Weekend football action in the Portuguese Primeira Liga sees round six encounter between Sporting Lisbon and visiting AVS at the Jose Alvalade stadium on Sunday.
While Ruben Amorim’s men will logically aim to carry on where they left off in the Champions League, the Vila das Aves side heading into the weekend will be seeking to put an end to two consecutive away losses and thus snatch one of the season’s highlights.
Sporting Lisbon got off the mark in the upcoming 2024-25 champions league fixtures with a stunning 2-0 beating of Ligue 1 side Lille at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday.
When Angel Gomes got his marching orders, the home team took advantage of the extra man and Viktor Gyokeres, and Zeno Debast made sure Lille started their campaign on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline.
This was in line with their good form in the Primeira Liga, the Leoes have started the title defense in style with the team registering five out of their five matches played while inflicting 19 goals and collectively conceeding 2 goals only so far.
Sporting Lisbon now approach the weekend without a loss in each of the past 26 league games to record 24 wins and two draws since the 3-2 loss to Vitoria de Guimaraes on December 9.
AVS posted a team effort last Saturday when they blanked Rio Ave 1-0 when the two teams clashed at the Estadio do Desportivo das Aves.
With little to separate the two sides at halftime, Cape Verde international Vasco Lopes came up big for the hosts, scoring in the 72nd minute to inflict Rio Ave their third loss of the season.
The Vila das Aves team has already won two and drawn one of their first five matches, collecting seven points from the first 15 available to sit ninth in the league, level on points with eighth-placed Moreirense.
Head coach Vitor Campelos will be pleased with his team's success in the big divisions, given that they were only founded in the Portuguese Segunda Liga last year, following the dissolution of UD Vilafranquense.
AVS's next game will be at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, where Sporting Lisbon concluded with a perfect record in the Primeira Liga last season and have won 19 consecutive league matches dating back to a 2-2 tie against Benfica in May 2023.
Goncalo Inacio suffered a game-ending ankle injury against Lille in midweek, and the Portugal international, who has played every minute for Sporting Lisbon this season, is out of Sunday's match.
Eduardo Quaresma (ankle), Jerry St. Juste (muscle), and Bosnian goalie Vladan Kovacevic (ankle) are all out with injuries for the Leoes.
Gyokeres has started the season well, and the Swedish striker, who has 17 goals for club and county in his opening nine games, will be one to watch.
AVS will be without Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Moura, who is still sidelined due to a major shoulder injury sustained in March.
Portuguese full-back Kiki Afonso suffered a late injury against Rio Ave, and the 29-year-old might be replaced in the starting lineup this weekend by Benfica loanee Rafael Rodrigues.
Guillermo Ochoa, a veteran goalkeeper, made his debut in the aforementioned game, and after maintaining a clean sheet, we anticipate the Mexico international to stay in goal.
