Sporting Lisbon can move top of the the Portuguese Primeira Liga table by beating Farense on Sunday.
The visitors have failed to win any of their last five matches, drawing two and losing three during that run of games.
Match preview
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Indeed, with Porto hosting Benfica later on Sunday evening, Sporting have the perfect opportunity to place significant pressure on their city rivals Benfica by moving one point clear at the top of the table.
However, Sporting saw their eight-match winning streak in the Portuguese Primeira Liga come to an end away to Rio Ave last weekend, with Ruben Amorim's side held to a 3-3 draw at Estadio dos Arcos. The two sides exchanged strikes twice apiece during a topsy-turvy first half, with Sebastian Coates rescuing a point for the visitors 17 minutes from time after Abdul-Aziz Yakubu had converted his second penalty of the match.
As a result, Sporting saw Benfica move two points clear of them at the top, but Amorim's side do possess a game in hand on their opponents. They also gained a psychological and tangible advantage against them by beating them 2-1 in the first leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final clash on Thursday evening, with the return leg set to take place at Estadio da Luz in early April.
Their attentions will have to firmly return to league duties on Sunday, when they will be hoping to return to winning ways. Having finally ended the club's 19-year wait to lift the Portuguese title in the 2020-21 campaign, Amorim will have genuine belief that his players can oust their city rivals between now and the end of the campaign.
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Farense, meanwhile, are on the brink of dropping into the bottom half of the table after suffering a disappointing run of form in recent weeks. After collecting 24 points from 18 games following promotion from the second tier last season, Jose Mota's side have gained just two points from their last five matches.
Farense were defeated 1-0 at home by Moreirense last weekend, with Mattheus Oliveira's first half dismissal leaving Mota's side little chance of mounting a comeback after Madson had opened the scoring for the visitors 28 minutes into the match.
However, having only spent one of the previous 21 seasons in Portugal's top flight - which was when they were relegated after finishing 17th in the 2020-21 campaign - Mota and his players should not be too disheartened about enduring a dip in results. They will head into the weekend with an eight-point lead ahead of the automatic relegation spots.
That is unlikely to become any larger given that they are travelling to one of the country's strongest teams and biggest clubs, but after holding Benfica to a 1-1 draw at Estadio da Luz earlier this season, they will be dreaming of inflicting an upset in Lisbon once again.
Team News
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Sporting will remain without Paulinho due to a tendon injury, with the forward not expected to return to first-team action until mid April. Trincao and Goncalo Inacio were both withdrawn against Rio Ave due to foot and thigh issues respectively, and are unlikely to be risked.
Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Marcus Edwards and Matheus Reis are both likely to start after coming off the bench during that 3-3 draw, while Eduardo Quaresma could be called upon to slot into the back three.
Farense, meanwhile, will have to make do without Mattheus due to suspension after his red card against Moreirense. Belloumi could start in an attacking midfield role as a result.
Luiz Felipe is sidelined until April due to a tendon issue, but otherwise Mota appears to have a clean bill of health at his disposal.
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Diomande, Coates, Quaresma; Reis, Hjulmand, Morita, Santos; Edwards, Gyokores, Goncalves
SC Farense possible starting lineup:
Velho; Pastor, Silva, Muscat, Talocha; Isidoro, Caseres; Balde, Barbosa, Belloumi; Duarte
We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-0 SC Farense
Sporting could be tired after their domestic cup exertions against their city rivals Benfica, but they should possess far too much individual quality for Farense to cope with.
The visitors have dipped in recent weeks after making a decent start to life back in the top flight following their promotion last season, and they would likely settle for suffering a defeat as narrow as possible.
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Brett Curtis
