Sporting host Arsenal at the Estádio José Alvalade as second take on twelfth in the Champions League. This will be Sporting’s first game in the competition without Rúben Amorim in the dugout, and they will be hoping to climb to the top of the table with a victory.
By Matt Smith
These two sides met just last year, with Sporting coming out on top following a penalty shootout in the Europa League Round of 16.
Diomande back in full training
Sporting have received a huge boost as central defender Ousmane Diomande is back in full training after missing their game against Amarante in the cup on Friday night. Zeno Debast and Eduardo Quaresma are doubts for the clash in Portugal, while Nuno Santos and Pedro Gonçalves are long-term absentees.
They can’t stop the Swede
It’s no secret that Viktor Gyökeres has been Sporting’s main threat this season, scoring 24 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions, with five of those coming in the Champions League. One of the deadliest strikers in Europe, Arsenal will have to be at their best to keep him out.
It’s difficult to know how Sporting are going to setup with Amorim recently replaced by João Pereira, but the Portuguese outfit have been creating chances at will in the Champions League. In the competition so far, only Liverpool, Inter, Real Madrid, and Manchester City have created more big chances than Sporting.
Arteta could rotate
Mikel Arteta saw the likes of Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, and Leandro Trossard all shake off recent injury concerns to make the squad against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend.
The Gunners are already nine points behind Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arteta rest some of his key stars in Europe, especially those who have been struggling for fitness of late.
Arsenal struggling to create
Creating chances has been a difficulty for the Gunners in the Champions League this term, producing just 5.1 expected goals (xG), ranking them 22nd in the competition. Arteta’s men have remained resolute at the back, conceding just 0.3 goals per game, but finding the back of the net has been a problem.
Only Kai Havertz and Saka have struck for the Gunners so far in Europe, with own goals being their joint-top goal scorer. Gabriel Martinelli has been Arsenal’s most creative player in the Champions League this season, producing 0.51 expected assists per 90, but he’s yet to set up a goal for one of his team-mates.
Prediction
It’s difficult to predict how Sporting are going to perform on the continent without Amorim in charge, but considering Arsenal’s defensive record, we’re not expecting many goals. Gyökeres has been almost unstoppable this season, but we’re predicting a narrow 1-0 win for Arsenal with the Gunners keeping the Swedish international quiet in Portugal.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.