Knowing that victory will definitely see them crowned Primeira Liga champions for a second consecutive season, Sporting Lisbon welcome Europe-chasing Vitoria de Guimaraes for their final game of the campaign.
With a slip-up from either side proving detrimental to their respective courses, the hosts sit at the summit, only above second-placed Benfica due to a head-to-head tiebreaker, while the visitors are level on 55 points with Santa Clara in the race for the Conference League spot.
Match preview
© Imago
Sporting now have their destiny firmly in their grasp after grinding out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in last weekend’s derby at Benfica, extending their tally from that heavyweight fixture to four points this season.
A lively start at Estadio da Luz saw Rui Borges‘s men draw first blood through Francisco Trincao‘s early strike, and although the Eagles pegged them back shortly after the restart, it was the Lions who walked away the more satisfied, as the stalemate allowed them to retain their position at the top.
Tied on 79 points with Benfica, Sporting remain in pole position in the title race thanks to their superior head-to-head record, with three points this weekend all they need to retain the trophy for a second consecutive season.
The previous title under Ruben Amorim was more of a procession as defending champions coasted to a 90-point finish, and while this campaign began in even more explosive fashion, the Portuguese’s departure ushered in a rough patch just when a smoother ride seemed likely.
After enduring some managerial chop and change, Sporting found their rhythm again under Borges and have now racked up eight wins in their last 10 league outings, carrying crucial momentum into what is set to be one final test of nerve.
However, the Lions must tread carefully against a Vitoria side that has proven a thorn in their side of late, with two of the last three meetings ending in dropped points for the Lisbon outfit, including a pulsating 4-4 draw in January’s reverse encounter.
That said, visits to Estadio Jose Alvalade have brought little joy for the visitors, with Sporting winning all of the last seven contests at the venue, a dominant streak that offers encouragement alongside their near-flawless home record this season.
The hosts have claimed victory in 13 of their 16 top-flight matches on their own turf, with the 41 points picked up from those outings only bettered by Benfica.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Vitoria’s European hopes suffered a serious dent last time out as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to relegation-battling SC Farense.
Luis Freire‘s men had restored parity early in the second half thanks to Gustavo Silva‘s effort, but Dario Poveda‘s stoppage-time strike condemned the hosts to a second loss in four matches, both of which came at home.
Even so, their away form offers some room for optimism, with Vitoria coming into this contest unbeaten in their last six league trips, with three wins from their most recent four.
Such resilience should fuel belief heading into Saturday’s defining contest, with maximum points guaranteeing a fifth-placed finish for a second straight season thanks to their head-to-head edge over Santa Clara.
Team News
© Imago
Morten Hjulmand‘s booking in last weekend’s clash sees him miss out through suspension, opening the door for Hidemasa Morita to line up alongside Zeno Debast in midfield.
Ricardo Esgaio also misses out after his sending-off against Benfica, while Nuno Santos, Joao Simoes and Daniel Braganca remain sidelined as they continue their respective recoveries.
As for Vitoria, Telmo Arcanjo is back in the fold after serving a suspension and is expected to slot straight into the starting lineup.
Filipe Relvas is unavailable due to accumulated bookings, meaning Toni Borevkovic and Mikel Villanueva should form the centre-back pairing in his absence.
Elsewhere, Umaro Embalo is ineligible to feature, while Samu faces a late fitness test to determine his involvement.
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Silva; Inacio, Diomande, Quaresma; Araujo, Debast, Morita, Catamo; Pote, Gyokeres, Trincao
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Varela; Mendes, Villanueva, Borevkovic, Maga; Silva, Beni, Mendes; G. Silva, Ramirez, Arcanjo
We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Vitoria de Guimaraes
While the absence of Hjulmand robs Sporting of a key cog in their engine room, the hosts should still have enough to pull through here, backed by a fortress-like home record and a psychological edge over their visitors at the Jose Alvalade.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
