Tottenham will continue their quest to play in the knockout round f the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season when they welcome Sporting Lisbon to London this Wednesday.
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
Key Statistics
Tottenham have lost just one of their last eleven games at home in all competitions (W10).
The hosts have failed to score in three of their last ten games in all competitions.
They have scored 2+ goals in four of their last ten games in all competitions.
Sporting Lisbon have lost three of their last five away games (W2).
They are without a win from any of their last eight UEFA trips to England (D3, L5).
The visitors have lost their last two UCL games.
All but one of Sporting’s last 14 away games in all competitions finished with a winner (W8, L5).
Head to head
Sporting’s 2-0 win in the reverse fixture is the only competitive game between both sides.
Latest performances in all competitions
Tottenham: L-L-W-W-W
Sporting: W-L-L-W-L
Tottenham
Tottenham will look to get back to winning ways when they welcome Sporting Lisbon to North London this Wednesday.
The hosts have lost their last two PL games, leaving their title hopes in tatters. A 2-0 loss to Manchester United was the first loss in that sequence. The second and most recent was a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, ending their ten-game-winning run at home in all competitions.
The result was the last thing a frustrated Antonio Conte needed with the quick-fire schedule rolling at full pace and the pressure building in Group D of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League (UCL) where Spurs currently sit atop the table, but with just a point lead.
The former Inter coach was reduced to pleading publicly for a significant purse to splurge with during the next transfer window as he struggles to account for Tottenham’s workload and the injuries to key players Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison.
Regardless, his side must win this game without the injured duo, otherwise, they stand the risk of missing out on UCL football next year. While anything is possible now that their London fortress has been breached, they have avoided the humiliation of three consecutive competitive losses for over 18 months now. So their consistency could shine through in what will be their 50th UCL match (from the group stage onwards).
Possible Tottenham starting line-up
Hugo Lloris; Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Clement Lenglet; Emerson Royal, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Oliver Skipp, Ivan Perisic; Son Heung-min, Harry Kane.
Injured: Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison
Doubtful: Cristian Romero, Pierre Emil Hojbjerg
Suspended: None
Sporting
Sporting Lisbon will also look to get back to winning ways when they travel to London on Wednesday.
But unlike their hosts, they are looking to get back to winning ways in the UCL where they have lost their last two games–both against Marseille.
They come into this tie sitting third in the group because of Marseille’s head-to-head advantage over them. So, they greatly need a win here to ensure that they keep their chances of qualifying from this group alive.
Having won Tottenham in the reverse fixture, Sporting will feel that they can shock their hosts in London, especially as the North Londoners were beaten in their last home outing.
Having already claimed one surprise scalp away from home in this group stage, thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 as underdogs, they will hope for another big performance even though it’ll be a challenge to replicate such success considering they’re without a win from any of their last eight UEFA trips to England (D3, L5).
Meanwhile, the visitors come into this tie on the back of a 3-1 win over Casa Pia to put them back in the top-four race in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. The highly-rated manager Rúben Amorim, who is reportedly now being courted by Aston Villa to replace Steven Gerrard, will also hope that his side puts up a good show in what could be his first close-up auditioning for the job.
Possible Sporting starting line-up
Antonio Adan; Jose Marsa, Canalo Inacio, Matheus Reis; Pedro Porro, Hidemasa Morita, Manuel Ugarte, Nuno Santos; Fransisco Trincao, Marcus Edwards, Paulinho.
Injured: Daniel Braganca, Luis Neto
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Ricardo Esgaio, Goncalves Pote
Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 Sporting CP
