Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
Sporting and Maritimo go head to head at Estadio Jose Alvalade in the closing match of Saturday’s program. The Lions are eyeing their fourth consecutive league win and their display in a 4-0 win over Ferreira is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of the visit of Maritimo. Both Jerry St. Juste and Daniel Braganca are out of contention with injuries, while Jovane Cabral is a major doubt and he will be assessed ahead of the kick-off.
The visitors, on the other hand, failed to win the previous three league matches. Maritimo are desperate to avoid automatic relegation, but given Sporting’s excellent form, we not believe that Jose Manuel Gomes’ troops are capable of grabbing something from the match. There are no fresh injury worries in the away team ahead of the trip to Lisbon. In their last meeting at the venue (League Cup) Sporting crushed Maritimo 5-0.
Highlighted Player (Sebastian Coates):
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on October 7, 1990, Sebastian Coates is a 196-cm-tall defender who plays for Sporting CP in Primeira Liga. Coates is the product of the hometown club Nacional, and it has to be noted that he scored eight goals in 60 appearances for the capital club in the national championship.
After ending his spell with English club Sunderland, the Uruguay international moved to Portugal, signing a loan deal with Sporting CP in January 2016. He signed a permanent contract with the Lions in February 2017.
Speaking of his international career, Sebastian Coastes made his full Uruguay debut against Chile at the 2011 Copa America. La Celeste won the trophy, with the team beating Paraguay 3-0 in the final of the competition at Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires. Coates wears the number 4 shirt at Sporting CP, and his preferred foot is right.
Highlighted Team (Maritimo):
Based in Funchal, Madeira, Maritimo are a Portuguese club that compete in Primeira Liga. O Maior das Ilhas (The Greatest of the Islands) play their home matches in the national championship at Estadio do Maritimo.
The stadium was officially founded on May 5, 1957 and it can hold up to 10,932 spectators. Maritimo won their first and only Campeonato de Portugal in the 1925/1926 season, with the team beating Belenenses in the title game 2-0 at Campo do Ameal. Maritimo wear green shirts with red stripes and white shorts when playing on home soil, whilst the colour of their away kit is sky blue.
The Estadio do Maritimo have yet to win the Taca de Portugal trophy, but they made it to the final of the competition on two occasions (1994/95, 2000/01), as well as the final of the Taca da Liga in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. Nacional are considered the club’s main rivals.