Sporting Lisbon vs Porto Preview & Prediction | 2024 Portuguese Super Cup
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Two of ‘Os Tres Grandes’ meet this weekend in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira for the first piece of silverware in the Portuguese domestic season with a stable but strong Sporting CP side taking on a Porto team and club in major transition and under major construction.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 3rd August, 2024 - UK – 8:15pm/ US ET – 3:15pm / US PT – 1:15pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – N/A / US – fuboTV
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – RTPi / US – RTPi
SPORTING LISBON PREVIEW: RUBEN AMORIM LOOKING TO KICK ON
Despite early summer links to the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham United, Ruben Amorim remains in charge of Sporting for this season. The Primeira Liga champions will look to add to the trophy cabinet this season in the cup competitions, too.
Over the summer, they have not done too much business but not doing too much business is a positive because it means the likes of Pedro Goncalves, Viktor Gyokeres, Marcus Edwards and Goncalo Inacio remain at the Jose Alvalade.
PORTO PREVIEW: NEW LOOK FC PORTO
It has been a very busy few months at Estadio do Dragao. Porto have undergone significant changes in the boardroom with former manager Andre Villas-Boas winning their presidential election, dethroning Jorge Nuno Pinta da Costa, who had held the post for 42 years.
In his tenure already, long-term manager Sergio Conceicao has departed and been replaced by former Porto assistant Vitor Bruno in what is his first managerial job. Key men such as Pepe and Mehdi Taremi have departed the club on free transfers, too.
SPORTING LISBON TEAM NEWS: DEBUT FOR GOALKEEPER
With Franco Israel a part of the Uruguay squad that reached the third place playoff of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America in the United States this summer, he will be unlikely to feature having been on his summer break.
That would mean their new signing this summer, Vladan Kovacevic from Rakow Czestochowa, may well get a start between the sticks. Aside from that, Amorim has the opportunity to go full strength here, albeit there are injury concerns over Jeremiah St. Juste and Nuno Santos.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Kovacevic; Debast, Neto, Inacio; Catamo, Hjulmand, Morita, Ivan Fresneda; Trincao, Goncalves; Gyokeres
UNAVAILABLE: Franco Israel (Break), Nuno Santos (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: St. Juste (Injured)
PORTO TEAM NEWS: ADDITIONAL HEADING HERE
The only known injury for FC Porto is that Ghanaian international Zaidu Sanusi remains unavailable with an ACL injury. They are also unlikely to be with Stephen Eustaquio, who also reached the CONMEBOL Copa America third place playoff with Canada.
Former Boca Juniors midfielder Alan Varela will likely start his first game as FC Porto’s new club captain alongside Nico Gonzalez. Reportedly wantaway Francisco Conceicao should also start for Dragoes.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Costa; Joao Mario, Cardoso, Ivan Marcano, Wendell; Conceicao, Varela, Nico, Pepe; Galeno, Evanilson
UNAVAILABLE: Sanusi (Injured), Eustaquio (Break)
QUESTIONABLE:
SPORTING LISBON VS PORTO PREDICTION
The historic nature of this rivalry and the fact we have a few unknowns with it being essentially a glorified pre-season friendly may suggest this one might be quite close and tough to call. However, given the state of the two clubs, it seems like this one may be a great opportunity for the defending league champions to lay down a marker and sweep their transitional opponents aside with a strong Sporting side a lot more settled and able to take advantage of the uncertainty of Porto.
SPORTING LISBON VS PORTO TIP: SPORTING CP TO WIN
