Sporting Lisbon will host Arouca for round 22 of the Primeira Liga after a poor European campaign.
On Tuesday, the Lions will try to recover from their humiliating loss to Borussia Dortmund of Germany at Estadio Jose Alvalade in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoffs.
Sporting lost 3-0 against Dortmund on the continental stage after giving up three goals in the second half from Karim Adeyemi, Pascal Gross, and Serhou Guirassy. It was another difficult night for the team.
That defeat extended the Green and Whites' winless run in the competition to five games, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Germany should they hope to reach the knockout stage for the second time in three seasons. The result also saw Rui Borges's men fail to secure victory for a second successive match across all competitions, following a 1-1 draw at Porto in the Primeira Liga last weekend.
However, unlike their struggles in the Champions League, Sporting have fared much better domestically, extending their unbeaten league streak to eight games, comprising five wins and three draws.
Currently sitting four points clear at the summit with 51 points from 21 matches, the reigning champions will aim to stretch their lead further with another victory this weekend against a side they have dominated in recent meetings, having won each of the last three encounters with an aggregate score of 8-1, including a commanding 3-0 triumph in this season's reverse fixture.
Providing extra confidence for Sporting is their formidable record at Jose Alvalade, where they have claimed victory in nine of their 10 matches in the top flight, with Leoes' haul of 27 points from a possible 30 ranking them as the side with the third-best home record in the division.
Although they lost 2-1 on their most recent visit, Arouca will be looking to earn just their second point at this location. They previously held the hosts to a 1-1 draw in April 2023.
Gonzalo Garcia's team, who are undefeated in six games with three victories and three draws—the most recent being a 1-1 tie with Rio Ave at Estadio Municipal—would not have any trouble doing that.
Jose Fontan gave Arouca the lead with a skillfully executed indirect free kick in the 71st minute, seemingly setting them up for a third consecutive win. However, Tiago Morais's solo effort in the 96th minute put Arouca back on track.
They now have 23 points and are six points ahead of the relegation playoff slot after that outcome. They will be hoping to increase that margin with a victory this weekend.
With seven points from a possible nine in their past three road games after only managing four from the previous eight, the Wolves may also feel encouraged by their recent improvement in away performances. With an overall away record of 11, they rank 10th in the league for travel.
