Sporting CP welcome LASK Linz to the Estádio José Alvalade on Wednesday 21 October, kick-off 8pm UK, in a Champions League league-stage game that pairs a side with a perfect start against one still looking for its first point. Sporting are 6th in the league-stage table on 6 points from two games, with five goals scored and one conceded. LASK Linz are 33rd of 36 with no points and a goal difference of minus four.
Sporting have won both of their Champions League games so far. They beat Galatasaray 3-1 at home on 9 September and then won 2-0 at Lens last week. Across all competitions they are unbeaten in their last ten, with seven wins and three draws, and they come in off a 3-1 win at Braga in Liga Portugal.
Their defence is a strength. They concede 0.5 goals a game in this competition and have kept a clean sheet in half of their games.
LASK Linz are in a very different place. They lost 6-3 to Liverpool last Wednesday, and they concede 2.75 goals a game in this competition, without a clean sheet to their name. There was a response at the weekend, a 4-0 win at Lustenau, but before that came a 2-0 home loss to SK Rapid, a 3-3 draw at Hartberg and a 2-1 defeat at Sturm Graz.
The visitors do score, though. They average 2 goals and 5.75 shots on target a game in Europe.
Sporting CP possible starting lineup:
Kaique; Fresneda, Quaresma, Inácio, Araújo; Altimira, Simões, Doumbia; Catamo, Suárez, Irankunda
LASK Linz possible starting lineup:
Jungwirth; Elfadli, Andrade, Alemão, Jørgensen; Bogarde, Dibango, Horvath; Ljubicic, Kalajdzic, Adeniran
Luis Suárez has scored in each of his last five games and is 1.67 at bet365 to score again.
Maxi Araújo has had at least one shot in each of his last five games, averaging 1.8 a match, and is 1.25 at bet365 to take another.
Iván Fresneda has committed at least one foul in each of his last five, averaging 1.8, and is 1.36 at bet365 to do it again.
For LASK Linz, Sascha Horvath has had a shot in four of his last five games, averaging 1.4, and is 1.73 at bet365 to have one here.
We back Sporting to win, with bet365 at 1.20, with the draw at 7.00 and LASK Linz at 12.00. We give the hosts a 72% chance of winning, with 16% for the draw and 12% for the away side. The projected goals are 2.63 for Sporting and 1.01 for LASK Linz.
| Market | Best price | Statz chance |
|---|---|---|
| Sporting win | 1.20 (bet365) | 72% |
| Draw | 7.00 (bet365) | 16% |
| LASK Linz win | 12.00 (bet365) | 12% |
| Both teams to score | 1.75 (bet365) | 59% |
| Over 2.5 goals | 1.30 (bet365) | 70% |
Our prediction is Sporting 2-1 LASK Linz, with 2-0 almost level with it as the likeliest scoreline. There is a 59% chance that both teams score, and over 2.5 goals comes in at 70%. Both teams to score is 1.75 at bet365 and over 2.5 goals is 1.30, and we give Sporting a 36% chance of a clean sheet. Sporting have won both of their league-stage games and LASK Linz have lost both, conceding seven.