Sporting Lisbon and Atalanta BC will both fight to make it back-to-back Europa League group-stage wins on Thursday, when they do battle at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The two sides kicked off their group campaigns with victories over Sturm Graz and Rakow Czestochowa and both head into Thursday's meeting on the back of positive league runs.

Match preview

Sporting Lisbon find themselves in the Europa League group stage this term after their somewhat disappointing fourth-placed Primeira Liga finish last time around, as they trailed third-placed Braga by four points and winners Benfica by 13 in their bid to regain the top-flight title.

That saw them return to Europa's secondary competition after dropping into the Europa League from their third-placed Champions League group finish last time around, with Ruben Amorim's side firstly thrashing Midtjylland 5-1 on aggregate before scraping past Arsenal in the round of 16, eventually prevailing in a penalty shootout in London after a 2-2 draw in Portugal and a 1-1 draw away from home thanks to Pedro Goncalves's second-half leveller.

Their continental run would then end in the quarter-finals, as Os Leoes were narrowly beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Italian giants Juventus, but they were able to mark their return to the competition with a three-point haul in their group curtain-raiser last month, coming from behind late on to beat Austrian outfit Sturm Graz 2-1 away from home thanks to Viktor Gyokeres's equaliser and Ousmane Diomande's 84th-minute winner.

Amorim's side have continued their fine domestic start since that triumph too, putting up consecutive Primeira Liga victories at the end of September to maintain their one-point lead at the summit of the division, firstly beating Rio Ave 2-0 before most recently picking up a 3-2 win away at Farense on Saturday as Gyokeres scored two penalties, with the decisive goal coming in injury time after Goncalves had previously netted their second.

Now with momentum certainly on their side, Sporting Lisbon will aim to make it five wins on the bounce in all competitions to continue their perfect start to the group campaign, albeit in one of their toughest tests of the term thus far.

Atalanta also had to settle for a place in this year's Europa League group stage after their fifth-placed finish in Serie A last term, having not featured at all on the continent last year after qualifying for the groups of the Champions League in each of the previous three seasons.

On the back of a tough start to the new domestic campaign, culminating in a 3-2 defeat away at Fiorentina in mid-September, La Dea marked their return to European action with a home contest against Polish outfit Rakow Czestochowa in their opening group match last month, and they went into the interval level as neither side managed to break the deadlock.

It did not take them long to go ahead in the second half, though, as Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the 49th minute, before Ederson netted their second around the hour mark in an eventual 2-0 home victory.

La Dea have enjoyed an improved league run since that triumph, too, adding seven points to their Serie A tally in the last three outings as they firstly beat Cagliari and Hellas Verona 2-0 and 1-0 respectively with Ademola Lookman and Mario Pasalic scoring in the former and Teun Koopmeiners netting the only goal in the latter, before most recently playing out a goalless stalemate at home to Juventus on Sunday.

Having now rebuilt a degree of confidence, Atalanta will now turn their focus back to their continental pursuits and bid to make it back-to-back group wins when they travel to the Portuguese capital.

Team News

Sporting Lisbon will come into Wednesday's meeting with a similar starting XI from the weekend's victory away at Farense, although there will be one enforced change in defence after Sebastian Coates was forced off with an injury concern early in that game, while Jeremiah St Juste remains confined to the treatment room, meaning Matheus Reis will come in to join Ousmane Diomande and Goncalo Inacio in a back three.

At the other end of the pitch, Viktor Gyokeres is bound to again lead the line after his brace on Saturday, taking his tally to six goals in just seven appearances for the club in all competitions this term, while Paulinho will also fight to come back into the attack from the start having netted five goals of his own thus far.

He certainly faces competition, though, with Marcus Edwards and Pedro Goncalves having been given the nod either side of Gyokeres against Farense, with the latter having contributed 27 goals and assists in 33 Primeira Liga appearances last time around, while Nuno Santos will offer further attacking support from a left wing-back role with Geny Catamo and Ricardo Esgaio fighting to start on the opposite flank.

Atalanta will also field a similar starting XI to their lineup from the weekend in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-3 setup, with Charles De Ketelaere bound to again lead the line in the ongoing absence of Gianluca Scamacca through injury, having found the net twice since his summer loan arrival from AC Milan including their opener against Rakow Czestchowa.

He should have support from Ademola Lookman and Teun Koopmeiners, with Aleksei Miranchuk and Luis Muriel likely settling for appearances off the bench, while Mario Pasalic is fighting to come into the midfield after Marten de Roon and Ederson were preferred against Juventus.

Elsewhere, Rafael Toloi, Berat Djimsiti and Giorgio Scalvini will likely line up in an unaltered back three after Sunday's clean sheet, shielding Juan Musso between the sticks.

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Diomande, Inacio, Reis; Esgaio, Hjumland, Morita, Santos; Edwards, Gyokeres, Goncalves

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; Toloi, Djimsiti, Scalvini; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Kolasinac; Lookman, Koopmeiners; De Ketelaere

We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Atalanta BC

The two sides both boast plenty of quality all over the pitch and will be keen to go top of the group with three points on Thursday.

We certainly anticipate a tight contest and just give the edge to Ruben Amorim's side on home soil.


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