Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
On Friday, October 18, second division side Portimonense SC will play hosts to top-tier side Sporting CP at the Estádio Municipal de Portimão (Portimão) in the third round of the Taça de Portugal.
Portimonense
Portimonense SC have not been doing well in the LigaPro this season, as their bid for an immediate return to the top flight has been derailed by inconsistent performances. They have lost four of their last seven games so far and are located in the bottom three of the table.
Portimonense opened their Taça de Portugal campaign with a commanding 3-1 win over third-tier SC Vianense at the Estádio Dr. José de Matos on September 21st. However, they failed to build on this momentum, suffering two consecutive losses against Penafiel (0-2) and Leixoes (3-0) in the league.
Sporting CP
Sporting CP have been on cloud nine in the Liga Portugal as they remain the only unbeaten side, having maintained a 100% record from the last eight games. They are three points clear at the top with a staggering goal differential of 25, highlighting their unmatched prowess in the final third.
The Lions of Lisbon came almost close to clinching the Taça de Portugal trophy in the previous season, but unfortunately, they were defeated 2-1 by reigning champions FC Porto, thwarting their chances of completing a golden double. In this edition, they will be hoping to go the extra mile and right their wrongs, and a win here would set the stage for a potential resurgence.
Probable Line-ups
- Portimonense SC: Silvestre; Antonio, Bento, Tornich, Relvas, Diaby, Geovane, Banza, Benedict, Monteiro, Ruan
- Sporting CP: Israel; Debast, Inacio, Diomande, Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Santos, Trincao, Gyokeres, Harder
Match Facts
- Portimonense SC have lost six of their last seven home games in the Taça de Portugal.
- Sporting CP have avoided defeat in their last ten matches across all competitions.
- Portimonense SC averages 1.67 goals per game when playing at home, and Sporting CP averages 4.25 goals per game when playing away.
Head-To-Head
This will be the first meeting between these two sides in the Taça de Portugal.
Prediction
Sporting CP have been a dominant force this season, and we don't expect them to lose in this upcoming encounter, especially considering that they have won four of their last five matches against Portimonense SC, with one ending in a draw. We recommend supporting the away side to cover the handicap of -3.0, as this has been the case in four of their last five away matches across all competitions.
