Sporting Lisbon will hope to maintain their slim advantage at the top of the Primeira Liga table when they travel to Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques where they will face Vitoria de Guimaraes on Friday.
The hosts have 24 points and are in sixth place following their 2-2 draw with Farense on December 29, while the visitors are first with 40 points but are only ahead of second-placed Porto as a result of their superior head-to-head record.
Match preview
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Vitoria de Guimaraes will be immensely disappointed that they failed to claim three points last time out considering they had taken a 2-1 lead in the 90th minute but conceded a 98th-minute equaliser.
In head coach Daniel Sousa's defence, the match was his first game in charge of the club since his appointment on December 26.
Sousa took over from Rui Borges, who was himself appointed manager of Sporting on Boxing Day, and the current Conquerors' boss arrived after being sacked from his previous position as Braga boss in August 2024 despite only taking charge of four games.
Vitoria de Guimaraes are unbeaten in their five most recent fixtures but have drawn their last four outings, scoring seven and conceding seven in that time.
The hosts' record at home this season is phenomenal considering they have won 10, drawn three and lost just one of their 14 matches at Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques.
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Sporting beat Benfica 1-0 last Sunday in the league and moved two points clear of their title rivals in a tense match that saw both teams create two big chances.
Borges is the visitors' third manager of 2024-25, with Ruben Amorim having left to join Manchester United in November and Joao Pereira sacked in late December having lost four and drawn one of his eight games in charge.
Sporting might have won three of their last four fixtures in all competitions, but they have dropped eight points in their five most recent league matches, losing twice in that period.
The Green and Whites are winless in their past three away outings – losing two – though they did win eight and draw one of the previous nine games on the road.
Borges's side boast the league's best offensive and third-best defensive records having scored 44 goals and conceded 10 times in the Primeira Liga.
Team News
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Vitoria de Guimaraes will not be able to select right-back Bruno Gaspar or centre-back Toni Borevkovic until the middle of January, so expect the hosts to start Alberto Baio, Oscar Rivas, Mikel Villanueva and Joao Mendes in defence.
Tiago Silva and Manuel Silva played in a double pivot last time out, and it would not be surprising to see them retain the places in the XI.
Striker Gustavo Silva scored against Farense, and he is likely to be flanked by wingers Kaio Cesar and Nuno Santos on Friday.
Meanwhile, Sporting will be without defenders Goncalo Inacio, Eduardo Quaresma and Nuno Santos, so perhaps Borges will field a backline featuring defenders Ousmane Diomande, Jeremiah St. Juste, Matheus Reis and Ivan Fresneda.
Morten Hjulmand and Hidemasa Morita played in a double pivot against Benfica and could start together once again, though midfielder Daniel Braganca has been ruled out.
Forward Pedro Goncalves is scheduled to return to action in the middle of January, and in his absence Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincao and Geovany Quenda are almost certain to support striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Varela; Baio, Rivas, Villanueva, Mendes; T Silva, M Silva; Cesar, Mendes, Santos; G Silva
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Israel; Fresneda, Diomande, St. Juste, Reis; Morita, Hjulmand; Catamo, Trincao, Quenda; Gyokeres
We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-2 Sporting Lisbon
Vitoria de Guimaraes will no doubt make Friday's clash a competitive affair given they lost their manager to the visitors.
Sporting might have to endure spells of pressure from the hosts, but while their away record in recent weeks has not been particularly strong, Borges's players will come into the match confident after their victory against Benfica.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
