Arsenal are attacking in numbers to try and find a late winner but their players are not on the same wavelength at the moment.
90'
There will be a minimum of four additional minutes.
89'
A. Fatawu enters the game and replaces M. Edwards.
Fatawu replaces Edwards for the final minutes of this match.
88'
Sporting seem to be focusing more on defending their lead rather than looking for a winner now as Arsenal commit more bodies forward.
86'
Arsenal are passing the ball around well but it is mostly being done around the halfway line. They need to get the ball further up the pitch by taking a few more risks.
84'
Arsenal are struggling to break Sporting down and find another chance to try and win the game. The hosts seem comfortable when defending the Arsenal attacks now.
82'
Sporting are playing with far more confidence than the visitors as they press high up the pitch and look to play forward at every opportunity.
80'
The substitutions have slowed the pace of the game down, which is helping Sporting a lot more when attacking. Arsenal have lost some of the rhythm they previously had.
78'
Sporting enjoy their first spell of possession in the second half as Arsenal defend on the back foot. Diomande tries his luck from distance but doesn't test Turner between the sticks.
Minute
Description
76'
Youssef Chermiti enters the game and replaces Paulinho.
O. Diomande enters the game and replaces Ricardo Esgaio.
Diomande replaces Esgaio to add more pace to the right side of the defence.
Chermiti comes on for Paulinho to lead the Sporting attack.
73'
St Juste goes on a good run into the opposition half before finding Paulinho with a pass. Saliba does well to hook his leg around the attacker and win the ball back for Arsenal.
71'
Gabriel Magalhães enters the game and replaces J. Kiwior.
E. Smith Rowe enters the game and replaces R. Nelson.
Nuno Santos enters the game and replaces Trincão.
T. Partey enters the game and replaces Jorginho.
Santos replaces Trincao on the left wing for Sporting.
Nelson makes way for Smith Rowe in the attack for the away side.
Kiwior's debut comes to an end as Gabriel replaces the defender.
Partey comes on for Jorginho in the Arsenal midfield.
70'
Nelson finds himself in a bit of space on the edge of the box and goes for goal. He leans back while shooting and the ball flies over the bar.
68'
After a flurry of chances for both sides, Arsenal are slowing the tempo down ever so slightly to try and take control of this match.
63'
T. Tomiyasu enters the game and replaces O. Zinchenko.
Arsenal make the first substitution of the game as Tomiyasu replaces Zinchenko.
62'
H. Morita is unfortunate, scores an own goal!
GOALL!!! 2-2 ARSENAL! MORITA OWN GOAL!! Arsenal equalise in unlikely fashion as Morita turns the ball past Adan! Xhaka tries to fire the ball into Martinelli, but Morita’s interception goes past his own goalkeeper. What a game!
58'
H. Morita gets yellow.
Morita receives a yellow card, meaning he will miss the second leg next week.
56'
Sporting are trying to increase the pressure on the visitors as they push for a third goal. The fans are also pushing them on by increasing the volume in the stadium.
55'
Paulinho has scored a goal for Sporting Lisbon!
GOALLL!! 2-1 SPORTING!! PAULINHO!! Paulinho scores to put Sporting ahead against the run of play! Edwards plays Goncalves into a good position to shoot and Turner makes a good save but parries it straight into the path of Paulinho. The striker taps home for one of his easiest goals of the season.
54'
Arsenal are in control of possession to start this second period and are trying to take more risks in the final third. Sporting are still a big threat on the counter-attack.
46'
Paulinho gets the second half underway for Sporting!
45' +4
HALF-TIME: SPORTING CP 1-1 ARSENAL
45' +1
Vieira sends in a cross from the free-kick but fails to find any of his team-mates as Sporting clear their lines.
45'
Nelson cuts inside and drives toward the box before St Juste brings him down. Arsenal have a good opportunity to get a cross into the box.
There will be a minimum of four additional minutes.
43'
Gabriel Martinelli gets yellow.
Martinelli receives a yellow card after impeding Adan while the goalkeeper had the ball in his hands.
41'
Neither side are willing to drop the tempo of this match as both teams want to try and head into the half-time break with a lead.
38'
Vieira plays a lofted pass to Xhaka at the far post, and the midfielder tries to head the ball to Martinelli in the middle but Coates makes an acrobatic clearance.
36'
Arsenal are trying to respond quickly to Sporting's equaliser but the home side are doing well to sit deep and soak up the pressure.
34'
Gonçalo Inácio has scored a goal for Sporting Lisbon! Assist by M. Edwards.
Edwards whips the ball in with pace and precision from his corner and allows Inacio to just flick the ball into the net. Great pass from the winger.
GOALL!!! 1-1 SPORTING!! INACIO!! Inacio equalises for Sporting with a glancing header past Turner! The goalkeeper comes out at first but then goes back to his line. This causes some confusion that allows Inacio to win the header in the six-yard box. Game on!
31'
Sporting are trying to press higher up the pitch to put Arsenal under more pressure and try find an equaliser. It is working at the moment as Turner and Zinchenko give the ball away in quick succession.
25'
Vieira wins a free-kick in a very dangerous position for Arsenal after Coates brings him down outside the box. The defender escapes a second booking.
23'
O. Zinchenko gets yellow.
Zinchenko goes into the referee's book after a tussle with Coates.
Coates receives a yellow card after an altercation with Zinchenko.
22'
S. Coates gets yellow.
W. Saliba has scored a goal for Arsenal! Assist by Fábio Vieira.
Vieira is playing very well for Arsenal and picks up a good assist after his pinpoint corner finds Saliba on the six-yard box. The defender makes no mistake with his header as the visitors take the lead.
GOALLL!!! 1-0 ARSENAL!! SALIBA!! Arsenal take the lead after a brilliant header from Saliba! Vieira sends in a good cross from the corner and Saliba gets free from his marker before heading the ball past Adan.
20'
Vieira is in a bit of pain after Inacio steps onto his foot when trying to make a tackle. The midfielder is picking up good positions on the right side to help Arsenal get the ball forward.
18'
Saliba draws a foul off Paulinho to relieve some of the pressure the striker was applying. Arsenal are being very patient with their build-up play.
16'
Edwards does well to win a corner for Sporting after he forces Xhaka into making a tackle just outside the box. He takes a short corner before Esgaio tries to send in the cross, but Saka blocks the pass.
14'
Arsenal are certainly on the front foot in this game as Saka and Vieira are dictating the play in the final third. But the visitors still need to be wary of a potential counter-attack.
12'
Vieira sends in an in-swinging corner for Arsenal and aims for Kiwior at the front post, but Sporting do well to win the first header and then clear the danger away.
8'
The contrast in tactics is clear to see from the start here in this match. Sporting are playing very direct as they look to find their front players with long passes while Arsenal try to play through their opponents.
5'
Nelson receives the ball on the left wing and takes Esgaio on. He dribbles past the defender and sends in a cross, which Martinelli cannot direct toward the goal.
3'
Arsenal are controlling the game early on here but Sporting are not letting them progress the ball up the pitch easily. The hosts look very organised when defending.
1'
Arsenal get the game underway at the Estadio Jose Alvalade!
Hello and welcome to the Europa League round of 16 first-leg fixture between Sporting CP and Arsenal.
After finishing third in their Champions League group, Sporting beat Midtjylland 5-1 across two legs to qualify for this round. Although they are fourth in the Liga Portugal standings, Sporting have won their last four competitive matches and lost only once since the start of February. Ruben Amorim’s side did well against Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham earlier this season, picking up four points across both matches.
Following a dip in form at the start of February, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have bounced back with four consecutive wins coming into this game. Confidence inside the Gunners’ dressing room will be sky-high after Reiss Nelson’s 98th-minute winner against Bournemouth in their most recent match. Arsenal’s only defeat in the group stage came away to PSV as they topped Group A with 15 points.
Sporting CP (3-4-3): Antonio Adan; Jeremiah St. Juste, Sebastian Coates, Goncalo Inacio; Ricardo Esgaio, Hidemasa Morita, Pedro Goncalves, Matheus Reis; Trincao, Paulinho, Marcus Edwards.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Matt Turner; Ben White, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Fabio Vieira, Jorginho, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson.
SUBS: Aaron Ramsdale; James Hillson, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes, Emile Smith Rowe, Rob Holding, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Mauro Bandeira, Charles Sagoe Junior, Matt Smith, Reuell Walters.
The players are making their way out of the tunnel and onto the pitch!
Both Sporting and Arsenal will be somewhat happy with their first-half performances. The hosts will be pleased with how quickly they responded but not how they started. Arsenal do look like the stronger team but have been prone to errors in this game.
Both Sporting and Arsenal will be thinking about the chances they missed today, but will be content knowing that the tie is still balanced heading into the second leg at the Emirates next Thursday. Before that game, Sporting host Boavista in the league while Arsenal travel to Fulham.
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