21.10.2014 23:14 h

Late penalty gifts Schalke win over Sporting

Roberto di Matteo's Schalke 04 enjoyed a dramatic 4-3 win over 10-man Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday after a dubious penalty in time added on settled their Champions League clash.

Sporting had earlier fought back from two-goals down as Adrien Silva scored a double in the second-half to put the visitors on level terms with just 12 minutes remaining.

But Sporting were denied a point when Schalke substitute Eric Choupo-Moting converted a controversial 93rd-minute penalty.

Replays showed Sporting's furious protests were justified as the ball struck defender Jonathan Silva in the face from a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar header.

But Russian referee Sergey Karasev judged it came off his upper arm and pointed to the spot.

Di Matteo, who coached Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League title and who ironically are in the dame group this time round, has had a galvanising effect on the team as they made it two wins from two under the 44-year-old.

The win -- their first in this season's competition -- leaves Schalke second in the table, two points behind leaders Chelsea with Sporting bottom ahead of the return leg in Lisbon in a fortnight.

Sporting took an early lead through Nani, then had centre-back Mauricio sent off with just over half an hour gone before Schalke eased into a 3-1 lead.

Nigeria's Chinedu Obasi, Huntelaar and Schalke captain Benedikt Hoewedes all hit the back of the net before Sporting fought back, only to be denied at the final whistle.

Sporting made a positive start and took the lead when Nani slammed home his shot, which took a deflection off Huntelaar and Schalke's goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann on it's way into the net with just 16 minutes gone.

The game swung in Schalke's favour when Sporting's Brazilian centre-back Mauricio was sent off for a second yellow card -- for a clumsy challenge on Marco Hoeger -- with just 33 minutes gone.

Schalke drew level barely a minute later when Dennis Aogo's free-kick was headed home by Obasi.

Sporting's goalkeeper Rui Patricio looked to have saved the shot, but the ball span back over his body to leave the sides level at the break.

Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng failed to come out after the break having aggrevated an ankle injury, but Schalke wasted no time in scoring twice in the first 15 minutes of the second-half.

Huntelaar made it 2-1 when he darted onto Obasi's final pass and fired his shot into the far corner and away from the despairing Patricio on 51 minutes.

Then Germany defender Hoewedes made it 3-1 when the Schalke captain rose highest to a corner and blasted his header home from six metres out with an hour gone.

Sporting pulled a goal back on 64 minutes when Silva converted a penalty after Andre Carillo was fouled by Schalke's centre-back Kaan Ayhan.

The visitors levelled when Silva was left unmarked at the far post and he headed home but the hosts were to dash their hopes of a deserved point right at the death.