sporting late show shatters twente published: wednesday 5 august 2009, 0.45cet
twente 1-1 sporting (agg: 1-1, sporting win on away goals)
the dutch side led for 93 minutes before peter wisgerhof's own goal deep into stoppage time sent paulo bento's visitors through.
by berend scholten
sporting clube de portugal found an unlikely saviour in rui patrício, who went from goalkeeper to goalmaker to rescue his team from uefa champions league elimination in the netherlands.
cruel defeat fc twente had led for fully 93 minutes – from the second to the 95th – when rui patrício got his head to a corner and directed the ball goalwards, twente defender peter wisgerhof raising a boot to help it on its way past nikolay mihaylov in the home goal. it was a cruel defeat for twente who had defended their lead comfortably for much of the night before that desperate last twist left them eliminated on away goals, and sent sporting through to the play-off round.
dream start steve mcclaren's tukkers made a dream start in front of their own fans, taking a second-minute lead when brazilian defender douglas rose high to head in from kenneth perez's corner. twente were largely able to keep sporting's forwards at arm's length thereafter. home keeper mihaylov had been twente's first-leg hero, saving a penalty to earn the ten men a draw, but here he had considerably less to do, shots from distance by yannick djaló and hélder postiga causing him scant concern. at the other end blaise nkufo, cheik tioté and douglas had opportunities to extend the hosts' lead but instead the decisive second goal would land in the twente net as sporting's desperate last attack led to wisgerhof's fateful intervention.
