Alverca vs Sporting Lisbon – News and Probable Lineups

Following an electrifying continental triumph midweek, Sporting Lisbon shifts their attention to Primeira Liga duties as they travel to Alverca this weekend for the 27th round.

The Lions showcased their dominance with a 5-0 home victory in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 against Bodo/Glimt, achieving a 5-3 aggregate win, while their Ribatejo hosts head into this match after a 2-2 stalemate against Gil Vicente.

Match overview

Heroic comebacks from a three-goal deficit in Champions League knockout phases are infrequent. However, Sporting made history by becoming just the fifth team to perform such a comeback when Bodo faced them at Jose Alvalade earlier this week.

After pushing the match into extra time with a 3-0 scoreline thanks to goals from Goncalo Inacio, Pedro Goncalves, and Luis Suarez, the Lions secured their qualification with contributions from Maxi Araujo and Rafael Nel, marking a historic quarter-final spot against Arsenal.

Returning to local action with high morale, Rui Borges’s side, currently sitting second in the Primeira Liga table, looks to close the gap to the top after it extended to seven points due to the postponement of their home game against Tondela the weekend prior.

This also allowed third-placed Benfica to level points with Sporting, making this encounter crucial for the reigning champions as they seek to rebound from a recent 2-2 draw against Braga in their latest league appearance.

The result exhibited a familiar trend for the Lions, as their only points dropped this season have been against teams currently in the top five, indicating victories in all their matches against clubs outside that bracket.

This poses a challenging task for 10th-placed Alverca, who aim to sustain their seven-point buffer above the relegation playoff position after coming back twice to secure a draw at Gil Vicente through Sandro Lima and Naves last weekend.

This result marked the fifth consecutive draw for Custodio Castro’s team, highlighting their durability yet exposing difficulties in securing match victories, as their winless stretch has now stretched to eight league games (D6, L2) – the longest ongoing drought in the league.

The historical meetings between the teams do not provide much solace, as Alverca has lost their last four league encounters with Sporting, including a 2-0 defeat in the earlier fixture this season.

Nevertheless, the Ribatejo side can take heart from their latest home contest against the Lions, having claimed victory in their Taca de Portugal meeting back in 2019, while their unbeaten streak in the last five matches at Complexo Desportivo FC Alverca represents another glimmer of hope (W2, D3).

Team News

Alverca is likely to continue without Ghanaian midfielder Sabit Abdulai, who has been sidelined for the last six matches due to physical discomfort.

Ivorian winger Stephane Diarra and Spanish player Tomas Mendes are still on the mend from muscle issues, while left-back Francisco Chissumba may miss a fifth consecutive match.

For Sporting, forward Fotis Ioannidis and full-back Ricardo Mangas will again be absent as both are recovering from knee injuries. Additionally, Chelsea-bound winger Geovany Quenda is still in rehabilitation after undergoing foot surgery.

Georgian midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili has been out of action since February and won’t participate here, while Brazilian forward Luis Guilherme, who missed the match midweek due to injury, could also miss this fixture.

Araujo had to leave the match during extra time against Bodo, rendering the defender’s availability uncertain for this upcoming game.

Heading into Sunday’s match on a positive note, Suarez has netted six times in his last six matches, with four of those coming in his previous four league encounters, placing the Colombian striker at the top of the Golden Boot race with 23 goals in the Primeira Liga.

Alverca probable starting XI:

To Gomes; Naves, Gomez, Meupiyou; Touaizi, Rhaldney, Lincoln, James; Figueiredo, Lima, Chiquinho

Sporting Lisbon probable starting XI:

Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Santos; Hjulmand, Morita; Catamo, Trincao, Goncalves; Suarez

Sporting may still be feeling the repercussions of their intense match with Bodo, especially against rivals who had a full week to prepare.

However, with superior quality and depth in their squad, the Lions are expected to secure a victory as they continue their pursuit of the league pinnacle while safeguarding their place near the top.