Sporting CP vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Arsenal head to the Estádio José Alvalade on Tuesday, aiming to salvage their season after consecutive domestic cup exits.

The Gunners lead the Premier League but face a defining moment in their European campaign. Recent losses to Manchester City and Southampton have dented their quadruple ambitions.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side remains the only unbeaten team in the Champions League this season. Crucially, this tie marks the high-profile return of Viktor Gyökeres to his former home. The Swede scored 97 goals for the Lions before joining Arsenal last summer.

Sporting CP enter their second-ever Champions League quarter-final in peak form at home. Rui Borges’ men are currently enjoying a formidable 17-match winning streak at the Estádio José Alvalade. They reached this stage by spectacularly overturning a three-goal deficit against Bodø/Glimt.

While the Lions have never beaten Arsenal in regulation time, they eliminated the Gunners on penalties in 2023. Historically, Portuguese clubs have lost all nine Champions League quarter-final meetings with English opposition.

Sporting CP vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news

Team News

Sporting CP

The Portuguese champions face a significant blow with captain Morten Hjulmand suspended for the first leg. Elsewhere, Geovany Quenda and Luis Guilherme are both ruled out through injury.

Giorgi Kochorashvili and Ricardo Mangas also remain unavailable for selection. Notably, Luis Suárez is one goal away from equaling the club’s single-season European scoring record.

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta manages a squad thinned by a growing list of defensive casualties. Gabriel Magalhães is a major doubt after suffering a knee injury on Saturday. However, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice should return after being rested in the FA Cup.

Jurriën Timber is also pushing to feature despite recent groin concerns. Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapié remain definitely ruled out.

Form

Sporting CP

Sporting have been unstoppable on home turf, winning all five of their Champions League matches in Lisbon this season. This represents the longest home winning streak by a Portuguese side in the competition since 1999.

Their resilience was clear in the last round, scoring five goals to overturn a heavy first-leg defeat. Statistically, Gonçalo Inácio has recorded more line-breaking passes than any other player in the knockout stages.

Arsenal

Arsenal boast the finest defensive record in the Champions League, conceding just 0.5 goals per match so far. They have trailed for only 43 minutes during the entire competition. While their domestic form has stuttered, the Gunners were perfect during the league phase. Significantly, David Raya has prevented 7.4 goals based on xG on target since the start of last season.

Predicted lineups

Sporting CP Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Silva; Vagiannidis, Diomande, Inácio, Mangas; Bragança, Morita; Catamo, Trincão, Gonçalves; Suárez

Arsenal Predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Saliba, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Martinelli, Gyökeres, Saka

How to Watch Sporting CP vs Arsenal?

The match will be televised live in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. Coverage begins at 18:30 BST.

Read more- FA Cup draw: Leeds to face Chelsea in first semi-final for 39 years

See also- The teams with the most FA Cup semi-final appearances in history

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