A massive banner with the message ‘Made in Sporting’ was raised by the home fans with a picture of a teenage Ronaldo in their famous green and white hoop shirt.
Despite leaving Sporting for Manchester United at just eighteen years of age, having not even won a trophy with the Portuguese giants, Ronaldo is revered in Lisbon, having captained his country to a first ever international tournament win at EURO 2016.
Real Madrid, in this crucial Champions League game, started with Ronaldo in the centre-forward position from where he had scored a hat-trick at the weekend in the Madrid derby which meant that Gareth Bale started on the left.
The Welsh international popped up on both wings to feed Ronaldo with tempting crosses but it was Varane who opened their account after half-an-hour.
Modric delivered a free-kick from the right and Ronaldo helped the ball on through the crowded penalty area where Varane scored from close range.
Arsenal loanee Joel Campbell entered the fray for Sporting and when he went motoring past Asensio, the substitute brought him down.
From the resulting free-kick, João Pereira lost his head and pushed Mateo Kovacic thus earning a straight red and reducing Sporting to ten men.
Former Benfica favourite Fabio Coentrão came on as a substitute and was to hand Sporting a lifeline.
His moment of madness, he put his arm in the air to appeal for handball but in the process handled the ball himself, gave the home side a way back into the game as Adrien Silva levelled matters from the spot.
It needed a last gasp header from substitute centre-forward Benzema to secure the win for Real Madrid.
Sporting must now get at least a draw against Legia Warszawa in Poland on 7 December to qualify for the Europa League.
FC Porto drew 0-0 in Denmark with FC Koebenhavn and must now beat Leicester City, who have already qualified for the knock-out stages, at the Dragon Stadium, to be assured of progressing in the competition.