Loures vs Sporting Lisbon Predictions

Sporting lost out in the cup final last season, but can they spark another run in the competition this weekend? They are bound for Loures on Saturday, a trip which sees the Lions installed as heavy favourites. Can they claim a comfortable win against lower league opposition and live up to their pre-match odds, or are they going to be on the receiving end of one of the Portuguese Cup’s biggest ever giant-killings? After the turmoil that has engulfed Sporting in the last few months, they can ill-afford a loss like that.

The hosts are the clear minnows here, as they face giants Sporting, despite never getting higher than the third tier in the league pyramid. The cup brings them on a level playing field with the Lisbon giants, but it’s unlikely to stay that way. There’s a clear gap in resources between the pair, and it’s hard to see anything but an away win. The bookies have made Loures massive outsiders for this one, but they still get a landmark clash with one of Portugal’s elite sides.

The visitors were great across both cup competitions last term, and they’ll be looking to bounce back with a victory to progress in the cup. They make a short trip here, with Loures just north of the capital. They will get a huge turnout as a result, with plenty of Sporting fans from in and around the capital likely to make the trip. However, are they going to get treated to a massive win for the Primeira Liga side, or will this be a much tougher clash for the visitors than the odds suggest?

We’re certainly likely to see the away side rest many of their major stars. After all, the cup at this early stage falls behind the league and Europa League in Sporting’s list of priorities. With Arsenal to come on Thursday, the visitors are likely to let their top names take a break when they return from international duty. That doesn’t really make this clash any less one sided, but it does give the hosts an opportunity to cause a few problems.

The hosts have scored in their last 10 games in the cup, a run which includes a strike against Boavista here a couple of seasons ago. With Sporting coming here on the back of a 4-2 loss at struggling Portimonense, there is every chance for the hosts to score a famous goal. The away side have conceded in their last 26 games on the road in all competitions, so we can see them conceding here. We do expect the visitors to look for a heavy win, so this could be quite an entertaining affair. With that in mind, we’re tipping over 3.5 goals in this cup clash.