Sporting vs Bologna Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | Champions League, January 29, 2025

Sporting vs Bologna Preview

• Tournament: Champions League
• Date: Wednesday, Jan 29
• Kick-off Time: 08:00 pm GMT
• Venue: Estádio José Alvalade, Portugal

Sporting will play host to newcomers Bologna in their eighth clash of the 2024/25 Champions League season at Estádio José Alvalade. The Portuguese remain unbeaten in their last six league games and will aim to improve their league position in the Champions League table.

Hosts Sporting find themselves sitting 23rd in the league table and have recorded only 10 points from their first seven games. They are coming off a 2-0 win over Nacional in the domestic game and will look to move up to the table this midweek. Viktor Gyökeres is the leading goalscorer for the hosts with 34 goals whereas Trincão is leading the assists chart with 11 to his name.

Meanwhile, Bologna were relieved after they secured a 1-1 draw with Empoli in the weekend tie. They are sitting outside the playoff spots in the Champions League with five points after seven games. Riccardo Orsolini is leading the Bologna roster with eight goals whereas Santiago Castro has been credited with seven assists this season.

Sporting Team News

The hosts would be without the services of star players Pedro Goncalves and Nuno Santos due to their ACL injuries. The likes of Matheus Reis (thigh) and Eduardo Quaresma still remain sidelined and are expected to return at the end of February.

Bologna Team News

As for Bologna, they will be without the services of Swiss midfielder Michel Aebischer in this crucial tie. Defender Jhon Lucumi returns after serving his domestic suspension but top scorer Riccardo Orsolini remains out with a thigh injury.

Also Read: Leverkusen vs St. Pauli Prediction, Preview, Lineups and Team News | Bundesliga, December 7, 2024

Sporting vs Bologna Predicted Lineups

Sporting Predicted Lineup (3-4-3):

Goalkeeper: Silva

Defenders: Debast, Inacio, Diomande

Midfielders: Araujo, Hjulmand, Trincao, Fresneda

Forwards: Catamo, Quenda, Gyokeres

Bologna predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Skorupski

Defenders: Holm, Lucumi, Beukema, Miranda

Midfielders: Freuler, Pobega

Forwards: Ndoye, Odgaard, Dominguez; Castro

Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have never faced each other on the European stage.

Key Players to Watch in Sporting vs Bologna

Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting)

Swedish international Viktor Gyokeres has been setting the 2024/25 campaign on fire and has made a whopping 40 goal contributions this season. He possesses impressive physical strength and has found the back of the net seven times in his last five games across all competitions.

Santiago Castro (Bologna)

Bologna forward Santiago Castro continues his reputation as one of the best young players in the Seria. So far in his debut campaign, the 20-year-old has scored seven goals and made seven assists in 27 appearances across all competitions.

Sporting vs Bologna Prediction

The hosts are entering this game on the back of a 2-0 win over Nacional in the domestic game but have made a great start to their Champions League campaign. They have accumulated only 10 points from their last seven league games and are languishing in the bottom half of the league table. Rui Borges’s men are first in the Primera Liga and have now gone six games without a defeat.

As for Bologna, they also had a similar start to their Champions League campaign and are outside of the playoff spots in the league standings. The Italian club finds themselves in a challenging position and have claimed only one win in their last seven league matches in the Champions League.

Predicted Score: Sporting 2-0 Bologna

Also Read: Barcelona vs Valencia Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | La Liga, January 26, 2025

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