On Sunday evening, Sporting CP hosts Sporting Braga at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in what promises to be one of the most exciting games of the weekend in the Primeira Liga.
Sporting in formidable formRuben Amorim’s team has been in red-hot form in recent months, as they have recorded six straight league wins in the Portuguese top flight.
The winning run has kept them in the title race, as they are currently in second place in the table but just two points behind league leaders and city rivals Benfica.
One of the key reasons for the Lions’ recent good form is their in-form attack, as Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has scored 15 times in the Primeira Liga, while Paulinho has also weighed in with nine goals this season.
Sporting’s home form has also been a significant factor in their stellar campaign, as they have recorded ten straight home league wins at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Braga is unbeaten in three Liga gamesThe visitor's recent form in the Primeira Liga has been slightly inconsistent. However, a 1-0 win over Moreirense last time out in the Portuguese top-flight means that they are unbeaten in three games.
Interestingly, they have suffered only two Liga defeats in 15 outings against Benfica and Porto.
Their recent games have been relatively low-scoring in the Primeira Liga, as there have been under 2.5 goals scored in four of their last five matches.
Braga have been happy travellers of late in the Portuguese top-flight, winning four of their previous five away games in the Primeira Liga while scoring at least two goals in three of the last four matches on their travels.
What am I backing?This could be a fascinating encounter, as Braga is the team outside the big three in Portugal that is most impressive in the Primeira Liga. However, I believe Sporting will come out on top in this game.