Sporting CP vs Porto
5th January 1730hrs
Football – Portugal– Primeira Liga
Pick Under 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Marathonbet
Odds: 93/100 odds taken 1800 GMT, Saturday 4 January)
It may be third versus second but Sporting come into this game nine points adrift of rivals Porto. It already looks a tough ask for the hosts to mount a title challenge but they will want to close the gap as they go in search of Champions League football.
Primeira Liga Betting at Marathonbet
Sporting CP Preview – Can Sporting get 2020 off to a winning start as they look to challenge the top two?
It’s been a disappointing season for Sporting so far who are well adrift of the top two as we approach the halfway point of the league season. Since Jorge Jesus’ departure in the summer of 2018 the club have had three permanent head coaches in that time as well as two caretakers. That uncertainty and lack of consistency has, unsurprisingly, affected performances and results on the park. Silas, who came through the club’s academy as a player, has been in charge since September but he has a huge job on his hands as Sporting attempt to challenge for Champions League football next season. To do that they need to close the gap on Porto who are currently nine points ahead of them in second. A title challenge appears to be beyond Sporting with Benfica a further four points ahead.
On a more positive note for Sporting they have won their last couple of league games. A 1-0 win at home to Moreirense was followed by a 4-0 win away to Santa Clara which is their biggest win of the season to date. Sporting also qualified for the knockout phase of the Europa League where they will face Turkish opposition in February.
Porto Preview – Are Porto set to continue their unbeaten run and keep the pressure on leaders Benfica?
It’s hard to be too downbeat on Porto’s season to date considering they have lost just one game in the league. That defeat came on the opening day of the campaign and they have since went on a 13 game unbeaten run in the league as well as topping their Europa League group following elimination from the Champions League qualifiers. Despite that form they still find themselves four points behind Benfica and needing to maintain or better their current level to have a chance of toppling the champions. Sergio Conciecao knows what it takes to win the league title having done so in his first season before a second place finish last year.
The biggest difference between Porto and Benfica is the number of goals. The leaders have scored nine goals more than their rivals and that has been the difference between Porto drawing a couple of games. Those have both finished 1-1 and if Porto are to win the title then they will have to become more clinical with such fine margins at the top. This is, on paper, their most difficult way trip left this season and if they can get all three points it would be a great confidence booster for what’s to come.
Key-Facts – Sporting CP vs Porto
- Sporting come into this game on the back of two wins in the league but are still 13 points behind leaders Benfica and already looking out the running for the title
- Porto have lost only one game this season which came on the opening day of the season but have to continue winning to stay on the tails of the leaders
- The last meeting between these two was in the Portuguese cup final back in May which Sporing edged on penalties
Sporting CP vs Porto Betting Advice
Although Sporting are not quite on the same level as the current top two games between themselves and Porto are always hugely competitive affairs. That was evident back in May when the clubs clashed in the cup final, a game Sporting won on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw. It’s all about three points this time as the hosts look to close the gap between themselves and Porto to six whilst the visitors need to keep on winning to pressurise a relentless Benfica at the top of the table.
Games between these two are regularly tight and you have to go all the way back to 2016 for one that had more than one goal between them. I expect this to be another close one and one that will contain few goals. Porto have conceded just six goals all season whilst Sporting have allowed only seven at home in this campaign. It looks set to be a tight affair and one that I’m taking to go under 2.5 goals.
