Sporting vs Lille predictions: Sporting to be too slick on home turf

James Milton

Spotlight

Sporting head coach Ruben Amorim will be hoping for a winning start in the Champions League.

- Sporting have opened the scoring in five of their last six Champions League matches
- Lille have been losing at half-time and full-time in their last three games
- Recommended bet: Sporting/Sporting Half Time/Full Time

Sporting won the Primeira Liga title in stunning fashion last season, racking up 90 points and 96 goals in 34 matches.

Despite interest from other clubs, they have kept hold of highly-rated manager Ruben Amorim and prolific striker Viktor Gyokeres and they are aiming to make a strong start to their Champions League campaign.

Visitors Lille finished fourth in Ligue 1 last term and edged past Fenerbahce and Slavia Prague in a couple of tight qualifying ties to seal their place in the league phase.

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Team news

Sporting goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic is doubtful with an ankle injury. so Franco Israel could deputise again, while centre-back Jeremiah St Juste is a definite absentee.

England international Angel Gomes is set to start in midfield for Lille, but Ismaily, Hakon Haraldsson and Ngal'ayel Mukau are injured and Ethan Mbappe is a slight doubt.

Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres is one of the undoubted stars for Sporting.

The stats

Sporting have won three of their last five home league matches by a 3-0 margin and have won four of their last five home Primeira Liga games to nil.

The Portuguese champions have opened the scoring in five of their last six Champions League matches

Lille have lost their last three matches in all competitions and have been losing at half-time and full-time in those last three games.

Only one of Lille's eight games this season produced over 3.5 goals.

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Prediction

Sporting's Europa League campaign last season ended in the round of 16 with a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Atalanta, who went on to knock out Liverpool and thump Bayer Leverkusen in the final.

The Portuguese champions should also be competitive in the expanded Champions League and they can make a winning start at home to Lille.

Sporting have won their last 19 home matches in the Primeira Liga and they started their title defence with five victories out of five, including a 2-0 success against Porto.

They struck twice in the last 20 minutes of that game, but have been leading at half-time in their other four league wins and a front three of Gyokeres, Pedro Goncalves and Francisco Trincao can help them make an early breakthrough on Tuesday.

Lille have some talented players, including England newcomer Gomes and Canada striker Jonathan David, but they have lost their last three matches in all competitions.

They scored only 52 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games last season and lost 1-0 away to St-Etienne last week, conceding the decisive goal in the sixth minute.

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