Sporting Vs Estoril Praia — Suarez Brace Seals 3-0 Win at Alvalade
sporting vs estoril praia: Sporting CP defeated Estoril Praia 3-0 at Estadio Jose Alvalade on February 27, 2026, a result that kept the Lions close to league leaders Porto and extended Sporting’s unbeaten league run.
Sporting Vs Estoril Praia — Suarez brace and Braganca finish
Luis Suarez opened the scoring and doubled his side’s lead before Daniel Braganca added a late third as Sporting CP ran out 3-0 winners in the Primeira Liga match that kicked off at 3: 45 PM ET on February 27, 2026. The victory narrowed the gap behind Porto in the title race and extended Sporting’s unbeaten league run.
How the game unfolded at Estadio Jose Alvalade
The match at Estadio Jose Alvalade saw Sporting seize control from the start, with Suarez converting in the first half and adding his second soon after. Daniel Braganca’s late goal made it 3-0 and sealed the three points. Sporting’s defense, marshaled by Ousmane Diomandé and Gonçalo Inácio Mendes, limited Estoril’s chances while Rui Silva Oliveira in goal was seldom troubled.
Lineups and personnel on the night
Coach Rui Borges named an attacking Sporting XI that included Rui Silva Oliveira in goal; Alejandro Fresneda Garcia, Ousmane Diomandé, Gonçalo Inácio Mendes and Maxi Araujo Fernandez across the back; Frederik Hjulmand and Koji Morita in midfield; and Geny Catamo, Guilherme Schettine, Trincão and Luis Suarez in attack. Estoril started with Joel Robles Alonso in goal; Ricard Sánchez Fernández, Félix Bacher Müller, Francisco Ferreira Silva and João Carvalho Mendes in defence; Pedro Orellana Gómez, William Holsgrove and Gonçalo Costa Almeida in midfield; Rafik Guitamé, Alejandro Méndez Rodríguez and Yanis Begraoui Khalil up front.
Form, recent results and pre-match context
A preview published 25 Feb 2026 noted Sporting went into the fixture in second place, four points behind Porto, while Estoril sat seventh, nine points off the top four and seven behind fifth-placed Gil Vicente. Sporting had produced a dominant 3-0 victory at Moreirense the previous weekend, with Francisco Trincao, Geny Catamo and Luis Suarez scoring after the interval, and arrived unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions (W8, D1) since elimination from the Taca da Liga semi-final.
Estoril’s recent form and defensive questions
Estoril traveled to Lisbon buoyed by a 3-1 home win over Gil Vicente the previous weekend, a match in which they conceded from the penalty spot inside the opening 15 minutes, saw Félix Bacher restore parity moments later, and relied on a second-half brace from Yanis Begraoui to win. Estoril had won six of their last nine league matches (D1, L2) and scored three or more goals in five of those victories, leaving them with 46 Primeira Liga strikes — two more than leaders Porto — but they had conceded 39 times and lost six of 11 away fixtures this season, with four defeats in their last six on the road (W2).
Coach comments, squad management and injury notes
Rui Borges had warned in a pre-match press conference, “I think it’s going to be one of the most difficult games we'll have this season. We’re playing against a good team, a side who are very dynamic in their offensive processes. ” He also spoke about squad management: “It's important to have all the players available so that we can rotate at times, even during the game, and maintain our high level. ” Sporting remained without centre-back Zeno Debast, who is nursing a ligament issue, and midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili missed a fourth consecutive match through injury. Geovany Quenda was in London recovering from foot surgery and had been sidelined since early December. On a more positive note, the status of midfielder Pedro Goncalves is unclear in the provided context.
What this means next for Sporting
The win keeps Sporting’s momentum ahead of the first leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final against Porto, scheduled for next Tuesday at Estadio Jose Alvalade. Porto were set to face Arouca earlier on the same matchday that Sporting hosted Estoril, and Sporting will turn their focus to the upcoming cup semi-final at home against Porto.
