Porto vs Sporting Lisbon Match Analysis and Prediction

5 years ago 908

Porto will be looking to increase their advantage in the Primeira Liga title race when they take on Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio do Dragao in an important heavyweight fixture on Friday night with kickoff at 23:15.

Porto have made a dominant campaign this season as they are still unbeaten in the Primeira Liga so far and have claimed 19 victories and just two draws from their 21 matches, collecting 59 points which have left them at the summit of the table with six points in the clear.

The Dragoes head into the match in high spirits as they are coming off a comfortable 2-0 win away against Arouca last Sunday in their previous league match, with Vitinha and Chancel Mbemba providing the two goals in the second half. The victory has seen Porto extend their winning streak to 11 matches across all competitions, meaning that Sergio Conceicao’s side have not lost since the 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the last match of the Champions League group stage back in December.

This fine run of results has been owing to dominance at both ends of the pitch, as they boast the division’s second-best attacking record with 55 goals, while conceding the second fewest at the opposite end of the pitch with just 14 — with only Sporting Lisbon conceding fewer.

They will be looking to maintain their momentum with a win on Friday as they know that three points gives them the perfect chance of unseating current champions Sporting Lisbon.

Sporting Lisbon have also made a fine campaign this season with the club recording 17 wins, two draws and two defeats from their 21 matches to collect 53 points which have left them sitting in the second place with six points off leaders Porto and six above third-placed Benfica.

They head into the match in good spirits as they are coming off a 2-0 win against Famalicao in their previous league outing with Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Reis sealing the win for the visitors who have now won all their last four matches across all competitions.

The run has seen them stay close to Porto in the title race and it has continued their dominance in the Portuguese football as they edged both Santa Clara and Benfica to clinch the Taca de Liga title, adding to their growing list of achievements in Portugal in the recent seasons.

Sporting will therefore be looking to maintain their current form and will be desperate for a victory in this match as a win will move them to three points within the summit, while a defeat will be a major blow to their ambitions of clinching the Primeira Liga title in back-to-back seasons. They will fancy their chances of coming away with the desired result as they are unbeaten in each of their last for meeting against their Friday hosts and will want to keep things that way.

Porto vs Sporting Lisbon head to head

Both sides have met in 54 encounters since 2003 with Porto claiming 22 victories while Sporting Lisbon have claimed 18 victories and there have been 14 draws.