The Matchday 4 clash of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group stage between Sporting CP (Portugal) and Manchester City (England) will take place on November 5 at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon. Sporting CP vs. Manchester City: prediction and betting tips, odds, statistics.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2023/24–2024/25);
Yellow/red cards issued – 49;
Average yellow/red cards per match – 5.4;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 33%.
Projected Lineups for Sporting CP vs. Manchester City
Sporting CP (3-4-3): Franco Israel – Zeno Debast, Gonçalo Inácio, Jerry St. Juste – Nuno Santos, Morten Thorsby, Hidemasa Morita, Geny Catamo – Francisco Trincão, Vitor Diekeresh, Pedro Gonçalves.
Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson – John Stones, Ruben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Rico Lewis – Mateo Kovačić – İlkay Gündoğan, Savio, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes – Erling Haaland.
Sporting CP
The Lisbon-based team, along with eight other clubs, has not suffered a defeat in the Champions League group stage. Under the guidance of Rúben Amorim, they sit in eighth place with 7 points. After three rounds, the club has conceded only one goal, which came in an away game against PSV (1:1). In the other two matches, the Portuguese side achieved identical 2-0 victories against Lille and Sturm Graz.
Head coach Rúben Amorim has signed a contract with Manchester United. Nevertheless, he will still lead Sporting in this match. Defender Eduardo Quaresma and midfielder Nuno Santos are sidelined due to injuries.
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in Sporting's last six Champions League matches.
- One of the teams led 1:0 at halftime in five of the Lisbon side's previous matches in this tournament.
- The Portuguese team has scored first in 7 of their last 9 matches in this European competition.
Manchester City
The English side also has 7 points after three rounds, and Pep Guardiola's charges have not conceded a single goal. They began the main stage of the Champions League with a goalless draw against Inter, followed by two emphatic victories: away they defeated Slovan Bratislava (4:0), and at home, they left no stone unturned against Sparta Prague (5:0). Notably, Manchester City has set a new tournament record for consecutive matches without defeat in regular time, now standing at 26 games (18 wins and 8 draws).
Out due to injuries are midfielders Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, and Oscar Bobb, as well as defenders Ruben Dias and John Stones, and forward Jack Grealish.
- At least four goals were scored in 7 of Manchester City's last 9 European cup matches.
- The English team has gone unbeaten in 12 consecutive away matches in the Champions League (6 wins and 6 draws).
- Both teams have scored in 8 of Manchester City's last 9 away matches in this tournament.
Sporting CP vs. Manchester City: Match Prediction
This encounter features two teams that consistently rank among the leaders in their respective leagues. Also, these clubs have only one defeat between them at an official level this season. Although the visitors are considered the favorites, I believe the Portuguese can surprise, especially since City is clearly missing Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri in midfield, while Lisbon's attack is quite potent.
Besides Sporting scoring in 7 of their last 8 Champions League matches, the club averages about 3 goals per game in the Primeira Liga. The English side, with a 9-match scoring streak away in this European cup and at least three goals in their last six away matches, will also not be without goals. Moreover, City has been scoring more than two goals on average per game in the Premier League. They also conceded in eight consecutive away matches in the Champions League before facing Slovan.
I predict that the clubs will delight us with a high-scoring game. My prediction is "Both Teams to Score – Yes" with odds of
Author: