Sporting Lisbon are back in action in the Primeira Liga when they go head to head with Pacos de Ferreira at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday.
Ruben Amorim's side head into the midweek match fresh off the back of a perfect run to the Taca da Liga semi-finals and will be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling.
Match preview
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Sporting Lisbon continued their quest for a third consecutive Taca da Liga title as they cruised to a 5-0 victory over Braga in the quarter-finals last Monday.
The Leoes simply ran riot in the first half as Goncalo Inacio, Paulinho, Pedro Goncalves, Francisco Trincao and Marcus Edwards all found the back of the net before the interval to send Braga crashing out of the competition.
Prior to that, Amorim's side enjoyed a stellar run in the group stages, where they won each of their three matches while scoring 13 goals and keeping three clean sheets to finish top of Group B.
Sporting Lisbon's cup run has been in keeping with their impressive performance in the Primeira Liga, where they are currently fourth in the league table with 25 points from 14 matches.
The 19-time Portuguese champions were last in action in the league on November 13, when they claimed a 2-1 victory over Famalicao at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao courtesy of goals from Trincao and Goncalves.
Sporting Lisbon head into Thursday on a run of four consecutive home wins in the Primeira Liga, scoring 13 goals and conceding twice since a shock 2-0 loss at the hands of Chaves on August 27.
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Elsewhere, Pacos de Ferreira suffered a group-stage exit in the Taca da Liga during the break as they picked up two draws and lost one of their three matches to finish third in Group D.
The Pacenses picked up successive 1-1 draws against Casa Pia and Trofense in their opening two outings, before suffering a 2-0 loss against Braga in their group final on December 11 courtesy of first-half goals from Alvaro Djalo and Abel Ruiz.
Pacos de Ferreira now return to the Primeira Liga, where they are the only side yet to taste victory this season after picking up two draws and losing 11 of their 13 matches.
Jose Mota's side, whose last victory came on July 20 when they saw off Santa Clara 1-0 in a pre-season friendly, are currently rooted to the bottom of the league table, nine points off 15th-placed Famalicao just outside the relegation zone.
Pacos de Ferreira's underwhelming campaign has been owing to their lack of sting at the attacking end of the pitch, where they currently hold the league's worst record with just seven goals scored, while shipping 26 in their 13 matches.
Team News
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Off the back of a superb team display against Braga, Amorim could name an unchanged XI on Thursday, meaning that we could see a front three of Edwards, Trincao and Paulinho.
Goncalves has been on song from deep in recent weeks and we expect the 24-year-old to team up with Manuel Ugarte behind the front three, while Pedro Porro and Nuno Santos occupy the wing-back roles.
On the injury front, Sporting Lisbon will take to the pitch without Portuguese midfielder Daniel Braganca, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture back in May.
He is joined on the Leoes' injury table by fellow countryman Luis Neto, who has been out of action since September, while Jeremiah St. Juste is set to sit out his fifth straight game through a knee injury.
Pacos de Ferreira, on the other hand, will be without long-term absentee Joao Vigario, who is yet to feature this year after sustaining an ACL injury in August 2021.
Erick Ferigra is back from suspension and will push for a return to the XI after the 23-year-old defender missed the trip to Braga last time out following his red card against Trofense on December 3.
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Inacio, Marsa, Reis; Santos, Goncalves, Ugarte, Porro; Trincao, Edwards, Paulinho
Pacos de Ferreira possible starting lineup:
Almeida; Silva, Ferigra, Lima, Antunes; Ibrahim, Toma; Koffi, Gaitan, Djalo; Butzke
We say: Sporting Lisbon 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira
Sporting Lisbon will be licking their lips ahead of Thursday's game as they go up against league strugglers Pacos de Ferreira, who are looking more likely to drop to the second tier as the season goes by. Amorim's put together a superb run of form during the World Cup break and we are backing them to claim a comfortable victory in front of their home fans.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
