Sporting Lisbon vs Tottenham Hotspur

Sporting Lisbon and Tottenham Hotspur are set to square off at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in a top-table Champions League Group D six-pointer.

Eager to replicate last season’s feat and progress into the Champions League knock-outs, Sporting thumped Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in their Group D curtain-raiser. Now back to Jose Alvalade, where they conceded a whopping 11 goals in four Champions League outings last season, ‘Los Leoes’ are desperate to defy their underwhelming six-game Champions League record against English clubs. They have lost five of their six previous such match-ups (D1), including a 5-0 demolition at the hands of Manchester City at this venue in last season’s last-16 first leg. However, manager Ruben Amorim has since tightened up his leaky backline, with Sporting taking the field having won three consecutive matches across all competitions via an aggregate score of 9-0.

In the meantime, fresh and ready to roll after the postponement of their Premier League fixture against Manchester City, Tottenham come into this encounter on the back of a 2-0 Group D triumph over Marseille. Presented with an opportunity to win their opening two Champions League group stage games for the first time since 2017/18, ‘Spurs’ are bracing themselves for their first European Cup clash against Portuguese adversaries in over 60 years. There’s plenty of reason for optimism in Antonio Conte’s corner, as his men have yet to lose a competitive match this season (W5, D2), with three of those five victories being followed by a clean sheet. Moreover, bringing the 2021/22 season into the equation, the Londoners are unbeaten in their last eight away outings across all competitions (W4, D4).