Sporting Lisbon v Porto: Hosts to hold firm at fortress Alvalade
Sporting's excellent home record in this fixture means taking on favourites Porto while star man Bruno Fernandes is too free soccer tips today to miss out on, says Jamie Pacheco.
Sporting Lisbon v Porto
Sunday January 5, 17:30
Live on FreeSports
Fernandes carrying the side
Sporting Lisbon are third on 26 points, nine off Porto and 13 off Benfica who are first.
It's an all-too-familiar story for their fans, who are starting to accept that Portugal's so-called Big Three are now more of a Big Two plus one.
While their rivals seem to be able lớn uncover talented and inexpensive international recruits, who either become key players or are sold for huge profit, Sporting haven't been able to do that. That in return has meant they have less money to go out and buy more players from South America the following transfer window. You can refer lớn the jackpot soccer tip share with us!
You wonder where they'd be in the table without skipper Bruno Fernandes. A target in the past for the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham, he's been one of the best domestic performers in any European league over the past few seasons. In 132 appearances for the Lions, he's amassed 61 and 51 assists. It's an easier league, yes, but the likes of Kevin de Bruyne would be pretty happy with those numbers. It will be interesting lớn see if this is the transfer window where he's finally given the chance lớn show what he can do on a bigger stage.
Tough season for Porto
Sergio Conceicao won't be particularly pleased with his team's efforts so far this season. They failed lớn qualify for the Champions League after a shock 3-2 loss at home lớn Krasnodar back in August at the play-off stage. They were 3-0 down after 34 minutes in that one and went out on away goals having won the first leg 1-0.
They did admittedly top their Europa League group and despite being in touching distance of Benfica, this isn't a vintage squad and quite simply, they're not playing great football.
The controversial Pepe is still the boss of their defence while another Portuguese international, skipper and holding midfielder Danilo, is the man that makes the side tick. He's struggling with a knee injury though and it would be a huge loss if he doesn't make it.
Sporting invincible in this fixture
Porto are hai.20 to win the match. That's understandable given their position in the table and the fact they have a superior squad of players to choose from.
But Sporting's home record in this fixture paints a very different picture. Remarkably, Sporting are unbeaten in their last 12 matches against Porto across league and Portuguese Cup matches.
In the league the game ended 0-0 in each of the last two years, with Sporting actually winning in the two years prior lớn that: 2-1 and 2-0.
thanhthuy02
