Fresh off a successful cup outing, Sporting Lisbon resume Primeira Liga action on Monday when they welcome Braga for a high-profile round 28 clash.
The Lions claimed a 2-0 win over Rio Ave in the first leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final on Thursday, extending their winning streak across all competitions to six matches.
Match preview
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Having seized control of their semi-final tie, Sporting are now well on track for a first domestic double since the 2020-21 season, especially as they remain firmly in the hunt for the Primeira Liga title.
Rui Borges's men currently sit at the summit with 65 points from 20 wins, five draws and two defeats, though their position remains under serious threat from second-placed Benfica, who are breathing down their necks in a closely contested race.
Before stringing together four consecutive victories in the top flight, Sporting, who have led for most of the campaign, faltered with three successive draws, allowing what was once a six-point cushion to evaporate and forcing them to rely on superior goal difference to keep their place at the top.
Benfica have won each of their last eight matches in the league, and the Lions will be hopeful their rivals stumble at Porto a day earlier while they focus on securing maximum points here.
The Green and Whites have reason to approach Monday's encounter with confidence, having come out on top in four of their last six meetings with Braga across all competitions, including a 4-2 triumph in the reverse fixture, while each of their three clashes at Estadio Jose Alvalade during this run ended in emphatic 5-0 scorelines.
Sporting have also turned the venue into a fortress this season, winning 11 of their 13 Primeira Liga matches, with their 34 points from a possible 39 leaving them as the second-best home side in the division.
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Braga, however, will not be easy prey, as they rank second in the league's away standings with nine wins, two draws and two defeats, setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely contested affair.
Much like their hosts, the Archbishops have a stake in the clash at Estadio do Dragao but will be hoping for a different outcome, as they sit fourth and are level on 56 points with Porto, who boast a better goal difference.
Braga come into this clash in fine form, having picked up three consecutive wins, the most recent being a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Arouca, which marked the first goal they have conceded in five league home matches and six across all competitions.
Carlos Carvalhal's side have also earned plaudits for their defensive resilience on the road, where they have allowed only seven strikes in the Primeira Liga — the best away record in the competition.
That solid back line will be tested against a Sporting side that have netted a league-high 73 goals, including three in each of their last four top-flight outings.
Team News
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Pedro Goncalves has returned to full training and could be named in the squad, although a starting berth may come too soon, potentially leaving him as an option off the bench.
Geovany Quenda and Matheus Reis, who both came on as substitutes in the cup win against Rio Ave, are expected to return to the lineup, while Goncalo Inacio and Hidemasa Morita, who were rested, should inject fresh energy into the team.
Viktor Gyokeres is set to lead the line once more after a commanding performance last Thursday, where he scored his ninth goal in eight appearances, and the league's top scorer will be eyeing an extension to his tally of 30.
Nuno Santo, Joao Simoes and Daniel Braganca are ruled out of Monday's game due to injury, while Alexandre Brito remains a doubt.
Uros Racic will take confidence into this match after grabbing a goal and an assist in Braga's win over Arouca, and he is likely to partner Joao Moutinho in midfield.
Roger Fernandes, Jonatas Noro and Fran Navarro all remain sidelined, leaving Amine El Ouazzani as the most natural candidate to lead the line unless Carvalhal chooses to deploy a false nine.
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Silva; Diomande, Juste, Reis; Araujo, Morita, Hjulmand, Fresneda; Quenda, Gyokeres, Trincao
Braga possible starting lineup:
Hornicek; Chissumba, Oliveira, Bambu, Gomez; Horta, Gorby, Moutinho, Martine; Zalazar; Ouazzani
We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Braga
Considering both sides come into this encounter in excellent form, the contest promises to be much tighter than the previous three at Jose Alvalade.
Additionally, the visitors arrive with fresher legs, having last played four days before Sporting's clash with Rio Ave, though we expect the home side to edge this one, given their dominance in this fixture.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
