The first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League playoff between Sporting (Portugal) and Borussia Dortmund (Germany) will take place on February 11 at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Sporting vs. Borussia Dortmund: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Sporting
The team started the group stage confidently, winning 3 out of 4 matches, but a subsequent series of three defeats put their future in jeopardy. Nevertheless, a draw in the final round secured their place in the playoffs. Notably, Sporting scored in all their matches in the 2024/25 Champions League. The last time they participated in Europe's top tournament was in the 2022/23 season, where they finished third in their group.
Midfielder Morten Hjulmand will miss the match due to suspension. Midfielders Hidemasa Morita, Pedro Gonçalves, João Simões, Geny Catamo, and forward Nuno Santos are injured.
- Both teams scored in Sporting's last five Champions League games.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 6 of Sporting's last 7 Champions League matches.
- In 5 of their last 6 home games in this tournament, the team conceded at least one goal.
Predicted lineup for Sporting (4-4-2)
Franco Israel – Maximiliano Araujo, Ivan Fresneda, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio – Geovani Quenda, Zeno Debast, Daniel Bragança, Matheus Reis – Konrad Harder, Francisco Trincão.
Borussia Dortmund
Last year's finalists displayed uncompromising results in the group stage. Dortmund secured 5 wins and suffered 3 losses, two of which were against Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ultimately, Borussia finished in 10th place, just one point shy of the top 8. It's worth noting that with 22 goals scored, the German club was the most prolific among the teams reaching the playoffs.
Midfielder Felix Nmecha will miss the match due to injury.
- At least three goals were scored in 7 of Dortmund's last 9 Champions League games.
- Borussia opened the scoring in 7 of their last 8 games in this tournament.
- The team defeated their upcoming opponent in 3 of their 4 previous Champions League encounters (1 loss).
Predicted lineup for Borussia Dortmund (4-5-1)
Gregor Kobel – Ramy Bensebaini, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Julian Ryerson – Emre Can, Marcel Sabitzer, Julian Brandt, Pascal Groß, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – Serhou Guirassy.
Referee
Espen Eskås (Norway)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 35;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 13%.
Match Prediction for Sporting vs. Borussia Dortmund
Both teams displayed solid attacking play in the group stage, scoring in all their matches. However, their defensive performances have not been as impressive. I am confident that the head-to-head clash between such opponents will be high-scoring.
The Portuguese side has failed to keep a clean sheet in five consecutive Champions League games. During this period, even Bologna and Club Brugge, whose average scoring in the group stage was less than one goal per match, managed to score against Sporting. Furthermore, the team has conceded in 7 of their last 9 home games in this tournament.
Dortmund last kept a clean sheet in an official match in late November. Borussia ended the main stage of the Champions League with a three-game streak of conceding goals. It's also worth noting that the Germans have scored against Sporting in all their encounters in this tournament, but Borussia could not keep a clean sheet in both matches played in Portugal.
My prediction: Both teams to score – Yes
Brugge
Atalanta
Feyenoord
AC Milan
Monaco
Benfica
Celtic
Bayern Munich
