Sporting to edge Benfica in top table clash
Sporting CP vs SL Benfica - 17/04/2022
3127
Sunday features a top of the table clash in the Portuguese domestic top flight when 2nd placed Sporting play host to 3rd placed visitors, Benfica, when the two teams face off at the Estádio José Alvalade.
The hosts look to reduce the gap between themselves and the league leaders, Porto.
Sporting Lisbon currently trail Porto by a six-point margin but they’ll be hoping they can grab all three points in this vital encounter and that Porto somehow slip up at home to Portimonense in this weekend’s action.
For their part, Sporting bring an impressive and solid looking 10-match unbeaten sequence into this Sunday’s fixture and this includes winning their last five games on the trot, collecting wins against Arouca, Moreirense, Vitoria Guimaraes, Pacos Ferreira and Tondela respectively.
Form and results on home soil this season have almost been exemplary too, with Sporting losing just once at home throughout this season’s Liga Portugal campaign.
This defeat came in the shape of a 2-1 loss to Sporting Braga but otherwise, the hosts have been dominant, winning 12 of their 14 home games to date this term.
Onto Benfica, and the visitors have only produced what seems a reasonable campaign by comparison to their hosts as they’ve suffered five defeats throughout this term and trail Sporting by a significant nine-point margin heading into Sunday’s clash.
Results overall have been generally solid where Benfica have been concerned but the odd slip-up here and there has cost them dear, especially as the likes of Porto and Sporting have been so consistent all season, and even losing just once in their last nine games has made very little difference.
Significantly, that defeat came in the form of a 3-2 loss away at Sporting Braga and although they also picked up six wins in the process as well, that defeat further extended the gap between themselves and the top two clubs in the Liga Portugal.
Results away from home have also been promising for Benfica as the visitors have suffered just the two defeats out of their last 23 outings on the road but the margins have become so fine that even two defeats are two too many.
To sum up, Sporting look to be in control for this clash and the hosts should be too strong on home soil.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
Pt1
373231
1
3 - 2
3.09
18°
2.05
2.05
3.30
3.40
no
no
no
0 - 2(0 - 1)
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