Nestory Irankunda has turned a slow bedding-in period into a real selection problem for Sporting CP. He has delivered decisive assists in Sporting's last two high-demand matches, against SC Braga and Lens, and the fit with Rui Borges's revamped 4x3x3 has started to look much cleaner.
Rui Borges's role change
The shape matters here. Rui Borges is using a revamp that removes a traditional central midfielder and gives the wingers more room to attack in width and depth. That is exactly the kind of setup that suits Irankunda, whose last five ratings read 7.16, 6.92, 6.17, 5.97 and 6.5, with the 7.16 coming in the Champions League.
He has also produced back-to-back assists, one against Braga and one against Lens. Across the Primeira Liga he has 6 appearances, 205 minutes and 1 assist, so the recent spike is arriving before his role has even fully settled.
The pressure on the other wide options
A Bola says Irankunda is taking advantage of the first signs of tactical change to claim a leading role. That lines up with the selection pressure around the flank, where Luis Suárez and the rest of the front line have to share minutes with a player whose recent end product is hard to ignore.
The article also says he could reduce Flávio Gonçalves's space if this level continues. That is still a conditional, not a conclusion, but it is already clear that Irankunda has become more than a rotation name in Sporting's attacking group.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
