Tonel is not leaning on Sporting CP's past against Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sporting CP. The former defender says Sporting will need a better night in London, at Stamford Bridge, in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. Sporting and Shakhtar meet again 18 years later, and Tonel's message is that the old wins do not do the job on their own.

Tonel's warning before London

Speaking to A Bola, Tonel said: "We had to play a great game to beat Shakhtar, the same that I think has to happen in the next game in London. It has to be a great Sporting to beat Shakhtar." He added that today's Shakhtar are not as strong as they were then, but still a strong team.

That tracks with the league-phase table. Sporting are 12th with 6 points after three matches, while Shakhtar are 17th with 4 points. Sporting's record is 2W-0D-1L, and Shakhtar's is 1W-1D-1L, so this is not a case where either side can coast through the tie.

Tonel's point about Rio Maior is harder to ignore. He said Sporting will have to be better than they were there, and he tied that to a broader need for results and stability around Rui Borges. Sporting beat Casa Pia there, but Tonel still described the display as short of what will be needed against Shakhtar.

The 2008 reference point

Tonel also went back to the 2008 Champions League group stage, when Sporting beat Shakhtar twice by 1-0. The first meeting was settled by Liedson on 22 October, in the 76th minute. The return match came on 4 November, with Derlei scoring four minutes after coming on in the 69th minute.

That history is useful only if it is treated as context, not comfort. Tonel recalled Shakhtar as a very strong side and said Sporting had to surpass themselves to win that tie, even if the group also included Barcelona and Basel and Sporting went on to reach the round of 16.

He also said the current Shakhtar situation, with the war forcing them to play away, changes the dynamics. The match in London gives Sporting another chance to bank a result, but the demand from Tonel is clear enough: the performance has to rise on what they showed in Rio Maior.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →