Sporting Lisbon vs Braga Predictions

• Both teams have not scored in six of Spiorting’s last seven home games.
• Both teams have not scored in six of Braga’s last eight away contests.
• Sporting have beaten Braga in six of their last eight head-to-head clashes.

Must-win match for Lions

Sporting Lisbon cannot accept anything other than a victory when they host Champions League-chasing Sporting Braga at the Alvalade on Wednesday. Any assessment of the relative strengths of these two clubs coming into this fixture has been complicated by its proximity to the close of the January transfer window with both clubs losing star players.

Pedro Porro is on his way to Tottenham, robbing Sporting of one of their best players, and talented Braga attacker Vitinha is also nearing a move to England.

The Arsenalistas have added veteran midfielder Pizzi to their ranks this week too and still possess enough firepower to maintain a challenge for a top-three finish. The question in Lisbon is can Ruben Amorim get enough out of his depleted squad to close the eight-point gap to Braga – assuming the seven-point gap to Porto in third is too much.

Both teams may struggle to score

Os Leoes have to win this game, but will also be without suspended striker Paulinha and with Braga looking stronger on paper it will prove very tough. The visitors have won ten of their last 11 games in all competition, but the one they didn’t was a 5-0 defeat to Sporting at the Alvalade.

Swerving the hosts at an odds-on quote is probably best here as Braga will be dangerous, but Sporting’s head-to-head record is superior and will give them some confidence ahead of the game.

Taking both teams not to score at odds against is preferable to anything else as both clubs have solid clean sheet records of late. But a correct score play of 1-0 to Sporting is just slightly preferred to a 1-0 win for Braga due to their advantage of playing at home, where they have won six straight league games.

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