Ruben Amorim final act as Sporting manager speaks volumes as new Man United era begins

Incoming Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim endured an emotional final night as Sporting's head coach as the Portuguese champions overcame a two-goal deficit to win 4-2 away against his former club Braga.

His former captain Ricardo Horta scored two first-half goals to put the hosts ahead at half-time. However, substitute Hidemasa Morita tapped in a rebound at a corner a minute after being brought on by Amorim to halve the deficit after the break.

Then, two stunning long-range strikes from captain Morten Hjulmand and teenage forward Conrad Harder, another Amorim substitute, completed the comeback. The latter even scored a second in the fourth minute of added time to ensure Sporting won their seventh straight match to end Amorim's time in charge with an enthralling turnaround.

READ MORE: Amorim has green light to sign one player Erik ten Hag wanted at United

READ MORE: Roberto De Zerbi's United manager statement could change everything for Amorim

Approaching two dozen players and staff ran over to the departing coach following the full-time whistle, engulfing him in a massive huddle inside the away technical following the fourth goal. Once the full-time whistle blew, Amorim animatedly embraced his players one by one on the pitch before again being surrounded by more than a dozen of them in a huddle as they celebrated.

The defending champions have won their first 11 matches of the league season and all but one of their 17 fixtures across all competitions since losing 4-3 to Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup. The only aberration was a 1-1 draw with PSV in Eindhoven, in which Daniel Braganca scored an 83rd-minute equaliser after the hosts dominated proceedings.

Amorim leaves Lisbon after winning 164 of the 231 fixtures he oversaw for a 71.43% win percentage, losing 33 and drawing 34. During that time, Sporting scored 510 goals—over two per game—and conceded 199—less than one per match—for a +311 goal difference.