MY ACCOUNT
The top two sides in Champions League Group D meet in Lisbon where Sporting and Tottenham will be looking to back up winning starts to the campaign.
Three goals in the last half hour earned Sporting an impressive 3-0 win at Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt last Wednesday, the same night when a Richarlison brace secured Tottenham a 2-0 win over Marseille.
Sporting warmed up for the visit of Tottenham by thrashing Portimonense 4-0 on Saturday, with one-time Wolves ace Trincao scoring two.
Spurs had the weekend off courtesy of a Premier League shutdown to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Team news
Sporting were rocked on Saturday when central defender Luis Neto limped out of their 4-0 win over Portimonense with a knee injury.
Neto was starting in the absence of French defender Jerry St Juste, who again missed training on Sunday.
Spurs boss Antonio Conte has a clean bill of health after Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil returned to training over the weekend.
The stats
Primeira Liga runners-up Sporting reached the last 16 of the competition last season, pipping Borussia Dortmund to a top-two spot in the group stage before being humbled by Manchester City in the first knockout round, losing 5-0 on aggregate.
Their record in their last seven matches against English opposition reads no wins, two draws and five defeats.
Ruben Amorim’s men have had a mixed start to the 2022-23 league season with eight points dropped in six matches, the biggest surprise coming in a 2-0 home defeat against Chaves.
Tottenham are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2019-20 and hell-bent on improving a European record of four defeats and a draw in their last five road trips.
But they head to Portugal in fine form having won four and drawn the other two of their six Premier League matches, leaving them third in the table just a point behind leaders and rivals Arsenal.
Prediction
There was nothing in the formbook to suggest Sporting could go to Frankfurt and win 3-0 against Eintracht, so credit to Amorim’s men for the flying start to their European campaign.
But they were outplayed in the first half and had to ride their luck and you wonder whether Spurs, with Harry Kane and Richarlison in sizzling form, will be quite as forgiving. Also, their league form is hardly eye-catching.
Tottenham, Champions League finalists four years ago, look absolutely on top of their game and head for Lisbon nicely rested after a weekend off.
Far too strong for Marseille last Wednesday, Conte’s men are now unbeaten in their last eight away games dating back to March.
Sporting conceded eight goals in their first three league games and Spurs piled up 18 attempts against their French opponents.
There is a sense that Tottenham, playing on the counter, will get plenty of chances and go on to win, though it could take some getting.
The Draw-Tottenham Half-time/Full-time result would play to last week’s opening salvo.
