Squawka
·25 novembre 2024
Squawka
·25 novembre 2024
The Champions League returns on Tuesday and Sporting CP’s meeting with Arsenal is one of the ties of matchday five, as both teams look to build on recent results.
Sporting CP (3-4-3): Israel; Reis, Inacio, Diomande; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Gyokeres, Edwards
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Only Liverpool have a better record than Sporting in the Champions League, with the Reds winning all four of their ties. Sporting have picked up 10 points from their first four matches, including an emphatic 4-1 win over Manchester City in their last European tie.
Arsenal are 12th in the Champions League table after collecting seven points from four games. But Mikel Arteta’s side recorded their best win of the Premier League campaign at the weekend to restore some confidence.
Tuesday’s tie will take place at the Estadio Jose Alvalade at 8pm (UK time) and will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1.
Sporting have been one of the leading teams in Europe this season, winning 17 of their last 18 games since losing 4-3 to Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup.
The Green and Whites are six points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga table, but they will be pushed all the way by Arsenal.
Sporting made a huge statement in their last Champions League match, beating Man City 4-1, but they did so under former coach Ruben Amorim.
Amorim has since moved to Old Trafford to become Manchester United‘s new manager, while former Sporting player Joao Pereira is the new man in charge of the Lions.
Pereira was the Sporting reserves coach before his appointment and he won his first match in charge 6-0 against Amarante 6-0 in the Taca de Portugal on Friday.
Tuesday’s tie will be a more formidable challenge, with Arsenal recording a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The Gunners looked back to their best as they try to revive their title challenge, and they should be able to cause Sporting problems throughout the contest.
Pereira only has two long-term injury concerns to worry about, with Nuno Santos and Pedro Goncalves both sidelined.
Santos has a patellar tendon injury and will miss the rest of the season, while Goncalves’ muscle problem is expected to keep him out until January.
Sporting’s attack will be led by striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has scored an incredible 33 goals in just 25 appearances for club and country so far this season.
Arsenal’s treatment room is less busy than it was a few weeks ago, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu the only two players with long-term injury concerns.
Left-back Kieran Tierney will not take part either, but he has returned to training following a hamstring injury.
Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice all shook off their recent knocks to make the squad against Forest on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.
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