Preview: Sporting Lisbon vs Rio Ave - prediction, team news, lineups

Closing out the year with a home win against Rio Ave on Sunday will be the minimum expectation among Sporting Lisbon fans, who will hope that, in a rare scenario, it proves enough to see their team close the gap on the Primeira Liga summit by the end of round 16.

Second and five points behind Porto, victory against the Vilacondenses would reduce the deficit, at least until the leaders play host to bottom-placed AVS the following day.

Match preview

The situation was quite reversed in the previous gameweek, as Sporting had to secure a much-needed 4-1 victory at Vitoria Guimaraes to keep their deficit to the summit at five after Porto had eased past Alverca a day earlier.

A bright start proved decisive for the Lions, who surged into a two-goal lead against their Minho hosts in the first half through strikes from Francisco Trincao and Fotis Ioannidis, before adding two more after the interval to put paid to any hopes of a dramatic comeback from Vitoria.

Rui Borges’s men have now won 12 of their opening 15 Primeira Liga fixtures, dropping points only against fellow top-four finishers from last season, in a 2-1 defeat to Porto and 1-1 draws against Braga and Benfica. 

That trend suggests taking maximum points against a lesser opponent should not pose much of a problem for Sporting, who have won each of their last seven home games across all competitions, with the question perhaps centred on how convincing the victory might be.

The last six wins in that run have come by multiple-goal margins, during a spell in which they have scored 21 goals and conceded just once, with all signs pointing towards another comfortable outing for the hosts against opposition they have frequently overcome in recent meetings.

© Imago / IMAGO / Ball Raw Images

Indeed, Rio Ave have lost eight of their last nine encounters with Sporting (D1), with each of the last four visits ending in defeats by margins of at least two goals.

The visitors, however, enter this fixture with a measure of optimism after going four away games without defeat (W2, D2), including last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Gil Vicente.

Rio Ave appeared to be heading towards maximum points in Barcelos, having overturned an early deficit to take the lead, but a late strike from Pablo ensured Sotiris Silaidopoulos’s men have now won just one of their last six league matches (D3, L2).

As a result, the Vilacondenses sit 10th in the standings, four points clear of the relegation playoff spot, having recorded just three wins from their opening 15 fixtures alongside a league-high eight draws, a tally they would not mind extending if it brings something from this encounter.
 

Sporting Lisbon Primeira Liga form:

Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions):

Rio Ave Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Sporting will again be without winger Geny Catamo and centre-back Ousmane Diomande, with both players away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.  

Ivan Fresneda picked up his fifth booking of the campaign last time out and will serve a suspension here, with Georgios Vagiannidis expected to deputise at right-back.

Injury absentees include Nuno Santos, Daniel Braganca, Zeno Debast, Georgia Quenda and Pedro Goncalves, all of whom remain unavailable for this fixture.

Head coach Borges could retain the 4-4-2 system used previously, with Luiz Suarez and Ioannidis likely to continue their partnership in attack after the latter impressed in his first league start of the season.

Tamas Nikitscher was sent off after coming on as a substitute last time out and will be suspended, while Clayton’s absence will also be felt after the forward picked up his fifth booking of the campaign in that same match.

Additional absentees include Theofanis Bakoulas, Omar Richards and Rafael Lobato, who are all continuing their recovery from injury.

On a positive note, Marios Vrousai returns to contention after serving a one-match ban for accumulated bookings and should slot in at right-back.
 

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:

Silva; Vagiannidis, Quaresma, Inacio, Mangas; Araujo, Simoes, Hjulmand; Trincao; Ioannidis, Suarez

Rio Ave possible starting lineup:

Miszta; Petrasso, Panzo, Abbey; Vrousai, Ntoi, Aguilera, Athanasiou; Luiz, Zaobi, Pohlmann

We say: Sporting Lisbon 3-0 Rio Ave

Sporting have been dominant at home this season, winning five of their seven league games on their own turf, and despite Rio Ave’s recent resilience on the road, a comfortable victory for the hosts is expected.

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