- Team form: Sporting won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 5 matches and won their last 2.
- Opposition form: Academico Viseu won 4 of their last 5 but were beaten 1-0 away to CD Fatima in the Taca de Portugal.
Sporting set to make their class show
Sporting Clube de Portugal have been dominant in all competitions this season with seven wins and three draws in their last ten, while Academico Viseu have made a more mixed start with four wins, three draws and three defeats. Both teams are in decent form, but the visitors have taken a step back with a 1-0 defeat away to CD Fatima in the Taca de Portugal last weekend.
Sporting's form is strong with three wins and two draws in their last five, and they have won their last two.
- Sporting are very strong at home in all competitions with four wins and one draw after five games and have scored 2.60 goals a game there, but have only conceded 1.20.
- Academico Viseu have been solid away, winning two, drawing three and losing only one of their six away fixtures, but have also conceded seven times.
Counter-attackers Viseu will need to stay compact
Tactical battle
Rui Borges' Sporting play a disciplined 4-2-3-1 system in which they are organised in possession, intense in pressing and swift in attack. Académico Viseu have been compact and patient in a 4-2-3-1 system, looking to counter quickly when the ball is won.
These two systems clash in a high press vs compact counter clash and Sporting should be able to test Viseu's ability to hold up to long periods under the cosh on Sunday.
Key players and market
Luis Suarez has been Sporting's sharpest edge with five of the ten goals scored in their last five games and looks deadly in the box, while Cihan Kahraman has provided three assists in the visitors' seven goals scored in their last five.
Prediction
Sporting are the clear favourites here and the line odds of 1.22 back that up, so we have opted for the draw at 6.2. The hosts are likely to score a few, but Viseu can certainly nick a goal and we think there will be over 2.5 goals, as 1.42 is a good price here.
