Sporting CP vs Arsenal: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

After returning to winning ways on Saturday, Arsenal face a tough Champions League away day on Tuesday as they take on Sporting CP in Lisbon.

The Gunners have already met PSG and Inter in the league phase, but their schedule does not lighten up on Matchday 5 as they play one of Europe's best-performing teams this season. Sporting may no longer have Ruben Amorim marauding their dugout, but Joao Pereira's reign started with an emphatic 6-0 victory in the Taca de Portugal on Friday night.

The Portuguese champions remain unbeaten this term and currently sit second in the league phase table having thumped Manchester City 4-1 last time out.

Arsenal are three points worse off than their upcoming opponents after they were beaten 1-0 by Inter on Matchday 4. The Gunners have amassed seven points from four games and sit 12th in the table. A result on Tuesday would be huge for their chances of making the top eight given the 'ease' of their three remaining fixtures.

Mikel Arteta's side enjoyed a productive outing at the weekend as they beat Nottingham Forest 3-0. It was a feel-good afternoon, but Arsenal's dire run before the November break means they must now string together successive victories to ignite their campaign.

Here's our preview of Sporting CP vs Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Sporting CP vs Arsenal: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does Sporting CP vs Arsenal kick off?

Sporting CP vs Arsenal kicks off on Tuesday 26 November at 20:00 BST.

• When is kick off? Tuesday 26 November, 2024
• What time is kick off? 20:00 BST
• Where is it played? Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon
• Referee: Szymon Marciniak

Sporting CP vs Arsenal head to head record

Arteta encountered Amorim's Sporting in the knockout rounds of the 2022/23 Europa League. There was little to separate the two sides over two legs, although the Gunners were perhaps distracted by their surprise Premier League title challenge. Sporting progressed into the quarter-finals on penalties after the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate. Gabriel Martinelli missed from the spot for the Gunners.

A Danny Welbeck goal in Lisbon helped the Gunners to a Europa League group stage win over the Portugese side in 2018, before the two sides played out a stalemate at the Emirates.

Is Sporting CP vs Arsenal on TV?

Broadcasters around the globe are on the ball when it comes to the Champions League. They're not missing a second of the action. Sporting CP vs Arsenal will be shown on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ in the UK.

US viewers can tune in via Peacock, while DAZN is streaming every Champions League fixture this season in Canada.

Sporting CP team news

Jose Pereira inherited a healthy squad, but Sporting will be without veteran wing-back Nuno Santos due to a long-term knee injury. However, the Portuguese side are blessed with an array of gifted young options in wide areas, including 17-year-old Geovany Quenda.

Pedro Goncalves scored from the halfway line during the previous meeting between these two sides, but Sporting's playmaker is set to miss Tuesday's game with a muscle injury. Marcus Edwards, formerly of Tottenham's academy, could get the nod in attack.

Predicted Sporting lineup vs Arsenal: Israel; Reis, Inacio, Diomande; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Gyokeres, Edwards.

Arsenal team news

Arteta was happy to rotate the likes of Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus into his starting XI at the weekend, but the pair are likely to drop to the bench in Lisbon. Thomas Partey and Kai Havertz are poised to come back into the team, with the latter not featuring at all on Saturday.

Declan Rice has been nursing a foot injury in recent weeks and was absent against Forest. However, the midfielder has been training and could return to the matchday squad in midweek.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, and Ben White will not travel to the Portuguese capital.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Sporting: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Merino, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

Sporting CP vs Arsenal score prediction

Arsenal were beaten in Milan and will be keen to return to the winner's column on Tuesday, but Arteta will know that even a point would be a good result in Lisbon with the Gunners' league phase schedule easing up down the stretch.

Despite the return of Martin Odegaard, I'm not expecting a thriller in Lisbon. Arsenal are better placed than anyone Sporting has faced to contain their transitional threat, and I suspect the visitors will be able to assert control on the contest. This could be a slow-paced affair if Arsenal have their way, and their ability to sustain pressure while keeping goal machine Viktor Gyokeres at bay may lead to a big away win.

Prediction: Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal

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