Porto Puts Unbeaten Record on Line
If you’re a soccer betting enthusiast, then you know we focus on the top five European leagues. However, we often go rogue to cover an important match outside those leagues, like Porto vs Sporting Lisbon in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
Here’s why this game is so important. First, Porto sits in first place thanks to an unbeaten record. Second, Sporting Lisbon sits in second place, only six points behind. Third, the first two places in the Primeira Liga qualify directly to the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League. That’s why Benfica, the team sitting in third place, is rooting for a draw.
Sounds pretty exciting, right? Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and soccer lines for this meeting between Portuguese titans.
Porto Right on Track
After being eliminated from the UCL, winning the Primeira Liga title became Porto’s main goal. Luckily for them, they’re right on track with to a 19-2-0 record. Only Benfica has scored more goals than Porto while only Sporting Lisbon has allowed less.
Porto’s last draw was in September. Since then, they’ve won 16 games. Most recently, they defeated Arouca 2-0 with goals from Vitor Ferreira and Chancel Mbemba. Neither is the team’s top scorer; that title belongs to Luis Fernando Diaz with 14 goals. It’s fair to say that Porto has talent to spare, because Diaz is followed by Mehdi Taremi with 11 goals.
As if that wasn’t enough, Porto recently signed Canadian Stephen Eustaquio. He went from playing for Cruz Azul in Liga MX to Pacos de Ferreira in the Primeira Liga. Two seasons later, he’s playing for one of the best teams in Europe. I didn’t say powerhouse, that’s very different.
Another key for Porto’s success is having a great balance between experienced and young players. Here’s a great example: Pepe, who’s 38, is the leader of the defense. Vitor Ferreira, who’s 21, is the leader of the midfield.
Winning this game would boost Porto’s chances up to the roof because they already defeated Benfica. That should be enough for them to go all-in, and for you to include them in your soccer picks, especially at even money.
Porto’s predicted lineup: Diogo Costa; Bruno Costa, Chancel Mbemba, Pepe, Zaidu Sanusi; Otavinho, Marko Grujic, Vitor Ferreira, Eduardo Aquino; Fabio Vieira, Evanilson.
Sporting Lisbon: Last Chance
Unlike Porto, Sporting Lisbon remains alive in the UCL. Nevertheless, they’ll face Manchester City in the Round of 16. As you can imagine, the Portuguese come in as huge betting online underdogs.
That’s why winning the Primeira Liga title is also their main objective — and more realistic. We’re talking about the best defensive team in the domestic league. Sporting only allows 0.6 goals per game.
Their last match also finished 2-0. They defeated Famalicao with goals from Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Reis.
No player from Sporting is among the league’s top scorers. Head coach Ruben Amorim strongly believes in Tex Winter’s words: “There’s no I in team.” Even so, all teams have a top scorer, which is where Paulinho comes in. He has scored eight goals.
Collectively, Sporting only lost one of its last 10 games on the road. That alone makes them a tempting online gambling underdog, especially at +300. Plus, losing would mean a nine-point gap with Porto and that would be too much for them to handle.
Sporting Lisbon’s predicted lineup: Antonio Adan; Goncalo Inacio, Santiago Coates, Zouhair Feddal; Pedro Porro, Joao Palhinha, Matheus Luiz, Matheus Reis; Pablo Sarabia, Pedro Goncalves, Paulinho.
Porto vs Sporting Lisbon Head to Head
- Previous Matches: 151
- Porto Victories: 60 (177 goals)
- Sporting Lisbon Victories: 46 (163 goals)
- Draws: 45
Remember I mentioned Porto last drew in September? Well, it was when they visited Lisbon to face Sporting. The game ended 1-1. Nuno Santos opened the can for the home side before the visitors evened the score thanks to Luis Diaz. It was a busy day for the referee, who showed 12 yellow cards and one red card.
Curiously enough, the last three meetings between these two ended with a draw. Sporting’s last victory was in the 2016-17 season. Maybe it’s time to break the curse, right?
Porto vs Sporting Lisbon Game Information
- Date: Friday
- Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Do Dragao, Porto
- Porto vs Sporting Lisbon Live Stream: fuboTV
Porto vs Sporting Lisbon Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| FC Porto | -½ Ev | Ev | 2½ -120o | 1½ Evo 1½ -130u |
| Sporting Lisbon | +½ -130 | +300 | 2½ -110u | ½ -230o ½ +180u |
| Draw | +240 |
Porto vs Sporting Lisbon Prediction
What better way to kick off the weekend than watching some Primeira Liga action? Trust me, you don’t want to miss this game. Both are bound to take the reins right from the start and win. That’s why I think it’s going to be a back-and-forth battle.
Porto averages 2.6 goals per game, while Sporting Lisbon averages 1.9 per game. Plus, all players who recently leave due to the World Cup qualifiers will be back. Having said that, I think you should include the over in your betting online ticket.
Score Prediction: Porto 2, Sporting Lisbon 1
