Our prediction for this Taca de Portugal match:
High-flying Sporting CP will be looking to give fans yet another reason for celebration when they take on Maritimo at Estadio dos Barreiros in the Taca de Portugal last 16. The Lions have been impressive under talented tactician Emanuel Ferro, and they must be high on confidence ahead of Monday’s clash. Even though Ferro is likely to rest several first-team regulars in the Taca de Portugal showdown, we are tempted to put our money on the capital club.
Maritimo suffered a 2-1 loss to Maritimo in their last league match, and seeing that they were anything but impressive in the Taca de Portugal win over Salgueiros, we do not believe that there is a big value in betting on the underdogs. Phellype remains in the recovery room for the visitors, but given Sporting’s current form, anything but a routine away win would be a major surprise.
Highlighted Player (Charles):
Charles Marcelo da Silva is a Brazilian goalkeeper who plays for Primeira Liga side Maritimo. Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on February 4, 1994, Charles started his youth career at Cruzeiro, and in 2014 he moved to fellow Brazilian club Vasco da Gama.
After making nine appearances in the Brazilian top flight for the Vasco da Gama senior team, Charles was loaned to Maritimo in 2015. In 2016 the 185-cm-tall shot-stopper signed a permanent deal with the Portuguese outfit. Charles Marcelo da Silva has 14 caps with the Brazil U17 team, but he has yet to make his debut with the Brazil senior team.
He made his Maritimo debut in the Portuguese top flight on January 15, 2017, in a 3-1 win over Pacos de Ferreira. Charles managed to keep seven clean sheets in 21 appearances for Maritimo in the 2018/2019 Primeira Liga season. His preferred foot is right, and he wears the number 94 jersey.
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.