Sporting CP vs Manchester City

The two sides boasting an identical UEFA Champions League record this season (W2, D1) lock horns at the Estádio José Alvalade as Sporting CP take on Manchester City.

Despite enjoying a scintillating 10-game winning start to the new Primeira Liga campaign after a 5-1 thrashing of Estrella last weekend and going unbeaten in all three Champions League outings this season (W2, D1), these aren’t pleasant times for Sporting. Their highly-rated manager, Ruben Amorim, is on the verge of taking charge of Manchester City’s fierce rivals, Manchester United, with this being his last game in the Lisbon outfit’s dugout. Amorim will be keen to ride into the sunset by defying Sporting’s underwhelming historic home record against Premier League visitors (W1, L3), including a 5-0 H2H humbling in February 2022. However, Amorim’s men have blown hot and cold across their last six Champions League fixtures (W2, D2, L2), with each producing precisely two goals.

After a frustrating 0-0 home draw against Inter Milan in the opening Champions League round, Manchester City have dismantled Slovan Bratislava (4-0) and Sparta Prague (5-0) to steady the ship. However, injuries to Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri have taken the wind out of their sails, as most recently witnessed by a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, which knocked them down from a 31-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League. Determined to atone for a dismal performance at the Vitality Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s side can seek comfort in their impressive unbeaten away run in Europe stretching back to May 2022 (W6, D6). But there’s no room for complacency, considering they’ve conceded on eight of their last nine continental travels.