Sporting – Benfica, Picks and Tips
After being knocked out by Man City in the UEFA Champions League last 16 (0-5 on aggregate), Ruben Amorim's side had a straight league win. They go into the Alvalade duel having beaten Moreirense (2-0), Guimaraes (3-1), Ferreira (2-0) and Tondela (3-1). Sporting are second in Portugal, nine "lengths" below leaders FC Porto.Palhinha and Nuno Santos return after being suspended in the last Primeira Liga round. The two footballers are basic pieces in the "lions" gear and will start directly in the first minute. The only unavailable player in Ruben Amorim's camp remains central defender Feddal. "The Lisbon 'Greens' will field a three-man defence system. If we have already mentioned the return of Palhinha and Nuno Santos to the first 11, important changes may come from the attack. Paulinho will come in as number 9 and will be supported on both flanks by Pablo Sarabia and Pedro Goncalves.
On the other side, the Lisbon Eagles come after being eliminated by Liverpool from the UEFA Champions League. They lost the round on home soil 1-3. At Anfield, in the middle of this week, it was 3-3 at the end. Yaremchuk and Nunez saved a late equaliser for the Lusitanians, but it was not enough for them to qualify for the semi-finals. Domestically, Verissimo's boys beat Belenenses last weekend (3-1) after losing to Braga (2-3). After 29 rounds of the Portuguese championship, Benfica are in third position. The gap is nine points both to Sporting in second place and to Braga in fourth. The "Eagles" at the Estadio da Luz can't count on the services of three injured players this time either. These are Pinho and Verissimo, with long-term medical problems. They were joined a week ago by Rafa Silva, who was injured in the last duel in the Portuguese championship. Manager Nelson Verissimo will line up a 4-4-2 system similar to the one used at Anfield. Darwin Nunez and Goncalo Ramos will be Benfica's main attacking weapons. The defence is extremely experienced, with Otamendi and Vertonghen defending Greek goalkeeper Vlachodimos from attacks from the hosts.
Our recommendation tip for Sporting – Benfica: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.70