Sporting Lisbon 3 - 1 Besiktas JK: Goal rush sends Sporting through at Besiktas' expense in Europa League

Posted Friday, December 11, 2015 by PA

Sporting came from behind to qualify for the Europa League's last 32 while Besiktas crashed out after conceding three times in 11 minutes.

The Turkish side dominated the opening half in Lisbon and deservedly led just before the hour when ex-Sporting man Ricardo Quaresma's exquisite pass set up Mario Gomez for the opener.

However, Sporting flipped the game on its head and won 3-1 thanks to quick-fire goals from Islam Slimani, Bryan Ruiz and substitute Teofilo Gutierrez, who was booked for stealing the referee's vanishing spray to use as part of his celebration.

Jorge Jesus' men leapfrogged Besiktas and advanced to the knock-out stages while the visitors slipped from top to third after Lokomotiv Moscow defeated Skenderbeu.

Gomez was a threatening force in the first half and should have scored when he failed to collect Quaresma's pass, before a dubious offside call stopped him as he raced through for a one-on-one.

Olcay Sahan squandered a pair of opportunities for the Turkish outfit too, firing one into the side netting and another straight at Rui Patricio in the Sporting goal.

The visitors' dominance eventually translated into a goal after 58 minutes as Quaresma beautifully bent an outside-of-the-foot pass around two defenders and straight into Gomez's path inside the six-yard box, where the German rifled into the roof of the net.

It took a deflected effort from Slimani that landed on the roof of the net to wake up the hosts, who levelled through the same player.

His first touch appeared heavy but goalkeeper Tolga Zengin hesitated in rushing out to meet him, allowing Slimani to poke the ball under his body.

That galvanised the Lions and five minutes after Slimani's equaliser they went ahead through former Fulham midfielder Ruiz.

Again Zengin was at fault as this time he allowed the Costa Rican's near-post effort to squirm past him at the near post.

Sporting then put the game to bed with a counter-attacking goal that Gutierrez, who had been instrumental in the comeback ever since his 65th-minute, finished off.

Fellow substitute Gelson Martins squared the ball and Gutierrez checked back inside before drilling beyond Zengin to put the contest to bed.

He then cheekily stole Manuel Graefe's vanishing spray before attempting to mark the spot from which he had scored, but the Colombian struggled to get the foam out and was soon cautioned for his troubles.

He had done enough to help Sporting advance, though, even if Lokomotiv's 3-0 victory meant they went through in second place.