Under which coach is Viktor Gyokeres showing his best scoring form at Sporting?
The four goals scored by Viktor Gyokeres in the match against Boavista allowed him to overtake Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot rankings—an award presented by the European Sports Media (ESM) to the top scorer in European leagues.
Coach Ruben Borges is very attentive to the Swedish striker's ambitions, and the team's strategy has been adapted to make use of the forward’s unique abilities, given the influence of Sporting’s No. 9 on the team’s attacking play.
Since Borges took over, Gyokeres has played 22 matches across all competitions, scoring 25 goals and providing 7 assists. Previously, under Ruben Amorim, he played 26 matches, scoring 27 goals and making 5 assists. Under Borges, Gyokeres averages 1.13 goals per game, compared to 1.03 under Amorim.
These statistics show that the striker has become even more productive, and his confidence has grown—both in himself, his teammates, and the coaching staff—during this memorable season. After Sporting's recent win, Borges praised Gyokeres, stating he had not noticed any weakness in the Swede’s game. He emphasized that the striker’s leadership goes far beyond the number of goals he scores.
Another target for Gyokeres is Jardel’s record. Besides the Golden Boot, there are internal records—part of Sporting’s history—that the Swede could also reach. The historic number of goals scored by Mario Jardel with the lion on his chest—42—seems well within reach. Gyokeres is just four goals short of matching that. In the 2001/2002 season, Jardel scored 42 goals in 30 league matches.
However, the absolute club record was set even earlier. Sporting’s all-time top scorer in the Portuguese championship is Yazalde. Fifty years ago, he won the Golden Boot by scoring 46 goals. This record has yet to be surpassed by any other Sporting striker.
