Sporting Form
The Lisbon side could have become the latest victim of Bodo/Glimt in the previous round. In Norway, Sporting Clube de Portugal lost 0:3, but at home they managed to respond and take the tie into extra time, where two goals secured the Portuguese club’s first quarter-final appearance since 1983. It is worth noting that Sporting Clube de Portugal became only the fifth team to progress after losing the first leg by a margin of three or more goals. We should add that in this season’s Champions League campaign the club have only been beaten away from home, although they have conceded in eight of their 10 matches.
- At least three goals have been scored in Sporting Clube de Portugal’s last six Champions League matches.
- On home soil in this tournament, Sporting Clube de Portugal are on a five-match winning run.
- The Portuguese side have not conceded more than one goal in their previous five home Champions League games.
Potential Sporting Clube de Portugal Lineup (4-5-1)
Rui Silva – Ricardo Mangas, Goncalo Inacio, Georgios Vagiannidis, Ousmane Diomande – Daniel Braganca, Joao Simoes, Geny Catamo, Hidemasa Morita, Francisco Trincao – Luis Suarez.
Forwards Fotis Ioannidis, Nuno Santos, Geovanni Quenda and Luis Guilherme are injured. Midfielder Morten Hjulmand is suspended.
Arsenal Form
The first leg against Bayer in the previous round (1:1) ended Arsenal’s eight-match winning run in the Champions League, but in the return fixture the English side had no trouble sealing their place in the quarter-finals – 2:0. It is worth noting that this was already Arsenal’s sixth clean sheet in the current edition of the tournament. At the same time, Mikel Arteta’s men have also looked confident at the other end: the club have scored at least twice in nine of their previous 10 Champions League matches. The Londoners have reached the quarter-finals for a third straight time. Last season, the team successfully came through this stage, beating Real Madrid.
- The English side have not conceded more than one goal in nine of their last 10 Champions League games.
- Away from home in this tournament, the club have won eight of their previous 10 matches (one draw, one defeat).
- Arsenal have opened the scoring in six of their last eight away matches in the Champions League.
Potential Arsenal Lineup (3-4-3)
David Raya – Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, William Saliba – Martin Zubimendi, Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard – Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres.
Midfielder Mikel Merino, defenders Piero Hincapie and Eberechi Eze, and forwards Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard will miss the match through injury.
Who Will Referee the Match
Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Matches – 13 (international fixtures, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 65;
Average yellow cards per match – 5;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 23%.
