Sporting produced a stunning first-half display against Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium with Seydou Doumbia opening the scoring for the visitors after just seventy seconds, before Gelson Martins took advantage of some sloppy defending to double the visitors’ lead inside fourteen minutes.
Sporting then hit the woodwork twice before netting a third. Sebastian Coates’ through ball was latched onto by Fernandes, and without a defender in sight, he was able to clip over Kapino to give his side a thoroughly deserved 3-0 lead at the break. Olympiacos produced a dramatic late rally, with substitute Felipe Pardo scoring twice in the final two minutes.
Sporting will face a much sterner test when Messi and Barcelona visit the Alvalade on Wednesday 27 September.
It was stalemate in a goal- less first-half at the Stadium of Light as Benfica were held by CSKA Moscow. Five minutes after the interval Swiss international Haris Seferovic gave Benfica the lead, beating CSKA defender Alexei Berezutsky to a cross at the near post from Richairo Zivkovic.
The Russian team were level in the sixty-third minute following a highly controversial penalty; Andre Almeida had his arm by his side as he endeavoured to avoid Vasili Berutzki’s shot.
Vitinho stepped up to dispatch the spot-kick with ease, firing high into the left side of the goal and beyond the reach of Varela. Timur Zhamaletdinov then made a memorable Champions League debut when he prodded home a rebound in the seventy-third minute, four minutes into his first Champions League game. Benfica pushed forward in search of an equaliser but were unable to unlock a dour CSKA defence. The Russians will be hoping to end a four-season run of finishing last in their Champions League group.
Benfica now travel to Basel on 27 September for a game they must win.
In last weekend’s Primeira Liga games, Sporting surrendered a two-goal lead away to Feirense before a last-minute Bas Dost penalty salvaged their hundred percent record with a 3-2 win. Benfica made hard work of coming back from a goal down to defeat Portimonense 2-1, whereas FC Porto extended their good form with a humbling 3-0 victory against GD Chaves.