Sporting (home)
- Sporting have won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 5 matches, winning their last two.
- Rui Borges is playing a 4-2-3-1 system that morphs into a 4-3-3 when they are in possession, as his team have the organisation, skill and athleticism to dominate the ball, press opponents aggressively and counter-attack with pace and precision.
- This week, Luis Suarez has been their sharpest edge, scoring 5 of the 10 goals Sporting have registered in the last 5 matches, looking deadly in the box when they find space.
- They are a formidable force at home, winning 4 and drawing 1 of their 5 games across all competitions, averaging 2.60 goals scored and just 1.20 goals conceded.
Académico Viseu (away)
- Académico Viseu have won 4 of their last 5, but lost 1-0 at CD Fatima in the Taca de Portugal.
- Academico Viseu are set up in a very different way to Sporting by coach Bruno Pinheiro.
- His 4-2-3-1 system is more compact, with the team prioritising shape, patience and quick counters.
Key Players
This week, Luis Suarez has been their sharpest edge, scoring 5 of the 10 goals Sporting have registered in the last 5 matches, looking deadly in the box when they find space.
Betting Insights
- Cihan Kahraman has been their best creative player this term, assisting 3 of their 7 goals in the last 5 games.
- This matchup is a classic high press versus compact counter-attacking clash and we feel that Sporting should win, but Viseu can make this game interesting by getting in behind the home team at times, so they should be able to avoid a complete rout.
- Sporting are a short 1.22 to win this game, but the draw is at 6.2 and over 2.5 goals is a mere 1.42, so we'll take that number to back a home win with goals.
Prediction
We feel that Sporting should win, but Viseu can make this game interesting by getting in behind the home team at times, so they should be able to avoid a complete rout.
