Sporting Lisbon will be looking to maintain their 100% record in the Portuguese Primeira Liga when they take on Famalicao at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao on Saturday.
Having lost each of the last six meetings between the two teams, the home side will enter the weekend looking to get one over the Leoes and snap their five-game run of five back-to-back games without a win in the league. Â
Match preview
Famalicao picked up a dream start to their Taca de Portugal campaign as they picked up a 2-0 victory over Campeonato de Portugal side Lagoa when the two teams squared off last weekend.
Following a relatively uneventful first half at the Estadio Capitao Josino da Costa, 19-year-old forward Yassir Zabiri came up clutch for the visitors as he struck twice in the final quarter of an hour to fire them into the fourth round. Â
Famalicao now turn their focus to the Primeira Liga, where they are on a run of four back-to-back stalemates and have failed to win their last five games since kicking off the season with consecutive victories over Benfica, Estrela Amadora and Boavista.
Despite this drop-off in form in the league, head coach Armando Evangelista will take pride in the Vila Nova's start to the campaign as they sit seventh in the table and could move level on 16 points with third-placed Benfica with a win this weekend.
However, Famalicao must see off the challenge of an opposing side whom they have failed to get the better of in any of the last nine encounters between the two teams, including six straight defeats since October 2021. Â
Sporting Lisbon, on the other hand, made it two wins from three games in the Champions League as they edged out Swiss outfit Sturm Graz 2-0 at the 28 Black Arena on Tuesday. Â
In an action-packed contest, Nuno Santos broke the deadlock midway through the first half to swing the momentum in favour of the visitors before Viktor Gyokeres doubled their lead with a superb solo run in the 53rd minute.
Sandwiched between the two wins, Sporting Lisbon played out a 1-1 draw versus Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven in their second Champions League outing on October 1, when Daniel Braganca scored in the 83rd minute to cancel Jerdy Schouten's 15th-minute opener.
Ruben Amorim's men now turn their attention to the Primeira Liga, where they have kicked off their title defence in style, claiming eight wins from their opening eight games this season to sit three points clear at the top of the table.
The Leoes' solid start to the season has been owing to the solid job at both ends of the pitch, as they boast the division's meanest attacking record, having scored 27 goals already while keeping six clean sheets and conceding just twice. Â
Sporting Lisbon head into the weekend unbeaten in each of their last 29 league matches, picking up 27 wins and two draws since a narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of Vitoria de Guimaraes on December 9.
Team News
Famalicao will take to the pitch without the services of 23-year-old forward Sorriso, who is set to sit out his third consecutive game after picking up an injury against Moreirense in September.
Ecuadorian defender Leonardo Realpe, who came off with a muscle injury in the cup win over Lagoa last time out and the 23-year-old is a major doubt for this weekend's matchup.
As for Sporting Lisbon, Amorim will be unable to call upon the services of Marcus Edwards and Ivory Coast international Ousmane Diomande, who are recuperating from muscle and ankle injuries respectively.
They are joined on the club's injury table by 22-year-old defender Eduardo Quaresma, who has missed each of the last two matches since coming off injured against Casas Pia just before the international break.
Gyokeres was involved in both goals against Sturm Graz in midweek and the 26-year-old, who now has 24 goal contributions for club and country this season, will be one to keep an eye on.
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Zlobin; Calegari, Mihaj, De Haas, Pinheiro; Van de Looi, Topic; Dias, Youssouf, Rochinha; Aranda
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Israel; Esgaio, Debast, Inacio; Catamo, Braganca, Hjulmand, Santos; Trincao, Araujo, Gyokeres
We say: Famalicao 0-3 Sporting Lisbon
While Famalicao will be looking to pick up where they left off in the Taca de Portugal and extend their snap their five-game winless run league, they are in for a tough 90 minutes against a Sporting Lisbon side currently firing on all cylinders.
With an in-form Gyokeres leading their attack, Amorim's men have been lethal in front of goal this season, netting 27 goals in the league alone, and we fancy them to extend their dominance over the Vila Nova this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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