Sporting followed up their first leg win over Astana with another away victory, as they won 2-1 at Tondela on Monday night. That has kept the Portuguese giants in the hunt for the title, but it won’t take away from their interest in the Europa League. The fact that only the top two Primeira Liga sides make it into the Champions League means that Sporting could use a backdoor in to Europe’s biggest competition, as they sit third domestically. Can they build on their win in Kazakhstan with another victory?
Sporting are heavy favourites to claim a second leg win, with the visitors not exactly in great form. Astana are waiting on the return of their domestic league, meaning that they’ve been starved from competitive matches of late. Their defeat last week was their first competitive match since their last European game – back in early December. They lost two friendlies in between, which probably explains why they tailed off so dramatically in the first leg.
On the bright side, Astana are building their fitness back up, and they were impressive early on in the first leg. They should come here aiming to make an impact – as they face a month without a match if they can’t produce a comeback. They come in to this one having scored in their previous three Europa League trips, while they’ve only failed to score once in their last seven away in this competition.
So Astana should trouble a Sporting side who have conceded their fair share of goals in Europe over recent years. While the hosts have one of the best defensive records in the Primeira Liga, this season is really showing up how rarely the Big Three are challenged at the back in their own division. The league’s top three have racked up 68 games between them so far, conceding just 39 times. In 22 European ties, they’ve shipped 40 goals.
I believe Sporting have contributed their fair share to that total, failing to keep a clean sheet in seven straight Champions League games; before conceding at Astana. The hosts have failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous nine in this competition, and backing Astana to find the back of the net on Thursday night. Both teams to score is our tip here, and it seems like great value when you consider the problems Portuguese sides are having in continental competition. Other Tips
Sporting followed up their first leg win over Astana with another away victory, as they won 2-1 at Tondela on Monday night. That has kept the Portuguese giants in the hunt for the title, but it won’t take away from their interest in the Europa League. The fact that only the top two Primeira Liga sides make it into the Champions League means that Sporting could use a backdoor in to Europe’s biggest competition, as they sit third domestically. Can they build on their win in Kazakhstan with another victory?
Sporting are heavy favourites to claim a second leg win, with the visitors not exactly in great form. Astana are waiting on the return of their domestic league, meaning that they’ve been starved from competitive matches of late. Their defeat last week was their first competitive match since their last European game – back in early December. They lost two friendlies in between, which probably explains why they tailed off so dramatically in the first leg.
On the bright side, Astana are building their fitness back up, and they were impressive early on in the first leg. They should come here aiming to make an impact – as they face a month without a match if they can’t produce a comeback. They come in to this one having scored in their previous three Europa League trips, while they’ve only failed to score once in their last seven away in this competition.
So Astana should trouble a Sporting side who have conceded their fair share of goals in Europe over recent years. While the hosts have one of the best defensive records in the Primeira Liga, this season is really showing up how rarely the Big Three are challenged at the back in their own division. The league’s top three have racked up 68 games between them so far, conceding just 39 times. In 22 European ties, they’ve shipped 40 goals.
I believe Sporting have contributed their fair share to that total, failing to keep a clean sheet in seven straight Champions League games; before conceding at Astana. The hosts have failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous nine in this competition, and backing Astana to find the back of the net on Thursday night. Both teams to score is our tip here, and it seems like great value when you consider the problems Portuguese sides are having in continental competition.
Other Tips
Both team To score:
2.5 over Game....