Martinez backheel helps Porto sink Sporting
Reuters - Sunday 07 October 2012, 23:06
Porto's Colombia striker Jackson Martinez scored a superb backheel goal that set up a deserved 2-0 home win over Lisbon rivals Sporting and sent the champions back to the top of the Portuguese Premier League on Sunday.
Sporting, who sacked coach Ricardo Sa Pinto on Friday, never stood a chance against a confident Porto side who beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Martinez opened the scoring after 10 minutes, cushioning a long pass with his knee and, as he turned on goal, applying a neat backheel that left Sporting keeper Rui Patricio stranded.
Argentine playmaker Lucho Gonzalez missed a penalty for Porto and Sporting had Marcos Rojo sent off before Porto's promising Colombian James Rodriguez added a second from the penalty spot with seven minutes to go.
Porto are joint leaders with Benfica on 14 points after six matches, eight ahead of 11th-placed Sporting.