The clock is ticking down to the Supercup. In just five days, Sporting will face their rivals Benfica on July 31. This big game needs a strong attack. Coach Rui Borges has been busy making sure his team is ready. He has put a lot of trust in a young player, Conrad Harder. The plan is for Harder to step in for Viktor Gyökeres, who is a key player.
Harder, a Danish international, is only 20 years old. He only joined the team 15 days ago. This is because he was playing in the U21 European Championship. Despite the short time, Harder has quickly become central to Borges’s strategy. The coach used Sporting’s training camp in the Algarve to get the young forward up to speed. Harder needs to be the main attacker for the season’s first official match.
Harder has seen a lot of action in pre-season games. He played 45 minutes against Celtic, where Sporting lost 0-2. He then completed a full 90 minutes against Sunderland. Most recently, he added 78 more minutes in the Cinco Violinos trophy game against Villarreal. That team is coached by Marcelino Toral. These minutes were important for his preparation.
Coach Borges has been working on more than just Harder’s fitness. He is also paying close attention to tactics. Sporting has a new system this season. This means the main striker has to learn a whole new way of moving around the field. Harder has been busy learning these new movements. This careful preparation shows how much Sporting relies on him right now. The team is still waiting for Luis Suárez to officially join, which makes Harder’s role even more important.