Sporting CP's midfield has found a new centre of gravity in Sergi Altimira. He leads the squad with 68 ball recoveries and has already logged 898 minutes in 10 games, which tells you how quickly Rui Borges has moved him into the centre of things after the €18.25 million move from Real Betis.
Altimira's place in Rui Borges's side
The domestic numbers are already strong. Altimira has 6.91 in the Primeira Liga, plus 8 league appearances and 673 league minutes, so this is not just an early cameo or a rotation run. He is being used like a player the coach trusts to set the tone, and the workload backs that up.
Borges has also shown he is willing to use him in different shapes, including a back five against SC Braga to help with deep organisation. That flexibility fits the wider story, because Altimira does not look like a luxury midfielder. He looks like someone Sporting want on the ball and off it.
The Hjulmand comparison
The comparison with Morten Hjulmand is unavoidable, but it should be handled carefully. Hjulmand left Sporting in July after being described as the undisputed boss of the midfield, and Altimira has filled that space faster than many would have expected. He also has a 7.54 Champions League rating, across 2 appearances, which is a stronger European return than Sporting have got from a player stepping into that role.
Altimira's Champions League outing against Lens was especially clean. He posted 66 actions with the ball, completed 47 of 50 passes, hit all 3 of his long balls and lost possession only four times. In a game where control mattered, that is exactly the sort of line that makes a coach stick with a midfielder.
Borges summed up the mood after the performance, speaking to A Bola in comments translated from Portuguese: "We are happy with Altimira," Sporting still need the season to play out, but the evidence already says he is the first name in the middle for now.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
