One of the semi-final matchups of the Portuguese Cup will take place on Thursday at the “Jose Alvalade” stadium in Lisbon, where Sporting will host Rio Ave. This presents a good opportunity for betting with favorable odds.
Match Preview
Sporting Lisbon is enjoying a stellar season and is currently in great form. Over the weekend, they defeated Estrela 3-0 away, with all three goals coming after the break. This marked their fifth consecutive victory across all competitions and their fourth straight win in the Portuguese league.
After 27 rounds, Sporting sits at the top of the league with 65 points, but Benfica is closely trailing, just three points behind, and continues to rack up wins, waiting for any slip-up from the leaders. In the Portuguese Cup, Sporting advanced past Gil Vicente with a 1-0 win in the previous round.
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On the other hand, Rio Ave was never seen as a relegation contender at the start of the season. Their goal was to secure a mid-table finish. Under manager Augusto Gama, the team performed decently in the first half of the season, building a comfortable cushion above the danger zone.
Currently, Rio Ave is in 12th place, six points clear of 16th-placed ABC. However, their recent form has been disappointing, losing their last three league matches. While a loss to Benfica was expected, defeats to Famalicao and Casa Pia raise concerns about the possibility of a relegation fight. In the previous round of the Portuguese Cup, Rio Ave defeated S. Joao Ver 2-1.
Probable Lineups
- Sporting: Silva – Inacio, Diomande, Essugo – Reis, Felicissimo, Debas, Fresneda – Kenda, Gyokeres, Trincao
- Rio Ave: Miszta – Panzu, Abbey, Ntoi, Vrushaj – Tykhonaz, Zamora, Polman – Kiko, Clayton, Luis
Match Facts & Head-to-Head
- Sporting has won both league encounters between these two teams this season, scoring three goals in each match.
- The “both teams to score” bet has been successful in two out of five matches.
- The “total over 2.5” option has been successful in three out of five meetings.
Prediction Sporting is the clear favorite for this match, but the bookmakers’ odds are relatively low – 1.19 for Sporting to win. We recommend betting on “Sporting to win with a handicap (-2.0)” at odds of 1.80 for better value.
