Sporting Lisbon vs Vitoria de Guimaraes - prediction, team news, lineups

Sporting Lisbon look to unafraid their archetypal triumph of the 2026-27 Primeira Liga run erstwhile they invited Vitoria de Guimaraes to Estadio Jose Alvalade connected Friday for the opening fixture of matchday two.

Rui Borges’s broadside were held to a 2-2 gully astatine Estrela Amadora successful past weekend’s opener, portion Tiago Margarido’s men suffered a disappointing 1-0 location decision to Arouca.

Match preview

Having won each of their 4 pre-season matches convincingly, Sporting looked good prepared to enactment past season’s disappointments down them, making their nonaccomplishment to clasp connected to a two-goal pb astatine Estrela each the much frustrating.

The Lions looked successful power aft Rodrigo Zalazar and Fotis Ioannidis enactment them 2 goals ahead, but Estrela fought backmost precocious connected to gain a stock of the spoils and permission Sporting with lone 1 constituent from their opening fixture.  

That marked a mediocre commencement for a broadside looking to reclaim the Primeira Liga crown aft failing to connected their three-peat quest past season, finishing runners-up, portion besides surrendering their Taca de Portugal crown with a daze last decision to second-tier Torreense.

Having ended 2025-26 without a trophy, a triumph this play would astatine slightest easiness immoderate of the caller disappointment for the Lions, who tin instrumentality assurance from winning 13 of their 17 location league matches past word (D2, L2).

Sporting person besides been ascendant astatine Alvalade successful this fixture, winning 13 of their past 15 meetings with Vitoria astatine the crushed (D2), including each of the astir caller nine, though encounters extracurricular Lisbon person been little one-sided.

Indeed, the Guimaraes nine person avoided decision successful 3 of their past 7 meetings with Sporting crossed each competitions, winning two, including a celebrated 2-1 occurrence connected their mode to lifting the Taca da Liga past word and ending a 13-year hold for a large trophy.

That cupful triumph failed to construe into their league campaign, however, arsenic Vitoria finished ninth successful the Primeira Liga successful 2025-26, their lowest presumption successful 8 years, pursuing a managerial alteration that saw Luis Pinto replaced by Gil Lameiras successful March.

Margarido’s archetypal competitory crippled successful complaint ended successful disappointment, not done a deficiency of opportunities but due to the fact that of his side’s wastefulness successful beforehand of goal, with the Conquerors registering 24 shots and 2.28 xG against Arouca but failing to marque their chances.

A travel to the Alvalade is hardly an perfect fixture for Vitoria to bounce back, peculiarly fixed their struggles connected the roadworthy past season, erstwhile they mislaid 11 of their 17 distant league matches, the astir successful the division.

Sporting Lisbon Primeira Liga form:

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Sporting volition erstwhile again beryllium without caller summertime signing Ibrahim Ba, who is nursing a musculus wounded sustained during his clip astatine Famalicao, portion Joao Simoes remains sidelined with a ft problem.

Daniel Braganca and Pedro Goncalves (Pote) were some absent for the closing pre-season lucifer and past weekend's opener arsenic they proceed to beryllium linked with departures from Alvalade, leaving their engagement connected Friday uncertain.

Last season’s apical scorer Luis Suarez was amazingly near retired of the starting lineup against Estrela, giving Ioannidis the accidental to pb the line, and the Greek striker took his accidental by uncovering the net, leaving Borges with a determination to marque this weekend.

Zalazar marked his archetypal competitory quality for the Lions with a extremity and an assistance past play and is expected to clasp his spot successful the fig 10 role, portion Luis Guilherme is pushing for a commencement connected the wings.

Vitoria are sweating implicit the fittingness of attacker Gustavo Silva, who was stretchered disconnected during the closing stages of past week’s decision to Arouca and is doubtful for this encounter.

Margarido could beryllium tempted to marque changes upfront aft his side’s profligacy past clip out, though Alioune Ndoye could beryllium fixed the payment of the uncertainty due to the fact that of his grounds successful this fixture.

The 24-year-old attacker scored a brace erstwhile some sides met successful past season’s Taca da Liga semi-final and volition beryllium looking to erstwhile again pb the Conquerors to triumph against the Lions.

Sporting Lisbon imaginable starting lineup:

Silva; Vagiannidis, Quaresma, Inacio, Dias; Altimira, Doumbia; Catamo, Zalazar, Guilherme; Ioannidis

Vitoria de Guimaraes imaginable starting lineup:

Zych; Mendes, Rivas, Balieiro, Maga; Beni, Nogueira; Camara, Samu, Arcanjo; Ndoye

We say: Sporting Lisbon 3-1 Vitoria de Guimaraes

Sporting are favourites heading into this encounter, considering their ascendant location grounds successful this fixture, and they volition beryllium anxious to prime up maximum points aft past weekend’s disappointment.

Vitoria volition besides beryllium aiming for an improved effect aft their decision to Arouca, but they look a daunting task against 1 of the league’s apical sides, though we expect them to find the nett aft showing their quality to make chances, adjacent if the hosts should yet travel retired connected top.

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