Sporting Lisbon will be looking to bounce back from their shock exit from the Taca de Portugal when they go head to head with Casa Pia at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in round 10 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday.
Filipe Martins's men, on the other hand, head into the weekend unbeaten in each of their six away games across all competitions this season and will be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling.
Match preview
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Sporting Lisbon suffered a shock third-round exit from the Taca de Portugal as they were beaten 1-0 by lower-tier Varzim when the sides squared off last Sunday.
Despite being under the cosh for most of the game, former Famalicao and Vizela defender Joao Faria found a way for Tiago Margarido's side as he netted in the 70th minute to stun the visiting side.
Prior to that, Sporting Lisbon suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Ligue 1 outfit Marseille in Group D of the Champions League, where they are currently third in the table with six points from four matches.
Ruben Amorim's men have now lost three of their last four outings since the start of October — scoring three goals and conceding eight — with a 2-1 victory over Santa Clara on October 8 being the exception.
Sporting Lisbon have now picked up five wins, one draw and lost three of their nine games this season to collect 16 points and sit fifth in the Primeira Liga table, one point and one place off Casa Pia.
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Martins's side, on the other hand, continued their impressive run of results as they secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Sao Martinho in round three of the Taca de Portugal last Saturday.
In a game where Nuno Moreira and Anderson Cordeiro received their marching orders, Rafael Martins and Derick Poloni scored second-half goals at the Estadio Comendador Abilio Ferreira de Oliveira to send the home side packing.
Casa Pia now turn their attention to the Primeira Liga, where they suffered a 1-0 loss against Vizela at the National Sports Center of Jamor on October 9 which saw their six-game unbeaten run come to an end.
Os Gansos will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways in the league as they are on a fine run of form away from home, where they have won their last four matches and are unbeaten in seven straight across all competitions since May.
Team News
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Sporting Lisbon will take to the pitch without the Portuguese duo of Daniel Braganca and Neto, who have both been sidelined through knee injuries.
Veteran defender Sebastian Coates will play no part in this weekend's encounter after the 32-year-old missed the trip to Varzim after coming off with a game-ending injury against Marseille on October 12.
Another name on the Leoes' injury table is fellow defender Jeremiah St. Juste, who suffered a hamstring injury midway through September's Champions League opener versus Eintracht Frankfurt.
As far as Casa Pia are concerned, Cordeiro will play no part in Saturday's game after the Brazilian received his marching orders in the cup win over Sao Martinho last time out.
On the injury front, Martins will be unable to call upon the services of veteran forward Carnejy Antoine, who is yet to make an appearance this season after picking up an injury in July.
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Marsa, Reis, Inacio; Porro, Morita, Ugarte, Santos; Edwards, Paulinho, Goncalves
Casa Pia possible starting lineup:
Batista; Fernandes, Bolgado, Nunes; Soares, Taira, Baro, Lelo; Kunimoto, Clayton, Godwin
We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Casa Pia
While Sporting Lisbon will be looking to arrest their slump, they face the stern challenge of taking on a spirited Casa Pia side who have enjoyed a stellar return to the top flight. However, Amorim's side boast the firepower needed to get the job done and we predict that they will make use of their home advantage to claim a slender victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
