Sporting vs Porto

It is the maiden meeting between the two sides when they meet for the Taca da Liga semi-final, second leg clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday with a place in the final at stake.

The previous encounter between the two sides in the cup competition only took place twice in the final in January 2023, where the Dragoes won through goals from Stephen Eustaquio and Ivan Marcano to take the trophy for the first time.

However, Boavista had to share the spoils as they were caught napping at half-time; Sporting Lisbon could only manage a 4-4 draw against Vitoria de Guimaraes after squandering a two-goal lead midway through the second half at the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques.

Before that, the Leoes got their final match of the year 2024 and beats rivals Benfica 1-0 with a first half goal by 23 years old midfielder Geny Catamo that apparently put them at the sight of Primeira Liga table.

Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon have won 13 of 17 Primeira Liga games they have played; lost twice and drawn twice earning 41points and topping the standings by one point on Tuesday’s visitors have played one game less.

Rui Borges men and have not lost in their last five matches across all competitions since the 2-1 loss in the Champions League at Club Bruges in December The Portguese champions now shift their attention to the Taca da Liga where they began their title defence with a 3-1 win over Nacional on the 29th of October.

In that match, Gyokeres got a second-half bicycle kick and a fine solo effort while Morten Hjulmand scored from the boot of Nacional Ruben Macedo pulled one past sparing Sporting Lisbon a blush-faced moment at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

A hat-trick from Vitor Gyokeres gave the visitors a 3-1 lead going into the final half hour, but goals from Kaio Cesar, Joao Mendes, and Dieu-Merci Michel turned the tide of the match dramatically, and Francisco Trincao saved Sporting's blushes with an equalizer in the 95th minute.
In the North, severe fog at the Estadio da Madeira forced Porto to postpone their match against Nacional last Friday after eighteen minutes. The remainder of the match will now be replayed on January 15.

The Dragao now turn their attention to the Taca da Liga, where they kicked off their quest for a second title on October 31, when they secured a 2-0 victory over Moreirense courtesy of a first-half own goal from Leonardo Buta and Eustaquio's 61st-minute strike. While Porto now face the stern challenge of taking on their rivals Sporting Lisbon for a place in the final, they head into Tuesday's clash unbeaten in 15 of the last 20 clashes between the two teams, claiming 10 wins and five draws since August 2008.

The Dragao will now focus on the Taca da Liga, where they began their pursuit of a second championship on October 31 by defeating Moreirense 2-0 thanks to goals from Eustaquio in the 61st minute and Leonardo Buta's own goal in the first half.

Porto enters Tuesday's match unbeaten in 15 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams, with 10 victories and five draws since August 2008. However, they now face the formidable task of facing bitter rivals Sporting Lisbon for a spot in the final.

Pedro Goncalves, a vital attacker for Sporting Lisbon, has been out since suffering a muscular injury during the match against Braga in November.

Midfielder Daniel Braganca has been out due to a calf ailment, and fellow Portugal international Goncalo Inacio has also missed all six of the team's games due to a muscular issue.

Nuno Santos, a Portuguese forward, is also out of contention for this weekend's game after continuing his arduous journey to full fitness following a serious knee injury in October.

Gyokeres already has 48 goal contributions for club and country this season after his brace against Guimaraes last time out, and the Sweden international will undoubtedly be someone to watch.

However, Porto still lacks the defensive tandem of Wendell and Marcano, 37, who have been out due to ACL and muscle ailments, respectively.

Marko Grujic, a 28-year-old midfielder who has been sidelined since October due to a serious muscular injury, joins them on the Dragao injury table.