Sporting v Porto in Champions League? Supercomputer sees euro clash | OneFootball

Sporting got off to the best possible start in the Champions League, beating Galatasaray 3-1, and currently sit seventh in the league phase with three points. Although almost the entire competition still remains, there are already projections about what could happen to the Lions.

Opta’s supercomputer currently places Rui Borges’ team in 12th place at the end of the eight matchdays, with an estimated total of between 12 and 13 points. That position would force the green-and-whites to contest the playoff for a place in the round of 16.

And there is a particularly curious scenario. According to the pairing system defined by UEFA, the teams finishing 11th and 12th will face the 21st or 22nd-placed sides. The same projection places Porto in exactly 21st position, opening up the possibility of a European Clássico as early as the playoff.

If the tie were not against the Dragons, Sporting’s projected opponent would be Fenerbahçe. Porto, meanwhile, who lost 2-0 to Manchester City in their opener and currently sit 31st, could be up against Stuttgart.

In the probabilities presented by Opta, Sporting have a 62.19% chance of finishing the league phase in a playoff position and a 27.06% chance of reaching the round of 16. The chances of making the quarter-finals are set at 27.15%, the semi-finals at 10.42%, the final at 3.46%, and winning the Champions League at 1.26%.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.