LASK Linz turned an early setback into a memorable UEFA Champions League victory on Wednesday, beating Sporting CP 3-2 at Estádio José Alvalade. Goals from Sasa Kalajdzic in the 63rd minute and Krystof Danek in the 68th proved decisive, leaving Luis Suárez’s fifth-minute penalty and 89th-minute strike insufficient for the hosts.
Christoph Lang had brought LASK level in the 15th minute, setting the platform for a comeback that delivered all three league-phase points to the Austrian visitors.
Sporting’s early advantage wiped out
Sporting made the ideal start when Suárez converted from the penalty spot in the fifth minute. Within the opening exchanges, the hosts had a lead to build on in Lisbon.
LASK’s response was swift. Lang equalised in the 15th minute, cancelling out Sporting’s advantage just 10 minutes after the opener. Neither side found another goal before the interval, leaving the fixture finely balanced at 1-1.
Five minutes that changed the match
The decisive spell arrived midway through the second half. Kalajdzic put LASK ahead in the 63rd minute, before Danek added their third in the 68th. In five minutes, the visitors had transformed a level contest into a two-goal advantage.
Sporting enjoyed 62.4% possession across the match and attempted 16 shots to LASK’s 11, but those figures did not translate into greater accuracy. The visitors registered seven shots on target, compared with Sporting’s four—a telling contrast on a night when LASK made their attacking opportunities count.
The hosts also won the corner count 7-4, yet could not turn that territorial edge into the goals needed to recover.
Suárez’s late goal comes too late
Suárez struck again in the 89th minute to complete his double and reduce the deficit to 3-2, restoring Sporting’s hopes of salvaging a draw. With the match continuing through eight minutes of stoppage time, the outcome remained in doubt until the closing stages.
LASK nevertheless held on to secure victory. For Sporting, the frustration was clear: an early lead, more possession and more attempts, but no points. For the visitors, the difference was a decisive second-half burst and enough resilience to protect it.
