Will the Portuguese side make it half exciting?
For only the second time since 2008/09, Sporting Lisbon have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League. Back then, the Leões were in for a nasty surprise when they suffered their highest ever defeat in the competition after a first and second leg in a 12-1 loss to FC Bayern. Now Manchester City, last year’s finalists, will play at the Estádio José Alvalade.
Although the Portuguese won against the Sky Blues in their only knockout encounter so far due to the away goals rule (Europa League 2011/12), the Leões are still the clear underdogs against the overpowering Englishmen. In the run-up to the clash between Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, the odds are swinging in favour of the visitors.
Lately, however, Pep Guardiola’s side have failed to keep a clean sheet in ten of their last eleven competitive matches in the top flight.
At least one goal of their own and a potentially close result in the first leg can be expected from the Portuguese. In the case of Sporting Lisbon against Manchester City, the Asian handicap of +1.5 on Leões covers most eventualities.
Sporting Lisbon – Statistics & current form
Sporting Clube de Portugal are one of the top three clubs in the country, alongside city rivals Benfica and FC Porto. However, not only do the Verde e brancos (the green and white) have the fewest championships of all three teams (19), but unlike their two big rivals, they also lack the title in the top flight.
Last summer, the Leões won the national championship for the first time in 19 years. In the Champions League, however, the club from the Portuguese capital has never made it past the round of 16.
The weakest defence of all 16 round of 16 players
Also now it should be very difficult for Rúben Amorim’s side to make it to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time. After all, against the Sky Blues, Sporting CP will go into the match as glaring underdogs.
Won seven of eleven home games against English teams
In addition, the Verde e brancos also failed their dress rehearsal at the weekend. Sporting led 2-0 at the time against league leaders Porto. After three dismissals, the Amorim team not only finished the important game with eight players, but also failed to get beyond a 2-2 draw in the six-point match for the championship.
However, at least the home record against English teams is quite consistent. Eleven times the capital city has hosted an English club at the Estádio José Alvalade and in seven of the eleven cases the Leões have ended up with a home victory (one draw, three defeats).
Predicted line-up of Sporting Lisbon:
Adán – Reis – Feddal – Coates – Inácio – Esgaio – Ugarte – Nunes – Santos – Sarabia – Paulinho
Last matches played by Sporting Lisbon:
Liga Portugal
02/11 2022 – FC Porto 2 – 2 Sporting CP
02/06 2022 – Sporting CP 2 – 0 Famalicao
02/02 2022 – Belenenses SAD 1 – 4 Sporting CP
Liga Cup
01/29 2022 – Benfica 1 – 2 Sporting CP
01/26 2022 – Sporting CP 2 – 1 Santa Clara
Manchester City – Statistics & current form
All those involved at Manchester City continue to be driven by the goal, proclaimed a decade ago, of bringing the trophy to the English north-west and making Manchester the second European city after Milan to have two resident teams win the Champions League.
After a chronology of sometimes bizarre failure, the Sky Blues finally reached the final for the first time in the process last summer, although they lost out to Chelsea FC.
Only one competitive match win in Portugal
With Pep Guardiola’s side currently cruising towards their eighth national championship and already nine points clear of leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, the focus is once again on the top flight.
The Citizens are accordingly focused when they travel to Portugal, where they have not had the best of luck so far. The Sky Blues have only won one game (two draws, three defeats) out of six European league games in Portugal, where they just lost in the 2021 Champions League final.
Only once in the last eleven CL games without conceding a goal
The fact that Guardiola’s team is not condemned to win at the Estádio José Alvalade is certainly positive. Even a draw would put them in an excellent position for the second leg, especially as City have not lost any of their last four knockout games when the first leg was played away.
In view of the fact that they have conceded goals in ten of their last eleven Champions League matches, the Sky Blues can initially focus on their own defence. With this in mind, there is much to suggest that Sporting Lisbon’s betting on a close match against Manchester City will pay off and that no preliminary decision can be expected in the first leg.
Predicted Manchester City line-up:
Ederson – Zinchenko – Dias – Laporte – Cancelo – Rodri – Gündogan – Sterling – De Bruyne – Mahrez – Jesus
Last matches played by Manchester City:
Premier League
02/12 2022 – Norwich 0 – 4 Manchester City
02/09 2022 – Manchester City 2 – 0 Brentford
FA Cup
02/05 2022 – Manchester City 4 – 1 Fulham
Premier League
01/22 2022 – Southampton 1 – 1 Manchester City
01/15 2022 – Manchester City 1 – 0 Chelsea London
Sporting Lisbon – Manchester City Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 1 – 0 – 1
So far, the two teams have only faced each other in the round of 16 of the 2011/12 Europa League. After Sporting won the first leg 1-0 at home, a 3-2 defeat in Manchester in the second leg was enough for the Portuguese side to progress via the away goals rule.
Sporting Lisbon – Manchester City Tip
When it comes to Sporting Lisbon vs Manchester City, the prediction has to take into account that the Portuguese side entered the knockout round with the weakest defence of all 16 round of 16 teams. However, the Sky Blues, who for their part have conceded goals in all six of their group games (ten in total), must by no means go through the wall with their heads, but in turn must operate from a stable defence.
Of the many possible match outcomes, at least an emphatic away win for the Citizens seems the least likely, especially as a draw would also be enough to put Guardiola’s side in a good starting position.
