Sporting CP hosted Arsenal for their first leg game of the EUFA Europa League round of 16. This was a very tough match for the Gunners because they were away. Mikel Arteta named a very strong squad with only a few adjustments. Jakub Kiwior made his debut while Martin Odegaard missed the game with some illness.
The game started on a very high note and it looked like Arsenal really wanted to finish the game in the first leg. Fabio Vieira took a good corner and William Saliba found himself in a good position and he headed in the first goal.
Moments later, the home team also got a goal. Marcus Ecdwards gave Goncalo Inacio a good pass and he equalized for his team. The first half ended 1-1. The second half also started on a very high note and the Sporting CP players and the Arsenal players were prepared for anything.
Pedro Goncalves gave Paulinho a good pass and he scored the second goal for Sporting CP. This made the Arsenal players to also pull up their socks. Granit Xhaxa’s pass that was meant for Gabriel Martinelli was intercepted by Hidemasa Morita and it went in as an own goal.
Mikel Arteta made some good changes in his squad in order to change the game. Oleksandr Zinchenko was substituted and his place was takenby Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior with Gabriel Magalhaes, Jorginho with Thomas Partey and Reiss Nelson with Emile Smith Rowe. The game ended 2-2 and the two teams will meet next week at the Emirates stadium for the second leg.
