Sporting CP vs Santa Clara Prediction: David Aims for the Impossible Against Goliath Sporting CP

Sporting CP will welcome Santa Clara to the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the 12th round of the Primeira Liga. 

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

Note: Odds are subject to change at any time!

Sporting CP

Form: WWWWW

Since Ruben Amorim’s high-profile move to Manchester United earlier this month, signs of struggle have started to emerge. Gonçalo Inácio's lone strike in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League served as a faint glimmer of hope on Tuesday. 

Prior to this, they beat Amarante FC 6-0 in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal in what was their first competitive match following a mini international break. Their last league match saw them defeat Braga 4-2 away from home, and they will be hoping to build on this to get back to the winning column. 

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 3-4-3

Israel; St. Juste, Diomande, Inacio; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Gyokeres, Catamo

Santa Clara

Form: WLWLW

Santa Clara have shown no signs of slowing down as they have re-entered the top four in the league standings. With 21 points accrued from 11 games, they occupy fourth place and are six points behind second-placed FC Porto.

The Azoreans were one of the ten teams in the top flight that advanced to the Taca de Portugal round of 16 as they beat Famalicao 1-0 in the fourth round on Sunday. Before the international break, they secured a slender 1-0 home victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes to make it four wins in their last six league matches (L2).

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 3-4-3

Batista; Venancio, Rocha, Ramos; Calila, Ferreira, Firmino, Pereira; Lopes, Safira, Almeida

Match Facts

• Sporting CP have lost one of their last 19 matches across all competitions.
• Santa Clara are currently on a three-match losing streak when playing away in the Primeira Liga.
• Sporting CP averages 3 goals per game when playing at home, and Santa Clara averages 1.4 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

In the last 12 meetings, Sporting CP have won 11 times, Santa Clara have won 1 times, and there have been 0 draws with the goal difference being 26-8 in favor of Sporting CP. 

Expert Betting Tips

Sporting CP have been a dominant force in the Primeira Liga, and I feel they'll be able to get back to winning ways after their UEFA Champions League setback. In the Primeira Liga, the Lions are currently on an eleven-match winning streak and have maintained seven shutouts in those contests. 

Such an impressive display should be enough to trust them to rise up to the challenge here and secure a commanding victory in front of their home crowd. Therefore, I recommend supporting the home team to win and take the lead at halftime and fulltime.

• Half-time/Full-time - Sporting CP for 1.61
• Total - Over 2.5 for 1.6
• Both Teams To Score - Yes for 2.49