Sporting Lisbon will be looking to continue their fine start as they host Rio Ave on Monday. Early in the season, the home team is in second position overall in the league rankings. The visiting team is down in 13th and in desperate need of a win.
Preview (Sporting Lisbon vs Rio Ave)
Sporting Lisbon only managed a fourth-place finish in the previous year. They are presently tied with Boavista at the top of the rankings with 13 points after the first five games. The Lions also won their first match in the Europa League. They defeated Sturm Graz away from home in midweek. They showed their grit by rallying from a goal behind to win 2-1. Morten Hjulmand, Viktor Gyokeres, and Ousmane Diomande all scored in Sporting’s final league game. It earned them their fourth victory in five games this year and extended their unbeaten league record to 19.
The only points the hosts have lost thus far this season came in game four’s 1-1 tie with Braga. They haven’t lost in the Primeira Liga since early February. The team led by Ruben Amorim hasn’t lost to this opponent in their last five matches. They have won three and drawn two. They won the most recent meeting between these teams by a score of 1-0 last year. Rio Ave, on the other hand, only managed to finish in 14th place last season. They are unlikely to be able to crack the top half of the league this year.
The visitors were perhaps a touch unlucky to escape with a point from their 1-1 draw with Famalicao last Saturday. They only managed to tie the score through an own goal by Mirko Topic just after the break. Their solitary victory this season came in game one when they defeated Chaves 2-0 at home. It extended their winless streak in the league to four straight games, two draws, and two losses. The team led by Luis Freire has struggled on the road, winning just three of their last 20 games, and they will be looking to snap a six-match losing streak.
Team News
The hosts are missing one player due to injury; Jerry St Juste is battling a knock and will likely be out for at least another month. Diomande and Gyokeres, who have both scored in the last two games, should hold their spots in the lineup, and Hidemasa Morita will try to join Diomande in the starting 11. Goalkeeper Jhonatan, who has a thigh injury and is only anticipated to return next month, is the sole injured player for Freire in this game.
The visitors’ past three starts for the defense have come from Savio Alves, Aderllan Santos, and Renato Pantalon, who will likely form the defensive trio with Guga as the center. Sporting has been outstanding so far this season, and given their success at home, it’s hard to bet on them getting another victory. We anticipate that the visitors’ winless streak, which has now reached four league games, to reach five in this contest.
Sporting Lisbon 2 – 1 Rio Ave
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