Sporting Lisbon vs AVS Predictions

• AVS have failed to win any of their opening 13 league games of the season
• No team in the Portuguese top flight have scored more goals than Sporting’s 32 in the Primeira Liga this season
• Sporting have conceded just two goals in their last six home matches

AVS look out of their depth

AVS needed to win last season’s relegation playoff to maintain their Portuguese top-flight status last season, but they would love to be in that position this term after taking just three points from their opening 13 games of the campaign.

It looks a forlorn hope and a visit from the Primeira Liga’s top strikeforce is probably the last thing they could do with when they have conceded at least twice in 11 of their league outings.

Relegation appears to be beckoning and the gulf between them and the leading lights has been illustrated by the 3-0 home defeat they suffered against Benfica, a result Sporting, who side second in the table, look capable of eclipsing.

Sporting looking to maintain the chase

Porto have opened a five-point gap at the top of the table despite the fact Sporting have won ten of their 13 league games, but the boys from Lisbon have little option but to keep up the chase having lost to the leaders and drawn with other big guns Benfica and Braga.

Their 1-1 against capital rivals Benfica in their last away game has been the only occasion they have not won on their travels, but at home they should be just as solid and their only defeats in their last 15 games have come against Napoli and Bayern Munich.

With 32 goals in 13 league games, they are capable of putting on a show here in a potentially uncompetitive match so go for a home win in a contest that includes more than three goals, while a 4-0 home win may be attractive for correct-score punters.