The Stats Zone
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League English Premier League Spanish Primera French Ligue 1 German Bundesliga Italian Serie A Saudi Pro League Australian A-League Indian Super League American MLS English Championship English League One FA Cup World Cup Qualifiers Other Internationals AFCON Qualifying

Sporting CP vs Arsenal Preview: Team News & Prediction

by Alex Lawes · November 24 2024, 21:30
Updated November 25 2024, 11:25
Sporting CP vs Arsenal Preview: Team News & Prediction

Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!

It is the first European game of the post-Ruben Amorim era as they welcome an Arsenal side that will be looking to right a wrong of their 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign.

Kick-off date/time: Tuesday 26th November, 2024: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Cannot be televised

How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

Sporting CP Preview: Looking for continuity

Ruben Amorim oversaw Sporting’s most recent UEFA Champions League outing as they hammered Manchester City by four goals to one but he has since departed for Manchester United and been replaced by former B team coach Joao Pereira.

Joao Pereira’s first game in charge saw Sporting annihilate Amarante by six goals to nil in the first round of the Taca de Portugal. They sit at the top-of-the-table in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with 11 wins from 11, scoring 39 goals in the process. 

Arsenal Preview: Gunning for more

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal went into the November international break on the back of just two victories in seven matches across all competitions but their injury-hit side enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend.

They have started the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League league phase with two victories, a draw and a defeat with their most recent outing on the continent a 1-0 loss to Italian champions Internazionale at San Siro earlier this month. 

Sporting CP Team News: Not changing too much

The appointment of B team coach Joao Pereira is to try and stick as close to what Ruben Amorim built as possible. That will involve a 3-4-2-1 system but Sporting will have to deal without Nuno Santos as well as Pedro Goncalves. 

Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Israel; Debast, Diomande, Reis; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Edwards; Gyokeres

Unavailable: Santos (Injured), Goncalves (Injured)

Questionable: 

Arsenal Team News: Importance of Odegaard

The lack of creativity sparked by Martin Odegaard’s absence has hopefully been put to rest from an Arsenal point of view but they do have defensive injuries with Ben White recently joining Takehiro Tomiyasu on the sidelines. 

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Merino; Saka, Havertz, Trossard

Unavailable: White (Injured), Tomiyasu (Injured)

Questionable: 

Key Stats

  • Sporting CP are unbeaten in their last six UEFA competition matches against English teams (W1 D4).
  • Sporting CP have lost only one of their last 12 UEFA competition matches (W6 D5).
  • Sporting CP have lost only one of their last ten UEFA competition matches at home (W4 D5).
  • Sporting CP have won their last four UEFA competition group/league phase matches at home.
  • Sporting CP are unbeaten in their last four UEFA Champions League matches (W3 D1). A win of draw would see them equal their best unbeaten run in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history (all rounds). They played five successive matches without defeat from July 2009 to September 2014, all of which were draws.
  • Sporting CP have only failed to score in one of their last 22 UEFA competition matches.
  • Viktor Gyökeres has scored five goals in his first four UEFA Champions League appearances. Only Erling Haaland and Sébastien Haller (both seven) scored more in their first four appearances *five other players also scored five in their first four appearances.
  • Arsenal have lost only one of their last ten UEFA competition matches against Portuguese teams (W4 D5).
  • Arsenal have won only one of their previous nine UEFA competition matches away from home against Portuguese teams (D4 L4). That was a 1-0 victory against Sporting in the 2018/19 Europa League group stage.
  • Arsenal have won only one of their last seven away matches in all competitions (D3 L3).
  • Arsenal are without a win in their last five UEFA Champions League matches away from home (D2 L3).
  • Arsenal have not scored a goal in their last four UEFA Champions League matches away from home.
  • Gabriel Jesus needs one goal to reach the landmark of 25 goals scored in the UEFA Champions League proper.

Sporting CP vs Arsenal Prediction

It is an unknown as to how things will go for Sporting without Ruben Amorim at the helm but the likelihood is that the Lisbon-based club remain entertaining to watch. The hosts still boast a potent side all over the pitch spearheaded by Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres. Arsenal looked a lot more efficient in attack at the weekend and Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori at full-back may unlock something else for the Gunners. A fun match for the neutral seems likely. 

Sporting CP vs Arsenal Tip: Both teams to score

Upcoming Events
Football
Chelsea vs Djurgarden
Pinned Event
Football
Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham
Pinned Event
Football
Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao
Pinned Event
Football
Universidad de Chile vs Estudiantes
Football
Central Cordoba vs Flamengo
Football
Cerro Porteno vs Palmeiras
Football
Sporting Cristal vs Bolivar
Football
Fiorentina vs Real Betis
Football
Bristol City vs Sheffield Utd
Football
Talleres de Cordoba vs Libertad
Football
Velez Sarsfield vs Olimpia
Football
Atletico Nacional vs Internacional
Football
Barcelona vs River Plate
Football
Universitario vs Independiente del Valle
Football
Western United vs Adelaide United
Football
Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim
Football
AC Milan vs Bologna
Football
Las Palmas vs Rayo Vallecano
Football
Coventry vs Sunderland
Football
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Melbourne Victory
Football
Valencia vs Getafe
Football
Como vs Cagliari
Football
Bochum vs Mainz
Football
Holstein Kiel vs Freiburg
Football
Union Berlin vs Heidenheim
Football
Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig
Football
Wolves vs Brighton
Football
Ipswich vs Brentford
Football
Fulham vs Everton
Football
Southampton vs Man City
Football
Celta Vigo vs Sevilla
Football
Lazio vs Juventus
Football
Al Kholood vs Al Ettifaq
Football
Al Wehda vs Al Fateh
Football
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Football
Mallorca vs Real Valladolid
Football
Girona vs Villarreal
Football
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa
Football
Al Khaleej vs Al Riyadh
Football
Empoli vs Parma
Football
Le Havre vs Marseille
Football
Montpellier vs Paris Saint-Germain
Football
Monaco vs Lyon
Football
Rennes vs Nice
Football
Reims vs Saint-Etienne
Football
Brest vs Lille
Football
Toulouse vs Lens
Football
Angers vs Strasbourg
Football
Auxerre vs Nantes
Football
Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad
Football
Minnesota United vs Inter Miami
Football
Udinese vs Monza
Football
Leganes vs Espanyol
Football
Hellas Verona
Football
Nottingham Forest vs Leicester
Football
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Football
Liverpool vs Arsenal
Football
Torino vs Inter Milan
Football
Al Shabab vs Al Ahli
Football
Damak vs Al Raed
Football
Al Taawon vs Al Qadsiah
Football
Al Ittihad vs Al Fayha
Football
Napoli vs Genoa
Football
Al Hilal vs Al Orubah
Football
Al Okhdood vs Al Nassr
Football Latest