Round 16
Sporting CP vs. Benfica
Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal.
29.12.24 at 23:30
Sporting CP will aim to reclaim their top spot in the Primeira Liga when they welcome high-flying Benfica at Estádio José Alvalade in the 16th round of the Primeira Liga. Sporting CP is currently in second place with 37 points accumulated and is one point behind first-placed Benfica.
Let's have a look at the latest Portuguese Primeira Liga predictions between Sporting CP vs. Benfica, probable lineups, match facts, and betting odds for you to consider!
Note: Odds are subject to change at any time!
Get Your Sign-up Bonus!Sporting CP
Form: DWLLW
It only took eight games for Sporting CP to part ways with manager Joao Pereira, who recently took over from Ruben Amorim last month. This decision came after the team failed to beat Gil Vicente on Sunday to share the spoils in a goalless draw away from home. This saw them drop from first place to second place in the league standings. The Lions head into this clash unbeaten in their last two matches and have lost two of their 15 games this season.
A return to Estádio José Alvalade should see them motivated to return to the winning column, as they have won six of their last seven matches, with a 1-0 defeat against Santa Clara being an exception during this impressive run.
Probable Starting XI
Formation: 3-4-3
Israel; Debast, Diomande, Quaresma; Quenda, Simoes, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Gyokeres, Harder
Benfica
Form: WWDWW
Compared to their opponents in this impending encounter, Benfica has been the better side on paper despite having made a slow start to the season. The home team is unbeaten in its last 14 matches (W12, D2) since their opening defeat to Famalicao on August 11th.
The Eagles' most recent match saw them beat Estoril Praia 3-0 at home. This extended their winning streak in the league to two matches. While they'll be backing themselves up for a favorable outcome in this one, their last match against this opponent saw them succumb to a 2-1 away defeat in the previous season. With that said, they head into this clash seeking to exact revenge.
Probable Starting XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Trubin; Araujo, Bah, Silva, Carreras; Aursnes, Kokcu; Di Maria, Akturkoglu, Beste; Pavlidis
Match Facts
- Sporting CP is currently on a two-match winning streak at home when playing against Benfica.
- Benfica has won just one of their last six matches against Sporting CP.
- Four of Sporting CP's last six matches in the Primeira Liga have seen both teams score.
- Benfica is currently on a six-match unbeaten run when playing away in the Primeira Liga.
Head-to-Head
In the last 63 meetings, Sporting CP has won 19 times, Benfica has won 26 times, and there have been 18 draws with the goal difference being 91-75 in favor of Benfica.
History of Head-to-Heads
Liga Portugal 2023/2024
Benfica
Taca de Portugal 2023/2024
Sporting CP
Taca de Portugal 2023/2024
Benfica
Liga Portugal 2023/2024
Sporting CP
Liga Portugal 2022/2023
Benfica
Sporting CP Latest Games
Sporting CP
Manchester City
Estrela da Amadora
Sporting CP
Sporting CP
Casa Pia
Benfica Latest Games
Benfica 
Benfica
Rio Ave
Feyenoord
Atletico Madrid
Gil Vicente
Expert Betting Tips
It was a short-lived fairytale for Amorim's successor, Joao Pereira, who got sacked during the week following a string of unconvincing performances with Sporting CP. To deal with this ongoing issue and reassert their dominance again in the Primeira Liga, the team decided to appoint Rui Borges as the new manager, coming from Vitoria Guimaraes.
Despite this appointment, I still don't trust the home team to step up to the challenge in this impending encounter, and note, that change doesn't come overnight. Benfica can be trusted, and I don't think they'll want to give up their position at the top anytime soon. However, to be on the safe side, I recommend backing them up in the asian handicap (0) market as the first pick, and goals can be expected here, considering that there have been over 2.5 goals scored in six of their encounters across all competitions.
- Handicap 2 (0) for 1.98
- Goals - Over 2.5 for 1.70
- Anytime Goalscorer - Viktor Gyokeres for 2.17
Other predictions
