game losing streak.
Three days after losing to Tottenham in the League Cup, Premier League champions City lost to Bournemouth on Saturday in their first top-flight loss of the season.
City has drastically lost steam in the absence of Oscar Bobb, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, and Rodri.
Guardiola will be hoping for a strong response at Brighton on Saturday, but their first loss in four Champions League games this season should not spell the end of their chances of qualifying for Europe.
The city was taken aback.
Amorim leaves Sporting in poor health, and they have ten points from four Champions League games.
Foden’s goal in the fourth minute of City’s final home game under Amorim appeared to puncture the tearful farewell.
Sporting foolishly gave up possession to Foden, who moved into the penalty area and beat Franco Israel’s feeble attempt at a save with a low shot.
However, Israel made amends when he blocked Haaland’s attempt before Gyokeres cleared the City striker’s looping header off the line.
Haaland tested the overworked Israel with a volley before Bernardo Silva fired just wide.
Guardiola’s men had kept clean-sheets in each of their first three Champions League games, but they were breached completely against the run of play in the 38th minute.
City centre-back Gyokeres exposed the raw 19-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who was making his first start for the team, by speeding past him to reach Geovany Quenda’s pass and clipping a predatory finish into the far corner.
Amorim’s celebration was short-lived as he concentrated on giving three Sporting players tactical instructions from the touchline.
Amorim was rewarded with an incredible start to the second half if his advice had pointed out a City weakness.
Araujo broke through for a clinical finish that whistled under Ederson just twenty seconds after the interval.
Three minutes later, Gyokeres hammered a penalty past Ederson after Josko Gvardiol’s careless foul on Trincao allowed City to be breached once more.
Ousmane Diomande blocked Silva’s attempt with his arm, and Haaland smashed the penalty against the bar.
After Nunes’s foul on Geny Catamo in the 80th minute, Gyokeres put the cherry on top of Amorim’s night with a cool penalty.