The first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League playoff match between Sporting (Portugal) and Borussia Dortmund (Germany) will take place on February 11 at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Sporting vs. Borussia Dortmund: prediction, betting odds, and statistics.
Sporting
The team started the group stage confidently, winning 3 out of 4 matches, but a subsequent series of three defeats jeopardized their prospects. However, a draw in the last round secured their place in the playoffs. Notably, Sporting scored in all their 2024/25 Champions League matches. The last time they participated in Europe's top tournament was in the 2022/23 season, where they finished third in their group.
Midfielder Morten Hjulmand will miss the match due to suspension. Midfielders Geny Catamo, Pedro Gonçalves, and forward Nuno Santos are injured.
- Both teams scored in Sporting's last five Champions League matches.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 6 of Sporting's last 7 Champions League matches.
- In 5 of their last 6 home games in this tournament, the team conceded at least one goal.
Predicted lineup for Sporting (4-4-2)
Rui Silva – Maximiliano Araujo, Ivan Fresneda, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio – Geovani Kenda, João Simões, Matheus Reis, Hidemasa Morita – Viktor Gyökeres, Francisco Trincão.
Borussia Dortmund
The finalists of the previous tournament showed uncompromising results in the group stage. Dortmund secured 5 wins and suffered 3 losses, two of which were against Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ultimately, Borussia finished 10th, missing the top 8 by just one point. It's worth noting that with 22 goals scored, the German club was the most prolific among teams in the playoffs.
Midfielder Felix Nmecha and defender Ramy Bensebaini will miss the match due to injuries.
- At least three goals were scored in 7 of Dortmund's last 9 Champions League matches.
- Borussia opened the scoring in 7 of their last 8 games in this tournament.
- The team defeated their upcoming opponent in 3 of their 4 head-to-head Champions League encounters (1 loss).
Predicted lineup for Borussia Dortmund (4-5-1)
Gregor Kobel – Yan Couto, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Julian Ryerson – Emre Can, Marcel Sabitzer, Julian Brandt, Pascal Groß, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – Serhou Guirassy.
Referee
Espen Eskås (Norway)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 35;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 13%.
Sporting vs. Borussia Dortmund: Match Prediction
Both teams demonstrated solid attacking play in the group stage, scoring in all their matches. However, their defensive performances have been less impressive. I am confident that the head-to-head clash between these opponents will be high-scoring.
The Portuguese side has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five Champions League matches. During this period, even Bologna and Club Brugge, whose average scoring in the group stage was below one goal per match, managed to score against Sporting. Additionally, the team has conceded in 7 of their last 9 home games in this tournament.
Dortmund last kept a clean sheet in an official match at the end of November. Borussia ended the main stage of the Champions League with a three-match streak of conceding goals. It is also worth mentioning that the Germans have scored against Sporting in all their head-to-head encounters in this tournament, but Borussia failed to keep their own goal intact in both matches held in Portugal.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
