Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal Predictions

• Sporting have won 17 and lost none of their last 18 matches in all competitions
• Arsenal have won just one of their last seven away fixtures
• Viktor Gyokeres has scored a combined 33 goals for club and country this season

Sporting a team filled with goals

Sporting Lisbon have been in sensational form this season, as since losing to Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup in August, they have embarked on a sensational run that has seen them win 17 and lose none of their subsequent 18 matches.

The departure of head coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United has threatened to derail that momentum, but new boss Joao Pereira saw his side thrash Amarante 6-0 in the Taca de Portugal in his first match in charge.

While it is difficult to read too much into a cup win against lower-league opposition, it did highlight Sporting’s goal threat, as they have scored two or more times in 18 of their 19 matches this season, while they have netted five, four, four and six across their last four fixtures alone.

In their last Champions League game, they notched four against Manchester City, but they have also been conceding over recent weeks, keeping just one clean-sheet in five, which could open the door for Arsenal to contribute to an entertaining game.

Gunners can play their part in entertaining contest

Following a sticky run that saw them triumph just twice in seven matches, Arsenal returned to form and winning ways with Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The return to fitness of both Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Odegaard has certainly increased the Gunners productivity in the final third and they will fancy their chances of scoring on Tuesday, something they have struggled to do in recent Champions League matches.

Mikel Arteta’s side have netted just three goals in four European games this term, but against a Sporting side that have kept just three clean-sheets across their last 12 Champions League home games, they can notch in this one.

However, that might be as good as it gets for the Gunners given Sporting’s fine home form – they are unbeaten in 30 matches at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, winning 28 of those.

Arsenal’s recent away form also doesn’t make for good reading – it is just one win in seven for Arteta and co on the road – and Sporting could edge this open contest by a 2-1 scoreline.

Can anyone stop Gyokeres?

Sporting’s cause in this match will be helped by the fact they boast one of Europe’s in-form strikers in Viktor Gyokeres, with the Sweden international having netted a staggering 33 goals in just 25 appearances for club and country this term.

Gyokeres is the leading scorer in this season’s Portuguese Primeira Liga, the joint-leading marksmen in the Champions League and the player that has scored the most goals in the Nations League this term.

With 17 goals in his last nine games alone – including three in his most recent Champions League appearance against City – Gyokeres has to be the most likely man to find the back of the net during Tuesday’s contest.