The promoted team, making their return to the top division after a three-year absence, faces a challenging home debut against Ruben Amorim's squad.
Nacional's first home game since their promotion to the top flight, after three seasons away, is a formidable one as they prepare to take on Sporting.
After securing a 1-1 draw against fellow newcomers AVS in their last outing, the second-place finishers in the second division are now eager to claim all three points.
However, history is not on their side, with Nacional failing to secure a victory in this fixture over 20 attempts across all competitions, including five consecutive losses.
Although Tiago Margarido's team ended last season with an impressive nine-match unbeaten streak (seven wins) in Madeira, it's uncertain whether they can maintain that momentum against stronger Primeira Liga competition.
Facing the defending league champions presents the toughest challenge for Alvinegros, and emerging unscathed would greatly boost their confidence for the long season ahead.
Sporting, on the other hand, are determined to continue their dominant record against this weekend's opponents as they strive to keep their perfect start to the title defense intact.
After rebounding from a 4-3 Portuguese Super Cup loss to Porto with a win over Rio Ave, Amorim's men aim for a sixth consecutive victory over Nacional in Saturday's match.
In their last two visits to Madeira, Sporting secured 1-0 and 2-0 victories, and with their most recent encounter in Lisbon ending 2-0, the reigning champions are poised to make it four straight wins over Nacional without conceding a goal.
Sporting concluded last season with five wins and one draw in their final six away matches, narrowly missing out on a perfect run due to a 2-2 draw with Porto in April. They now seek to extend their unbeaten streak on the road to 12 games.
Having recorded four clean sheets in their last six away matches, Amorim is confident his squad can prevent Nacional from scoring in their first away game of the season.
Last season, Jesus Ramirez (17) and Gustavo Silva (11) were Nacional's top goal scorers; however, both players left on loan, forcing the hosts to look for other options.
Because Margarido's team defeated AVS last week, they were able to name an unaltered lineup on Saturday.
Even though he scored last weekend, Pedro Goncalves's brace against Rio Ave outperformed Viktor Gyokeres, even if the 29-goal scorer from the previous season is still Sporting's key attacker.
In their last five encounters against Nacional, Sporting CP has gone undefeated and has won each game handily. To maintain that streak, Nacional hasn't triumphed over Sporting CP since 2011. Despite the fact that Nacional began that LP season with a tie, we do not see that record altering here. For this match, Sporting CP winning on the road and Under 3.5 goals seems like a smart combination.
Nacional has only scored two goals against Sporting CP since 2017, so it will be difficult to see them increase to that total in this match. Opting for neither team to score also seems like a smart move.
Amorim might use the same team that defeated Rio Ave in the first gameweek, even if Marcus Edwards might argue for a start in attack over Francisco Trincao.
