On Thursday Sporting Lisbon hosts Rio Ave at Estadio Jose Alvalade seeking the lead after the first match of their Taca de Portugal semi-final battle.
On February 27 the Lions achieved their place in the semi-finals by beating Gil Vicente 1-0 following their victories against Portimonense, Amarante and Santa Clara in previous competitions.
After winning against Gil Vicente Sporting began a streak of control as they advanced past the fifth game of their competition without a loss to look ahead to the Taca de Portugal semifinals.
The team led by Rui Borges continues its winning secession by clinching four successive league victories with three goals scored each game. Their latest victory against Estoril Praia by 3-0 maintained Sporting at the top position with 65 points above Benfica who occupy second place despite playing their gameweek 27 match on Wednesday.
Sporting faces a positive outlook for winning a domestic double this year because they achieved the same feat in 2020-21 yet failed to secure their Allianz Cup title in penalties against Benfica and Borussia Dortmund eliminated them from Champions League.
Since 2018-19 the Lions have failed to win the Taca de Portugal title though they reached their nearest Finals appearance during last season when Porto stopped them.
Being one of two teams currently competing for back-to-back tournament appearances in the competition the Lions aim to dominate the upcoming matches while they maintain their successful track record against Rio Ave from recent games with eight victories out of their last nine matches.
The Vilacondenses face challenging times against Sporting Club in Taca De Portugal competition since they failed in their latest two meetings.
Although they will be eager to alter that perception, their recent performance is not encouraging. With three straight defeats, including a 2-1 loss at Casa Pia, Petit's team is in 11th in the Primeira Liga with 29 points.
Rio Ave's road losing streak now stands at four games after the loss, which also marked their third straight away loss. However, during their Cup of Portugal tour, they defeated Casa Pia before defeating Sao Joao Ver 2-1 to guarantee their spot in the last four.
As they aim for just their second-ever appearance in the final—their only trip there was in 2013–14, when they lost to Benfica—the Vilacondenses will be hoping to surprise everyone on Thursday.
