The Matchday 2 clash in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage between Napoli (Italy) and Sporting (Portugal) will take place on October 1 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Napoli vs. Sporting: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Napoli
The team suffered a 0-2 defeat away to Manchester City in the first round. This result ended the Italian side's nine-match scoring streak in the Champions League. Napoli has only one win in their last six Champions League outings (2 draws, 3 losses), and they managed to keep a clean sheet only in the match they won during this stretch. Moreover, the Neapolitans have kept just two clean sheets in their last 11 matches in the tournament.
- Both teams scored in 5 of Napoli's last 6 Champions League matches.
- At home, the team has not lost in 16 of their last 17 Champions League matches (10 wins, 6 draws).
- The club has scored at least one goal in their last 21 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Napoli (3-5-2)
Vanja Milinković-Savić – Miguel Gutiérrez, Juan Jesus, Sam Beukema – Eljif Elmas, Kevin De Bruyne, Stanislav Lobotka, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Scott McTominay – Rasmus Højlund, Matteo Politano.
Defenders Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno, and forward Romelu Lukaku will miss the match due to injuries. Defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo is suspended. Defenders Leonardo Spinazzola and Mathías Olivera are doubtful.
Sporting
The Portuguese side began the tournament with a resounding 4-1 victory over Kairat. This win was their first in their last seven Champions League matches (2 draws, 4 losses). Interestingly, this winless streak began after a previous 4-1 victory. Notably, the team scored three goals in three minutes against the Kazakh side. However, Sporting has conceded in 7 of their last 8 matches in this tournament.
- The Lisbon side has not scored more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 Champions League games.
- Away from home, the club has not won in 8 of their last 10 Champions League matches (4 draws, 4 losses).
- Sporting has conceded at least one goal in 5 of their last 7 away games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Sporting (4-4-2)
Rui Silva – Georgios Vagiannidis, Gonçalo Inácio, Zeno Debast, Maximiliano Araújo – Morten Hjulmand, Pedro Gonçalves, Jovane Cabral, Giorgi Kochorashvili – Luis Suárez, Francisco Trincão.
Midfielder Daniel Bragança and forward Nuno Santos are in the team's injury list. Defender Ousmane Diomande has recovered from an injury.
Referee
Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Matches – 14 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 54;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 21%.
Napoli vs. Sporting: Match Prediction
Napoli has struggled in the Champions League, with just one win in their last six matches (2 draws, 3 losses). The Italian side managed to beat Braga, a team that was noted for scoring fewer goals than most in that tournament edition. The match against the Portuguese was the only one in which Napoli kept a clean sheet in their last six Champions League encounters.
Sporting showed excellent scoring ability in the first round, with only Eintracht scoring more. The Lisbon side rarely leaves the field without a goal, having scored in 11 of their last 13 Champions League matches. They are also not shy to attack away from home, scoring in 7 of their last 8 matches in this tournament. I believe Sporting will have opportunities to score against their upcoming opponent, who also has a significant number of defenders injured.
My prediction: Sporting Individual Total Over 0.5
