Still licking their wounds from their Champions League exit, Sporting Lisbon return to action in the Portuguese Primeira Liga when they visit the Estadio do Desportivo das Aves to face AVS on Sunday.
Having cruised to a 3-0 victory in September's reverse fixture, the Leoes will head into the weekend looking to do the double over the hosts and open up a five-point lead at the top of the league standings.
Match preview
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AVS continue to struggle for results at the bottom end of the Primeira Liga table as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rio Ave when the two sides squared off at the Estadio dos Arcos last Sunday.
John Mercado gave the visitors a dream start to the tie as he netted two minutes after the hour mark to put them in front but Demir Ege Tiknaz struck in the 62nd minute to hand Rio Ave a share of the spoils.
AVS have now failed to taste victory in three consecutive games, claiming one point from the last nine available, and have managed just one win from their most recent 16 matches across all competitions since late October.
Playing their first-ever campaign in the top flight, having gained promotion through the playoffs last year, Rui Ferreira's men are among the favourites to go down come May as they find themselves in the relegation zone heading into the business end of the season.
AVS have won just three of their 22 Primeira Liga matches this season while losing nine and claiming 10 draws to collect 19 points and sit 16th in the table, one point behind 15th-placed Estrela Amadora just above the dotted line.
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On the other hand, Sporting Lisbon's Champions League campaign came to an end in midweek as they played out a goalless draw with Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their knockout-stage playoff clash at the Signal Iduna Park.
However, a 3-0 defeat in the first leg was more than enough to send the German powerhouse through to the round of 16 as Sporting failed to win any of their six matches since kicking off the campaign with back-to-back victories over Sturm Graz and Manchester City in the group stages.
Rui Borges's men now turn their focus to the Primeira Liga, where they were held to a second consecutive share of the spoils last Saturday, when they played out a 2-2 draw with Arouca at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
With that result, the Leoes are unbeaten in nine back-to-back league matches without defeat, picking up five wins and four draws since a 2-1 defeat against Moreirense at the Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas on December 5.
Sporting Lisbon have picked up 52 points from their 22 Primeira Liga matches so far to lead the way at the top of the league standings, two points above rivals Benfica in second place and five above third-placed Braga outside the Champions League qualifying places.
While Sporting will be looking to bounce back from their Champions League heartbreak this weekend, it is worth noting that they have failed to win seven of their eight away matches across all competitions since the start of December.
Team News
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Sporting will head into the weekend without several players down the spine of the team as the trio of Jerry St. Juste, Geny Catamo and Pedro Goncalves have been ruled out through muscle injuries.
Ousmane Diomande and Morten Hjulmand are both suspended and will sit out Sunday's clash, while 25-year-old Daniel Braganca is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
Key attacking duo Francisco Trincao and Viktor Gyokeres are also a doubt, having missed the midweek tie against Dortmund through injuries, while Nuno Santos has been ruled out since October through a knee problem.
AVS have their fair share of injury concerns as experienced defender Kiki Silva is set to sit out his fifth consecutive game since coming off injured against Nacional back in January.
He is joined on the club's injured table by 28-year-old Eric Veiga while Georgian midfielder Giorgio Aburjania has been sidelined since picking up a severe injury against Famalicao in November.
AVS possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Tavares, Santos, Devenish, Rodrigues; Grau, Assuncao, Lopes, Piazon, Mercado; Rodrigues
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Silva; Fresneda, Debast, Inacio, Araujo; Brito, Simoes; Quaresma, Biel, Quenda; Harder
We say: AVS 0-3 Sporting Lisbon
Having crashed out of the Champions League race last time out, Sporting Lisbon will head into the weekend looking to restore some pride and extend their lead at the top of the league table.
While the Leoes head into the weekend with an injury-hit squad, they boast the firepower needed to get the job done and we are backing them to secure all three points at the Estadio do Desportivo das Aves.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
