Porto – Sporting, Picks and Tips
After elimination from the UEFA Europa League against Lyon (1-2 on aggregate), the Dragons managed to win all four of their Primeira Liga games. They have not conceded a goal against Boavista (1-0), Santa Clara (3-0), Guimaraes (1-0) and Portimonense (7-0). The goal-scoring in the last-mentioned match was achieved at the weekend itself. Mehdi Taremi (3), Evanilson (2), Grujic and Pepe scored for the Dragao hosts in that game. With four rounds left until the end of the season, Sergio Conceicao's boys are almost champions in Portugal. They have a nine-point lead over Sporting and still have Braga, Vizela, Benfica and Estoril to play.
On the other hand, the Lisbon 'lions' suffered a defeat that largely sealed the fate of the title in Portugal. They lost the city derby to Benfica 2-0 at the weekend and are now nine points behind leaders FC Porto. They are still six 'lengths' above their city rivals, so their direct place in the UEFA Champions League group stage is not under threat with four rounds remaining until the end of the season. Previously, Ruben Amorim's team were coming off four consecutive domestic victories against Moreirense (2-0), Guimaraes (3-1), Ferreira (2-0) and Tondela (3-1). The "Dragons" hold the record of wins in the history of direct confrontations against Lisbon rivals. They have won 16 of the previous 42 Porto vs Sporting matches. "The 'Green and Whites' have recorded 14 wins, while 12 other games have ended in draws. In the semi-final round of the Portuguese Cup, Sergio Conceicao's boys got an extremely valuable win. They won 2-1 at Alvalade, thanks to goals from Taremi (from the penalty spot) and Evanilson. Pablo Sarabia had opened the scoring for the hosts, but it was not enough in the end. The last meeting at Porto's home ground was in the Primeira Liga and ended in a 2-2 draw in a game that saw no fewer than five red cards shown.
Our recommendation tip for Porto – Sporting: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.80