Preview: Moreirense vs Sporting Lisbon - prediction, team news, lineups

Second-placed Sporting Lisbon can temporarily reduce their deficit to the Primeira Liga summit as they travel to Moreira de Conegos for this weekend’s clash against Moreirense.

The Lions sit four points behind leaders Porto, who welcome Rio Ave for their own gameweek 23 encounter a day later, while the Green and Whites are sixth in the standings, seven points off the top four and six adrift of fifth-placed Braga.

Match preview

Sporting have developed a habit of striking late in recent weeks, and that trend continued last weekend as Daniel Braganca’s 82nd-minute effort secured maximum points in a 1-0 victory over Famalicao.

Rui Borges’s men have now scored beyond the 75th-minute mark in each of their last seven matches across all competitions – including an extra-time winner against AVS in the Portuguese Cup – a run that has coincided with an unbeaten stretch of six victories and one draw.

The only blemish during that sequence was a 1-1 draw against Porto on matchday 22, although the Lions salvaged a point through Luis Suarez’s stoppage-time penalty, a strike that preserved their gap to the summit and ensured they avoided a league double in the fixture.

Unbeaten in their last 18 Primeira Liga outings (W14, D4), Sporting’s only top-flight defeat this season came against the current leaders, and the Lions have been flawless against sides presently outside the top five, winning all 17 such encounters, which underlines their strong prospects this weekend.

An impressive record of eight victories in 11 away league matches (D3) further strengthens their case, particularly given that Sporting have won six of their last seven meetings with Moreirense, including a 3-0 triumph in the reverse.

Meanwhile, Moreirense will draw belief from their 2-1 home victory in this fixture last season, which marked only their second win in 32 previous meetings with the Lions (D7, L23).

Vasco Botelho da Costa’s side also arrive with renewed confidence after last weekend’s 2-1 win over Rio Ave, a fourth victory in seven league matches in 2026, representing a marked improvement from the preceding eight games in which they managed just one win (D3, L4).

Moreirense have now collected 10 victories from 22 league matches this season (D3, L9), equalling their total from the entirety of the previous campaign, when they finished 10th, and the Moreira club remain on course to at least match their highest-ever top-flight placing.

The Green and Whites have also impressed on home soil, winning six of their 10 league fixtures at Parque Joaquim de Almeida Freitas (D1, L3), and the hosts will approach this weekend’s contest with optimism as they aim to strengthen their push for European qualification.

Moreirense Primeira Liga form:

Sporting Lisbon Primeira Liga form:

Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions):

Team News

Defender Michel Augusto has been absent from Moreirense’s matchday squad in each of the last four outings and is expected to miss Saturday’s clash once again.

Midfielder Vasco Sousa remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a fractured fibula, while the return of Alvaro Martinez provides a boost, with the defender back in contention after serving a ban last time out.

Sporting will also welcome back Luis Suarez following the striker’s absence through suspension, though Pedro Goncalves will miss this weekend’s encounter due to an accumulation of bookings.

On the injury front, striker Fotis Ioannidis is likely to remain unavailable with a ligament problem, while defender Zeno Debast is managing a similar issue and could miss out once more.

Geovany Quenda continues his recovery from surgery, and Giorgi Kochorashvili, who has not featured in the matchday squad in the last two outings, may again be absent.

Moreirense possible starting lineup:

Ferreira; Travassos, Maracas, Martinez, Pinto; Stjepanovic, Batista, Alanzinho; Rodri, Maranhao, Bondoso

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:

Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo; Hjulmand, Morita; Catamo, Trincao, Luis Guilherme; Suarez

We say: Moreirense 1-2 Sporting Lisbon

Sporting’s recent victories have largely been settled in the closing stages, suggesting they have had to grind out results rather than assert dominance from the outset, and this weekend’s meeting with an in-form Moreirense side promises to pose another stern test.

However, the Lions boast the league’s most potent attack with 56 goals scored, and that firepower should prove decisive, even if the contest develops into an open and closely fought affair.

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