Sporting smash Nottingham Forest 4-1 in final pre-season test as Doumbia and Nel sparkle
Sporting CP wrapped up their pre-season with a dominant 4-1 win over English side Nottingham Forest at Estádio do Algarve, with new signings Issa Doumbia and Rafael Nel delivering standout performances ahead of next week's Primeira Liga opener.
Match action
Sporting started slowly, conceding after only two minutes when Igor Jesus tucked in the rebound after Rui Silva had denied Chris Wood. The response was swift. Gonçalo Inácio, wearing the captain’s armband, rose highest to meet a corner and headed the equaliser in the 14th minute. The game then settled into a more even contest until half‑time.
- Kick-off
- Igor Jesus scores for Nottingham Forest
- Gonçalo Inácio equalises with a header
- Half-time, score 1-1
- Issa Doumbia puts Sporting ahead
- Rafael Nel makes it 3-1
- Rafael Nel scores second to seal 4-1
- Full-time: Sporting 4-1 Nottingham Forest
In the second half, Sporting tightened their grip. Fotis Ioannidis drew a fine save from Matz Sels before Issa Doumbia broke the deadlock in the 61st minute. Receiving the ball in the area, he turned away from Zach Abbott and curled a left‑footed shot past Sels. The Italian midfielder was at the heart of everything and four minutes later he lifted an inviting cross that substitute Rafael Nel headed home to make it 3‑1. Nel added his second in the 84th minute, finishing off a move started by Flábio Gonçalves, to complete the scoring.
New signings impress
Doumbia and Rodrigo Zalazar, both summer arrivals, ran the attacking game. Zalazar, operating often from the right, hit a powerful drive just over the bar early in the second period and twice forced Sels into action. His assist for Doumbia’s goal came after a driving run and a perfectly weighted pass. Doumbia’s goal and his assist for Nel underlined why the Italian, formerly of Venezia, is expected to be a key figure this season. Nel, a young striker, took both his chances with composure and gave Rui Borges further depth in attack.
Pre-season perfection
The win was Sporting’s seventh in seven preparation matches. In the same Algarve stadium they had already beaten Celtic (4‑1), Strasbourg (7‑0) and Monaco (2‑0), the latter securing the Troféu Cinco Violinos. Earlier wins over their B team (2‑0), Torreense (2‑1) and Portimonense (1‑0) completed a spotless run. Coach Rui Borges kept faith with a 4‑2‑3‑1 shape, starting four new midfielders: Sergi Altimira, Silas Andersen, Doumbia and Zalazar. Luis Suárez was rested, Ioannidis led the line, and the team showed growing cohesion despite the many summer changes.
What lies ahead
Sporting begin their 2026/27 Primeira Liga campaign away to Estrela da Amadora on 8 August. The friendly exposed some defensive gaps that Forest exploited only once, but the attacking fluency, especially through Zalazar and Doumbia, suggests the squad is ready. The match also confirmed that Ousmane Diomande, Pedro Gonçalves and Daniel Bragança were omitted from the squad and, according to reports, are set to leave. Sporting will hold one final closed‑door test against 1.º Dezembro at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo before competitive action starts.
