Henry Roldán
This Thursday, Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal will be another interesting match scheduled for the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. The Portuguese team comfortably defeated Midtjylland in the playoff stage with an aggregate score of 5-1. Meanwhile, the Gunners qualified as Group A leaders.
These two teams met for the first time in the Europa League group stage in 2018, recording a draw and a win in favor of the English side. Without further ado, at JefeBet we bring you the best preview of the match between Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal Europa League Round of 16 First Leg Game on March 9, 2023
- Where: José Alvalade Stadium – Lisbon, Portugal.
- When: Thursday, March 9, 2023, 12:45 PM E.T.
- Moneyline: Sporting Lisbon (+250) / Draw (+250) / Arsenal (+120)
- Asian Handicap: Sporting Lisbon (+0.25, -108) / Arsenal (-0.25, -115)
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (-109) / Under (-114)
- Both teams score: Yes (-130) / No (+104)
All odds shown are brought by Unibet.
Betting on Sporting Lisboa
Sporting is going through its best moment ahead of the clash with one of the best teams in Europe this season at home. The Portuguese team has attained three wins in the Primeira Liga to consolidate itself in fourth place in the standings, and it has lost only two (both against Porto) of its last 12 matches played in all competitions.
Moreover, Sporting has just finished third in its Champions League group and it played in the Europa League playoffs against Midtjylland. The team drew at home against the Danes, but showed that it is going through a great moment by defeating them 4-0 in the Nordic cold.
During the aforementioned period, Rúben Amorim’s team scored 24 goals in total, while conceding only five goals, three of which were scored by Porto in the Primeira Liga and the Allianz Cup.
At home, Sporting has also performed strongly in the home championship, losing just twice in 11 matches played, and conceding only seven goals. However, in the Champions League the team did not have the same luck: it lost to Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt, although it managed to defeat Tottenham of England.
Probable lineup (3-4-3): Antonio Adán; Goncalo Inacio, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis; Pedro Porro, Manuel Ugarte, Pedro Goncalves, Nuno Santos; Marcus Edwards, Paulinho, Trincao.
Betting on Arsenal F.C.
After a turbulent couple of weeks, Arsenal seems to have regained the level of play it has shown all season long and travel to Portugal as Premier League leaders. In the home championship, Mikel Arteta’s men have won four matches in a row, and they have already added five points that keeps them ahead of their pursuers, Manchester City.
The Gunners reached the Round of 16 after topping Group A with 15 points and losing only in their visit to the Netherlands, against PSV Eindhoven, by a score of 2-0. In the remaining five matches, the team scored eight goals and conceded just one.
In the English league, Arsenal is second in goals scored with 59, and together with City they have the second-lowest amount of goals conceded with 35. Arsenal is the best club in the Premier with 31 points out of a possible 39, and it is also first in goals scored (25) and fewest goals conceded (9).
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli.
JefeBet Prediction
Both teams boast two of the best defenses in their respective leagues, and they are also very dynamic in attack, managing to score goals each in recent weeks.
Sporting is one of four Primeira Liga teams that have scored more than 40 goals this season. In its last eight domestic league matches, Sporting has failed to keep a clean sheet, and in the group stage of the Champions League, the team managed to score in five out of six matches.
Meanwhile, Arsenal has scored 59 goals in a very difficult Premier League season. Out of the 26 matches played, the team has only failed to score in two matches, and during the Europa League’s group stage, Arsenal did not score during its visit to the Netherlands only..
Prediction: Both teams score (SPO 1 – ARS 1).
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