Sporting CP vs Santa Clara Prediction: Rúben Amorim And His Charges Can Be Very Intimidating At The Estádio José Alvalade!

Sporting CP will try to capitalize on their victory over Arsenal in the second leg of their round of 16 Europa League match to extend their winning streak to five games when they host an unmotivated Santa Clara in the 26th round of the Primeira Liga at the Estádio José Alvalade. 

Let's have a look at the latest Portuguese Primeira Liga predictions between Sporting CP vs Santa Clara, team news, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Sporting CP

Form: WWWWL

About two weeks ago, when Rúben Amorim's team faced Arsenal in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 match, they once again managed to come back from a goal down to hold the Gunners to a 1:1 draw thanks to Pedro Gonçalves' picture-perfect goal in the second half tying the match on aggregate (3:3).

With the game entering extra time, they managed to keep their opponents from finding the back of the net by deploying a solid defense. With the tension in the air, Manuel Ugarte was sent packing in the 118th minute due to a reckless challenge on Bukayo Saka, but that didn't stop them from advancing to the quarterfinals after winning 5:3 on penalties and gifting their opponents their first-ever penalty defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

In the Primeira Liga, they won 3:0 at home against Boavista to extend their winning streak to four games. They have only lost one of their last eight games, proving that consistency hasn't been an issue for the Lisbon side.

In the standings, they are comfortably in fourth place with 50 points, ten points ahead of fifth-place Vitoria de Guimaraes.

Team News

Playing no part in the previous three matches, it is clear that Hector Bellerin, who sustained a knee injury, will sit out this match for the fourth time, and his availability will surely not be counted on by Rúben Amorim.

Aside from that, Rúben Amorim has a fully healthy squad to choose from for this match.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 3-4-3

Adan; Juste, Diomande, Inacio; Esgaio, Ugarte, Reis, Goncalves; Edwards, Paulinho, Trincao

Santa Clara

Form: LLLLL

The situation for Danildo Accioly's team, on the other hand, was one of hope rather than expectation as they welcomed Rio Ave to the Estádio de São Miguel in their 25th round of the Primeira Liga, hoping for a more resounding outcome at home, but their hopes were dashed as they suffered a discouraging 2:0 loss.

With that defeat, the Os Açoreanos' recent performance in the Primeira Liga has only resulted in 10 losses and two draws in the last 12 games played. It's also important to note that they are currently on a six-match losing streak, and there is no doubt that they have gone through a period of inconsistency.

They have a winless streak of seven games and a four-match losing streak on the road. They have one victory to their name in their last 12 games against FC Vizela winning 1:0. To think they can come away with anything from this match would be ambitious on their part.

There is no denying that they are favourite candidates to be relegated to the second tier at the end of the season, which comes as a complete surprise for a team that finished 7th with 40 points the previous season. They are currently rooted to the bottom of the table in 18th place with 15 points and will need a miracle to escape the clutches of the relegation zone, where they are 7 points behind safety.

Team News

For this game, Santa Clara will be without Marco Rocha (hamstring injury) and Tomas Domingos (knee injury). Ricardinho, who has been out for the past two months with a knee injury, will not be counted on by manager Danildo Accioly.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-3-3

Batista; Calila, Nogueira, Italo, Fagundes; Jordao, Firmino, Misao; Rildo, Gonzalez, Allano

Match Facts

• Santa Clara has lost six consecutive matches in the Primeira Liga.
• Sporting CP has won four consecutive matches in the Primeira Liga.
• Santa Clara has lost its last 12 games in the Primeira Liga.
• Sporting CP averages 2.67 goals per game at home, while Santa Clara averages 0.33 goals per game away.

Head-To-Head

Sporting CP has won 10 of the last 11 meetings, Santa Clara has won once, and there have been no draws, with Sporting CP winning by a goal difference of 23-8.

Expert Betting Tips

Santa Clara have grasped the dire situation that awaits them at Estádio José Alvalade as they face a side that has been imperious both in the Primeira Liga and European competition, and they'll be clinging to hope rather than expectations as nothing much can be expected from them owing to their poor form, which has seen them without a win in their last 12 games in the Primeira Liga.

Sporting CP are definitely confident as they look to build on their momentum following their Europa League victory over Arsenal, and when pitted against a side that has struggled for consistency since the start of 2023, they know that their victory in this case can't be questioned, especially when backed up by the support of their raucous home fans.

With 17 goals scored in 25 games and tied for the worst offensive workrate in the Primeira Liga with Maritimo, it goes without saying that Santa Clara will have a difficult time finding the back of the net in this match.

For the first pick, backing up Sporting CP to win through an Asian handicap of -2.5 should be enough to surface here for a side that has won three of its six home matches by three goals and more.

• Handicap 1 -2.5 for 2.24
• 1st Half Handicap - Sporting CP (0:1) for 3.20
• Corners - Over 9 for 1.61