Moutinho happy to leave it late

Sporting Clube de Portugal captain João Moutinho conceded his side "didn't perform at our best" after Leandro Grimi's late equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw against SC Heerenveen to earn the Lions a UEFA Europa League last-32 berth.

'Not the best'
Despite starting the game six points clear in Group D, it looked as though Sporting would have to wait until Matchday 6 to qualify with Heerenveen leading in Lisbon as the game moved into added time. However, Grimi then struck, much to the relief of Moutinho. "The draw means we qualify and that's the most important aspect of this game," said the 23-year-old. "We didn't give the best display but nevertheless we had several chances to equalise and even get more out of the game."

Unpleasant prospect
Had they lost, Sporting would have had travel to play Hertha BSC Berlin looking for a point to secure their progress, a prospect midfielder Moutinho would not have relished. "It is important not to play in Germany looking for the necessary points as they have a great team – it would have been a very tricky match because they have not guaranteed their qualification yet," added Moutinho, who paid also tribute to Heerenveen's performance in Lisbon. "We knew they had a good team and they created many problems for us. They constantly put pressure on our midfield and we struggled, especially during the first half."

Looking foward
Now Moutinho – who has struck one goal in Sporting's campaign so far – can look forward to European football in the new year, but he did not go as far as to say which team he would prefer to face in the round of 32. "There isn't one particular team I would like to meet in the following stage as they're all top sides," he said. "I am sure whoever it is will give us a very difficult tie."