The Gunners’ Champions League mission continues as they face the towering task of taking on the formidable Portuguese powerhouse of Sporting Lisbon at the Estádio José Alvalade on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. Both teams come into this encounter high on adrenaline after commanding victories in their respective domestic leagues over the weekend.
Arsenal’s Road to Redemption
Mikel Arteta’s men will want to build on the morale lifted in their 3-0 Premier League win against Nottingham Forest, that ended a frustrating four-game winless streak. Arsenal’s dominance was sealed with great goals from Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, and a maiden Premier League strike by 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.
Champions League Standing:
Despite the domestic triumphs, Arsenal’s European journey suffered a setback after the close 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan dropped them to 12th place in the 36-team league phase. With just two points separating them from the top eight, a win in Lisbon is critical for advancing to the knockout stages.
Key Concerns:
Arsenal is winless in five straight Champions League away matches, failing to score in the last four—a streak they are desperate to end.
The return of Martin Odegaard adds creativity to the midfield, but the team must overcome their recent travel struggles in Europe.
Sporting Lisbon’s Formidable Home Advantage
Sporting Lisbon comes into this tie in red-hot form after a 6-0 demolition of Amarante in the Taca de Portugal. The newly appointed manager Joao Pereira, who replaced Ruben Amorim, leads Sporting to a run of nine straight wins across all competitions, scoring a whopping 31 goals in those matches.
Dominating in the Champions League:
Sporting lies second in the group standings behind Liverpool, while amassing an undefeated streak of 14 home wins since March 2024. Their most recent success at European level was phenomenal, beating Manchester City 4-1 as a testament to the fact that they can tear apart teams at the top level.
Players to Watch:
Viktor Gyokeres: The Swedish striker has been sensational, with 28 goals in 19 appearances this season.
Marcus Edwards: The former Tottenham Hotspur starlet is an important attacking weapon, netting twice in Sporting’s last outing.
Team News
Arsenal
The Gunners have a far healthier injury list this time out, with Ben White (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) the only players certain to sit out.
Declan Rice is likely to be restored to the starting XI after being rested against Nottingham Forest.
Arteta will most likely go with Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli forming an energetic front three.
Predicted lineups:
Arsenal
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Sporting Lisbon
Sporting are in good health, with only Pedro Goncalves (muscular) and Nuno Santos (knee) missing.
Viktor Gyokeres is coming off a hot streak of goals and will start up front supported by Marcus Edwards and Francisco Trincao.
Their midfield, marshaled by Hidemasa Morita, is a great blend of creativity and control.
Sporting Lineup
Israel; Reis, Inacio, Diomande; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Gyokeres, Edwards
Match Prediction: Sporting Lisbon 2-2 Arsenal
The form of Arsenal in the domestic league has been quite impressive, especially with key players such as Odegaard returning. At the same time, Sporting’s rich vein of form at home and dangerous attack makes them very threatening.
Expect a very tight encounter, which could see Arsenal end Sporting’s unbeaten run at home but fail to secure a win. A high-scoring draw seems the most probable outcome in this Champions League clash.
