Sporting Lisbon will raise the curtain on their 2023-24 Taca da Liga campaign on Thursday, when they welcome SC Farense to the Estadio Jose Alvalade for a third-round group game.
Os Leoes entered the competition at this stage while their visitors progressed through two knockout rounds before kicking off the group stage with a victory over Tondela.
Match preview
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Sporting Lisbon head into Taca da Liga action for the first time this season on Thursday, as they aim to build on a strong run in the competition in recent years, having lifted the trophy four times in the last six campaigns.
That included consecutive triumphs in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, and in their aim to win a third straight Taca da Liga, Ruben Amorim's side progressed all the way to the final last time around, with their campaign also starting at home to SC Farense in the group stage.
Os Leoes dished out a 6-0 beating to Thursday's opponents in that meeting, as Paulinho netted a brace alongside goals from Marcus Edwards, Pedro Goncalves, Arthur Gomes and Mateus Fernandes, before they completed the group stage with a perfect record and advanced with victories over Braga and Arouca, only to fall just short in a 2-0 defeat to Porto in the final in January.
They now head into the latest cup bid on the back of an eye-catching start to their domestic season, having established a three-point lead at the top of the Primeira Liga table by collecting 25 points from their opening nine league outings, most recently making it five top-flight wins on the bounce with a 2-0 triumph away at Boavista on Monday courtesy of goals from Geny Catamo and Goncalves, after previously scraping past Farense in a 3-2 away win in late September thanks to a 90th-minute Viktor Gyokeres penalty.
They will now aim to build on that fine Primeira Liga form on Thursday and kick off their latest Taca da Liga campaign in style on Thursday with the hope of a similar outcome to the same meeting between these sides in the Portuguese capital last year.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, will travel to the Estadio Jose Alvalade hoping to avenge last season's cup thrashing and the narrow defeat to the Primeira Liga leaders in September and continue their impressive run in the Taca da Liga after initially progressing through the knockout rounds.
The Leoes de Faro began their campaign in the first round with a trip to Moreirense, and despite being held to a 1-1 draw late on, they prevailed in a penalty shootout, before hosting Oliveirense in the second round and booking their group spot with a 3-2 victory, thanks to first-half goals from Marco Matias, Rui Costa and Mattheus Oliveira.
Jose Mota's side then raised the curtain on the third-round group action at home to Tondela in late September, and they would put three crucial points on the board in a 1-0 victory, having held on throughout after Ze Luis put them ahead in the 14th minute.
They now head into Thursday's tough trip on the back of an eventful contest away at Rio Ave on Sunday, in which they climbed up to 13th spot in their first season back in their Primeira Liga with a 4-3 triumph away at Rio Ave, as Rui Costa netted the winner deep into injury time after Claudio Falcao had levelled the scores at three goals apiece in the 89th minute.
With just one side going through from each group to the Taca da Liga semi-finals, Farense will now aim to pull off a major upset in the capital on Thursday with the chance to guarantee top spot and a last-four place if they can take all three points, with encouragement to take from their resolute display in the previous meeting between the sides in September, having stayed level until the dying embers.
Team News
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With a league game against Estrela Amadora looming on Sunday and a return to Europa League action next Thursday, Ruben Amorim may opt to make some rotations to his Sporting Lisbon squad on Thursday, with Paulinho and Francisco Trincao likely to come into the attack from the outset, affording rests to key forwards Viktor Gyokeres and Pedro Goncalves.
Nuno Santos may also come in to complete the front line in their 3-4-3 setup, while Daniel Braganca will likely join either Hidemasa Morita or Morten Hjumland in the engine room.
Experienced centre-back Sebastian Coates should be afforded a rest with Jeremiah St Juste expected to come in from the outset alongside 19-year-old Ousmane Diomande and either veteran Luis Neto or mainstay Goncalo Inacio.
Farense will remain without midfielder Jhon Velasquez through injury for their trip to the Estadio Jose Alvalade, while winger Sapara is nearing a return to full fitness but is yet to feature for the first team since arriving on loan from Portimonense.
Rui Costa should certainly come in from the outset in an attacking role, having scored their winner off the bench on Sunday off the bench to take his tally to five goals for the season in all competitions, including two goals in two Taca da Liga appearances.
He will likely join Bruno Duarte, who has three goals of his own so far this term, with Marco Matias and Belloumi expected to complete the attacking line on the wings, while Mattheus Oliveira should start in midfield against the side he departed in 2021 alongside Claudio Falcao.
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Diomande, St Juste, Inacio; Esgaio, Braganca, Hjumland, Reis; Trincao, Paulinho, Santos
SC Farense possible starting lineup:
Velho; Delgado, Silva, Jorge, Talocha; Falcao, Oliveira; Belloumi, Costa, Matias; Duarte
We say: Sporting Lisbon 3-1 SC Farense
While Sporting Lisbon will likely make plenty of rotations in midweek, they should still have more than enough to get past Farense, particularly with home advantage, and we back Amorim's men to kick off with a three-point haul in the Taca da Liga.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
