Preview: Benfica vs. Sporting Lisbon - prediction, team news, lineups

With one domestic trophy apiece, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon will lock horns once more at Estadio Nacional do Jamor on Sunday evening for the Taca de Portugal final.

The Eagles edged their rivals on penalties to lift the League Cup in January, while the Lions responded by claiming the Primeira Liga title, setting up a fitting finale to settle supremacy.

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Match preview

It has been a campaign of relentless competition between the two Lisbon giants, with Benfica striking first blood by ousting Sporting in a dramatic shoot-out to win the Taca da Liga, only to then fall short in the title race.

Bruno Lage's men briefly turned the tide with nine consecutive league wins, a run that saw them overtake the Lions at one point, but drawing three of their final six fixtures allowed their rivals to stay just out of reach.

That included a costly 1-1 draw with Sporting at Estadio da Luz, where the Eagles could not make their dominance count and ultimately missed out on the league crown by two points following another frustrating stalemate at Braga on the final day.

This means Lage's men have now recorded consecutive 1-1 results in the Lisbon derby, extending their run without an outright win in the fixture to six across all competitions, excluding the shoot-out success.

That spell includes a 4-3 aggregate defeat in last season's Taca de Portugal semi-final, though this time Benfica breezed past lower-league side Tirense with a 9-0 triumph over two legs to book their third final in six seasons.

The Eagles, however, will be keen to end a worrying trend in the showpiece itself, having come up short in their last two appearances and last tasting glory in the competition back in the 2016-17 campaign.

As for Sporting, their most recent pain in this Portuguese Cup final came just last season, when they fell 2-1 after extra time against Porto and failed to seal a domestic double, a feat they have not managed since 2020-21.

The Lions now return with renewed hunger and greater confidence, having clinched the Primeira Liga title with a 2-0 victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes on the final day, ensuring back-to-back league crowns.

That win also stretched their unbeaten run to 17 matches in all competitions, a sequence that includes 12 victories in Sporting's last 14 outings.

Rui Borges's side dispatched Rio Ave 2-0 at Estadio Jose Alvalade before sealing their place in the final with a 2-1 success in the return leg, giving them a shot at their first Taca de Portugal triumph since 2018-19.

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Team News

Benfica will remain without long-term absentees Alexander Bah, Renato Sanches and Manu Silva, while Fredrik Aursnes is once again doubtful after missing their previous outing.

Meanwhile, Zeki Amdouni will undergo a late fitness test to determine whether he will be available for Sunday's Lisbon Derby final.

Vangelis Pavlidis struck in their last match to bring his tally to 29 across all competitions this season and will no doubt be brimming with belief as he prepares to lead the line once more.

As for Sporting, Ricardo Esgaio and Morten Hjulmand are suspended for the opening round of next season's Primeira Liga campaign but are eligible to feature in the cup final.

Meanwhile, Ousmane Diomande is nursing a fitness issue that casts doubt over his availability, while Joao Simoes, Nuno Santos and Daniel Braganca remain sidelined through injury.

Viktor Gyokeres also found the net in his last appearance to take his remarkable return to 53 goals in 51 matches across all competitions this term, including four in the Taca de Portugal, and he is expected to spearhead the attack once again.

Benfica possible starting lineup: Trubin; Araujo, A. Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Luis, Kokcu; Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Schjelderup

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup: Silva; Quaresma, St. Juste, Inacio; Catamo, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Goncalves; Gyokeres

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We say: Benfica 1-1 Sporting Lisbon

After witnessing at least three goals in each of the six meetings prior, recent chapters of the Lisbon Derby have taken a more subdued turn, with none of the last three featuring more than two goals.

That said, this latest showdown has all the makings of a tight, tactical battle – one that could very well drift into penalties considering the high stakes riding on it.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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