Looking to bounce back from their recent setback, Sporting Lisbon make the long trip to the Azores as they face Santa Clara in gameweek 29 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday evening.
The Lions's title hopes took a dent on Monday when they dropped points against Braga, a result that ensured they remained in second place following Benfica's emphatic victory away to Porto.
Match preview
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Matchday 28 threw up an intriguing battle among the top four, with Sporting hosting Braga on Monday night, just a day after in-form Benfica travelled to Estadio do Dragao to take on Porto.
Benfica's dominant display saw them seize first place with authority, and that result placed the onus on Rui Borges's men to respond, which they initially did when Viktor Gyokeres fired them ahead in the 15th minute.
Despite dictating proceedings for much of the contest, the Green and Whites failed to capitalise on their superiority and were made to pay in the closing stages when Afonso Cruz Petrao levelled matters in the 87th minute, leaving the hosts stunned and deflated.
The outcome brought an end to their five-match winning run and marked the first time in five league outings that Sporting have failed to reach the three-goal mark, although their unbeaten streak in the top flight has now stretched to 15 games.
Now trailing Benfica by two points, the reigning champions must secure maximum points on Saturday and hope the Reds falter in their own game a day later, though Sporting will need to navigate a tricky challenge against a Santa Clara side that came out on top when the teams met in the reverse fixture.
That loss, however, is one of the few blemishes in an otherwise dominant head-to-head record for Borges's side, who earned revenge in their most recent meeting – a 2-1 win after extra time in the Taca de Portugal – which took their tally to 15 victories from 19 clashes between the sides.
The Lions have also enjoyed themselves on their travels in this fixture, picking up six wins from eight visits to Santa, and they currently boast the best away record in the league this season with 31 points amassed from a possible 42.
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Meanwhile, Santa Clara sit as the sixth-strongest home side in the division, with eight victories, two draws and four defeats, though their recent run has been underwhelming, having managed just two wins from the last seven in front of their fans.
The Azoreans will also be aiming to bounce back after a disappointing 2-0 loss away to Vitoria de Guimaraes last time out, a result that now leaves their grip on fifth place hanging by a thread.
Vasco Matos's side are just one point above sixth-place Vitoria and are a distant 10 points adrift of Porto in fourth place, and even if they have struggled in recent times, it must be noted that Santa have performed excellently well for a club that only returned to the top flight at the start of 2024-25.
While a top-four finish looks increasingly out of reach, wrapping up the season in fifth would be a historic achievement for Santa Clara, who have never finished higher than sixth in any of their previous top-flight campaigns, a feat achieved in the 2020-21 season.
Team News
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Adriano Firmino would miss this encounter due to suspension, leaving a gap in midfield that Serginho is expected to fill.
In terms of fitness concerns, Pedro Pacheco remains sidelined with a knee problem, while striker Wendel Silva is still recovering from an ankle injury and will also sit this one out.
Sporting, for their part, will make the trip without Nuno Santos, Joao Simoes and Daniel Braganca, while Alexandre Brito remains a doubt for the encounter.
On a brighter note, Pedro Goncalves is back in contention after being out of action since November and should be in line for a return from the bench.
Gyokeres is expected to spearhead the attack once again as he looks to build on his impressive tally of 31 goals in the league so far.
Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Batista; Rocha, Lima, MT; Pereira, Serginho, Ferreira, Soares; Ricardinho, Costa, Silva
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Silva; Diomande, Inacio, Reis; Araujo, Morita, Hjulmand, Fresneda; Quenda, Gyokeres, Trincao
We say: Santa Clara 1-2 Sporting Lisbon
Although Santa Clara are expected to offer stern resistance given their solid home reputation, recent struggles on their own patch could leave them vulnerable against a side of Sporting's calibre.
The visitors arrive with greater urgency, spurred by the prospect of reclaiming the summit ahead of Benfica's fixture, and that added motivation could prove decisive on the day.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
