Sporting Lisbon vs Nacional - prediction, team news, lineups

Sporting Lisbon look to unafraid a 4th consecutive Primeira Liga triumph arsenic they invited Nacional to Estadio Jose Alvalade for matchday 5 enactment connected Saturday.

The Lions presently beryllium 2nd successful the Portuguese top-flight table, 2 points down leaders Porto, portion the visitors from Funchal get successful the superior successful 10th aft losing their past 2 matches and without a imperishable manager pursuing Joao Giao's departure.

Match preview

Sporting failed to assertion a 3rd successive Primeira Liga rubric past term, finishing arsenic runners-up to Porto, with the 2025-26 run yet ending connected a disappointing enactment for Rui Borges's side, who besides fell to a daze Taca de Portugal nonaccomplishment against second-tier Torreense.

While the Lions would person been looking to deed the crushed moving this season, they surrendered a two-goal pb to settee for a 2-2 gully astatine Estrela Amadora connected the opening weekend, but the Alvalade outfit person raised their levels considerably arsenic the weeks person gone by.

A 3-2 triumph implicit Vitoria de Guimaraes connected matchday 2 was followed by a 3-1 occurrence astatine Alverca, and Sporting were backmost to their ruthless champion past play erstwhile they dispatched Rio Ave 4-0 successful Vila bash Conde.

That rout saw the Lions code a brewing signifier of being exposed aft taking commanding leads, with Borges's men showing the antiaircraft solidity that was absent successful earlier rounds, scoring each 4 goals earlier the interval done Flavio Goncalves's opener, Geny Catamo's onslaught and a Luis Suarez brace.

Next up is simply a gathering with 1 of the Lions' favourite opponents, with Sporting having won 15 of their past 17 fixtures against Nacional crossed each competitions, drafting the different two, arsenic good arsenic each of the astir caller 10, including a 2-1 location triumph successful February.

The Funchal nine person not beaten the Lions since 2011, portion their astir caller distant occurrence successful this fixture dates arsenic acold backmost arsenic May 2005, a grounds that adds further value to the task facing a broadside reeling from consecutive setbacks and without a imperishable manager.

After collecting 4 points from their opening 2 matches done a 2-2 gully astatine Santa Clara and a 2-0 location triumph implicit Estoril Praia, Nacional suffered back-to-back defeats against Vitoria (1-0) and Estrela (3-2), the second effect prompting the nine to portion institution with Giao aft conscionable 4 league matches.

Another reverse this play would spot the Black-and-Whites spell 3 matches without a triumph for the archetypal clip since the play betwixt mid-February and precocious February, a grounds the visitors volition beryllium hopeless to avoid.

However, that task is made nary easier by the information that they person mislaid 8 of their past 11 league outings connected the roadworthy (W1, D2), a tally stretching backmost to the process extremity of the erstwhile campaign, wherever they managed conscionable 14 points from 17 distant games.

Nacional person finished 14th successful some of the past 2 seasons, and portion the Madeirans volition beryllium targeting a top-half placing this term, Saturday's travel to the superior presents 1 of the sternest tests of their early-season credentials.

Sporting Lisbon Primeira Liga form:

Nacional Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Sporting are expected to stay without Nuno Santos, who continues his betterment from a musculus injury, portion Joao Simoes is inactive nursing a ft occupation and Salvador Blopa is inactive sidelined.

Striker Fotis Ioannidis returned to enactment past play pursuing a abbreviated layoff, but Suarez is apt to support his spot successful the fig 9 relation connected the backmost of a mates of awesome displays.

The Colombian, who won the Golden Boot past term, endured a sluggish opening to this run but has since recovered the nett successful consecutive appearances, scoring 3 goals successful that period.

The visitors volition beryllium without defender Ulisses Rocha, who continues a lengthy betterment from a breached ankle, portion Jose Gomes is besides uncertain to feature, having not made an quality this season.

Nacional made 1 alteration to the broadside that started their erstwhile fixture, with William Kokolo handed his archetypal commencement past clip out, and the 26-year-old could clasp his spot aft providing an assistance successful that encounter.

Forward Pablo Ruan besides ended a lengthy hold for a extremity by uncovering the nett against Estrela and volition beryllium looking to physique connected that performance.

Sporting Lisbon imaginable starting lineup:

Silva; Fresneda, Debast, Inacio, Araujo; Altimira, Doumbia; Catamo, Zalazar, F Goncalves; Suarez

Nacional imaginable starting lineup:

Marin; L Santos, M Dias, Ze Vitor; Gasolina, Liziero, Soares, Kokolo; Baeza, Junior; Ruan

We say: Sporting Lisbon 3-0 Nacional

Last weekend's demolition of Rio Ave suggests Sporting are rediscovering their ruthless streak, and a comfy location triumph looks the astir apt result against a Nacional broadside whose caller signifier and managerial uncertainty marque them hard to backmost for an upset.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.