Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Portuguese Primeira Liga match.
Benfica will host Sporting in the Lisbon derby. Both teams are chasing Porto, but the hosts have not yet lost in the league and at home they usually do well against them.
Benfica
Benfica, together with Porto, are still unbeaten in the Primeira Liga. The team are third with 28 points after 12 rounds. In attack, they are impressive, with 25 goals (the second-best record in the league), but their defence is not always reliable. At home, the hosts have played six league matches and conceded five of their seven goals there. In head-to-head meetings, they have lost to Sporting only once in the last nine matches, and in all of those games both teams scored.
Sporting
Sporting are also performing very well: they are second with 31 points after 12 rounds, having scored 31 goals, the best record in the league. They are on a four-match winning run in the Primeira Liga and an 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions since October; their last defeat came in early October in the Champions League. However, in three of their six away league matches they have both scored and conceded.
Benfica vs Sporting Prediction
Benfica are especially strong at home, but Sporting are currently on an unbeaten run in all competitions. We expect a tight match in which both teams score, but the hosts should at least avoid defeat.
