Viktor Gyokeres has won UEFA Champions League Player of The Week following his standout performance for Sporting Lisbon against Manchester City.
Gyokeres scored a hat-trick as Sporting Lisbon edged out Manchester City with a 4-1 victory at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Portugal.
Phil Foden had fired the away side into the lead just four minutes into the game. The England international dispossessed Sporting player in the midfield, darted into the box, and fired a rocket past the hosts’ goalkeeper to give City the lead.
But Gyokeres would rise to the occasion for the home side, scoring an equalizer in the 38th minute. The former Brighton player held off the challenge by Manuel Akanji and then beat Ederson with a great finish.
A minute into the second half, Sporting roared into the lead, thanks to a beautiful close-range finish by Araujo.
After Araujo’s 46th-minute goal, Gyokeres scored two more goals as the Ruben Amorim-led side roasted City.
The Swedish striker wrong-footed Ederson, firing a penalty into the bottom corner in the 48th minute to make it 3-1.
Late into the game, City conceded another penalty and Gyokeres converted it brilliantly to extend the lead again.
The hat trick made Viktor Gyökeres the first Sporting CP player to score a European Cup hat trick since António Oliveira vs Dinamo Zagreb in 1982.
He was also the first to score a hat-trick against Man City in the UEFA Champions League since Christopher Nkunku in September 2021 for RB Leipzig.
Viktor Gyokeres performances for Sporting Lisbon
Viktor Gyokeres’ hat-trick against Manchester City was his fifth Champions League goal for Sporting Lisbon in the ongoing campaign.
He had found the back of the net twice for the club in his three Champions League matches before the Man City match.
Notably, the Swedes’ heroics against Manchester City mirrored his prolific performance with Sporting Lisbon on the domestic scene.
The 26-year-old is topping the chart of Primeira Liga goal scorers this season. He has scored 16 goals in 10 Primeira Liga matches for the club.
His overall tally for the club in the ongoing campaign stands at 17 goals, comprising 2 Taca da Liga goals, 10 in Primeira Liga, and 5 in the UEFA Champions League.
Last season, Gyokeres was also on tenterhooks, scoring a league-leading 29 Primeira Liga goals as the club won the Portuguese top flight for the first time in 16 years.
Ruben Amorim debunks Viktor Gyokeres links to Man United
Ruben Amorim spearheaded Sporting Lisbon’s decision to sign Gyokeres from Coventry City in 2023. Under his football system, Gyokeres has flourished, reaching the peak of his career.
With Amorim set to join United as the new manager, rumours have been linking Gyokeres to a possible move to Old Trafford with Amorim.
However, Amorim debunked the reports saying he won’t make an attempt to sign Gyokeres to Man United in January as he wants the player to continue at Sporting and lead the team’s charge to defend the Primeira Liga title as he did last season.
