Preview: Sporting Lisbon vs. Portimonense – prediction, team news, lineups

Sporting Lisbon will be looking to increase their lead to 13 points at the top of the Primeira Liga table on Saturday when they welcome Portimonense to the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The league leaders stretched their winning run to seven in all competitions last time out, while Portimonense recorded a victory of their own, defeating Gil Vicente 4-1.

Match preview

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Sporting Lisbon come into this game having won their last seven matches in all competitions, seeing them race 10 points clear at the top of the league.

The side from the capital are well on their way to lifting their first Primeira Liga trophy since 2002, and their claim has been made much stronger with five consecutive victories in the top flight.

Most recently, Ruben Amorim‘s men took on Pacos de Ferreira, who came into that game as one of the league’s form teams, but the Leoes recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Joao Mario and Joao Palhinha.

Before that, the league leaders secured a dramatic comeback win when they trailed 1-0 away at strugglers Gil Vicente until centre-back Sebastian Coates scored a brace in the final 10 minutes, heading in the winner in added time.

That sealed a 16th league victory of the season for Sporting, while they remain unbeaten from their 19 Primeira Liga games this campaign, picking up a total of 51 points from a possible 57 at this stage.

The side from the capital have already picked up silverware this season too, with Pedro Porro firing them to a 1-0 win over Braga in the final of the Taca da Liga, and they will be hoping that is the first of several trophies to arrive at the Estadio Jose Alvalade this season.

Much of Os Verde e Brancos’ success this campaign has been built on solid defensive foundations, with no side in the top flight conceding as few as the 10 league goals they have shipped from 19 league games.

Meanwhile, their attack has been strong too, with only second-placed Porto topping their 40 goals scored in Primeira Liga action.

It is that combination which has put Sporting in a strong position to pick up the top-flight trophy for the first time in 19 years, and a win on Saturday will move them even closer to that goal.

However, they take on a Portimonense side who will have some confidence of their own, after they secured a dominant win last time out.

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The side from the Algarve took on one of their rivals in the battle for survival on Sunday, when they hosted Gil Vicente.

Mauricio Antonio gave Portimonense the perfect start, heading in a corner after 40 seconds, before Samuel Lino equalised for the visitors, but goals from Jafar Salmani, Aylton Boa Morte and Beto gave Paulo Sergio‘s side a crucial and emphatic 4-1 win.

That lifted the Estadio Municipal de Portimao side up to 12th place in the Primeira Liga, moving three points ahead of the relegation playoff place, and four points above the automatic drop zone, providing some crucial distance for Sergio’s men for the first time this campaign.

That followed a commendable 0-0 draw with Pacos de Ferreira, which ended the opposition’s six-game league winning run.

Another positive result in this game could see them move further away from the top flight’s bottom three, but they could not face many tougher tests than this, as they travel to a Sporting side who have their sights set on the league title.

Sporting Lisbon Primeira Liga form: DWWWWW
Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions): WWWWWW

Portimonense Primeira Liga form: WDLLDW

Team News

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Other than forward Luiz Phellype, who remains out with a long-term injury, Sporting Lisbon should have a full squad to pick from for this home game.

Striker Paulinho is yet to score since arriving in the capital, after he joined the league leaders from Braga on deadline day.

However, he will have the support of some exciting attacking players, with Pedro Goncalves leading the league’s scoring charts with 14 goals from 17 league appearances this campaign, while young winger Tiago Tomas has also caught eyes with some impressive attacking performances in his first season in the first team.

The two scorers from Sporting’s recent win could pair up in midfield once again, with Joao Mario and Joao Palhinha forming one of the league’s strongest midfield partnerships.

Meanwhile, Portimonense are without two key midfielders, with Pedro Sa and Lucas Fernandes both sidelined with injuries.

January signing Salmani will keep his place in the starting team after he made a large impact on his first start last time out, when the Iranian winger registered a goal and an assist.

Another player brought in in January was Ewerton, who has featured in midfield in all seven games since his arrival from Porto on loan.

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Inacio, Coates, Feddal; Porro, Mario, Palhinha, Mendes; Tomas, Paulinho, Goncalves

Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Samuel; Moufi, Possignolo, Antonio, Anzai; Ewerton, Rocha, Clemente; Boa Morte, Beto, Salmani

We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-0 Portimonense

Although the visitors have looked much improved recently, we can only see a home win happening here, with Sporting Lisbon continuing their march towards the league title.

Their strong defence should be able to contain the threat posed by Portimonense, while the dangerous attacking combination of Paulinho, Tomas and Goncalves should cause the away side plenty of problems, ultimately resulting in a fairly comfortable win for the Leoes.