Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
Sporting
Match Time & Date:
31/08/2024
03:30 PM
Prediction: 1-0
Porto
Expect an electrifying atmosphere at Estadio Jose Alvalade when Sporting CP and Porto go head to head in the Primeira Liga derby on Saturday evening. The Lions started their title defence in great manner, with the team beating all Rio Ave, Nacional, and Farense and, no doubt, they are eager to keep their 100% record intact. A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 crushing of Farense at the weekend, while both Diogo Pinto and Morten Hjumland continue to miss out with injuries.
The Dragons, on the other hand, are on a four-game winning run in all competitions, but given Sporting’s brilliant attacking potential, we predict that the visitors are going to return home empty-handed. When the two teams met in Super Cup earlier this summer Porto defeated Sporting, meaning that the title holders are hungry for revenge. Both Chico Conceicao and Zaidu Sanusi are sidelined with injuries for the away team.
Highlighted Player (Pepe):
Pepe is a professional footballer who plays for Porto as a defender. The Portuguese international played for Maritimo at the start of his senior career and in 2004 he moved to Porto. After making 64 league appearances for the Dragons, he signed a contract with Real Madrid in 2007 and he quickly established himself as a first-team regular.
Pepe is well known for his hard tackles and referees often show him red card. The Real Madrid centre back often played as a defensive midfielder under Jose Mourinho and it has to be noted that he scored five goals in all competitions in the 2013/2014 La Liga campaign.
The Portuguese footballer won his second Champions League trophy with Real Madrid in the 2015/2016 season and later in 2016 he helped A Selecao win the European Championship trophy. Portugal defeated France in the title game and Pepe played an important role in Fernando Santos’ team in the Euro 2016 final. The Real Madrid defender was born in Maceio, Brazil on 26 February, 1983.
Highlighted Team (Sporting):
When it comes to official club members, Portugal giants Sporting Lisbon are the sixth club in the world. Commonly referred to as Leoes which is Portuguese for Lions, Sporting Lisbon were founded in 1906 and are one of the founders of the Primeira Liga.
Sporting’s main rivals are Benfica, with both teams contesting the Lisbon Derby, one of the most fierce ones in Europe. Lions play their games at Estadio Jose Alvelade in front of 50,000 people and are the third most successful club in the country with 46 titles in Portuguese competitions and a title in the European Cup Winner’s Cup from 1963-64.
During this time that is also known as the club’s golden years, Sporting Lisbon won the majority of their 18 Primeira Liga titles in total. Sporting Lisbon boasts the quality football youth academy system which has yielded world-class footballers such as Paulo Furte, Simao Sabrosa, Nani and Ballon d’Or winners Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.
