Sporting Lisbon take on the visitors Maritimo in the round 32 match of Liga Portugal. The match will be played on Saturday, May 13th at Estádio José Alvalade (Lisbon).
Sporting have a small chance of grabbing a Champions League spot. They are currently four points behind Braga, who holds the third position. However, Sporting faces a tougher schedule in the remaining three matches of the championship, especially with a match against Benfica in the next round. It is evident that the "green and white" team is in good form towards the end of the season. This is demonstrated by four victories and one draw in their last five matches. For instance, in the rescheduled match of the 31st round, Ruben Amorim's team convincingly defeated Pacos de Ferreira away with a score of 0-4. Sporting always performs strongly at home, with twelve victories, one draw, and two defeats, scoring 38 goals and conceding only 9.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Maritimo are fighting desperately to avoid relegation to the Segunda Liga. Currently, the "lions of Madeira" are in the relegation playoff zone, but they are only three points clear of the direct relegation spot and five points away from the 15th place, which ensures safety. In the last round, Maritimo managed to secure an important point in a home match against Rio Ave (2-2), showing character by scoring two goals during the game. However, Maritimo's away performances have been poor. Throughout the season, they have only achieved one victory and two draws, suffering twelve defeats. Most importantly, they score very few goals (9) and concede the most (35) away from home.
I don't see any chances for the visitors to achieve a positive result. Sporting has gained momentum, and furthermore, the "green and white" team performs exceptionally well in home matches, especially against underdogs and mid-table teams. Out of the fifteen matches played at home, Sporting has defeated their opponents by a margin of two goals or more in ten of them. Additionally, at the end of last year, the teams already faced each other at this stadium in the Portuguese League Cup, and the hosts demolished their opponents (5-0). Therefore, considering the colossal difference in class, I predict that Lisbon's team will secure an easy victory with a comfortable goal margin -1.5.
Prediction for the match: Sporting to win with -1.5 handicap.
