Arsenal take on the visitors Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of UEFA Europa League quarterfinals. First leg result: 1-0. The match will be played on Wednesday, April 15th at Emirates Stadium (London).
Arsenal have recently been praised for their consistency, though not always for tangible success. Finishing second in the Premier League after years of struggle felt satisfying the first time, but doing it for the third time already looks like stagnation. At the same time, their current form suggests a team that has learned how to control matches and pick up points even under pressure. They have been particularly reliable in recent weeks, rarely allowing opponents to dictate the tempo. Now, however, there seem to be too few rounds left and too comfortable a gap over Manchester City to throw everything away. Although they did lose 0–2 in the League Cup final in March. After the international break, they even managed to lose in the cup to a modest Southampton FC. In the UEFA Champions League, the English side had a perfect record in the main round with 8 wins. And after an unconvincing away performance in Leverkusen that ended in a draw, they confidently made up for it by beating Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2–0 at home.
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Sporting Lisbon are surprising here, although they have declined domestically. The Lions last season maintained their dominance at home and even secured a domestic double. Recently, however, their results within Portugal have become less stable, with dropped points affecting their position in the title race. Still, the team remains dangerous in key fixtures, often stepping up against stronger opposition. After selling their key scorer, they started the new campaign with a Super Cup defeat to SL Benfica. In winter, they also lost in the League Cup to modest Vitória de Guimarães. The main domestic battle is with FC Porto, who currently lead the title race, although Sporting did beat The Dragons in the cup. On the European stage, however, The Green-and-Whites have impressed — firstly by finishing the main round in the top eight and skipping the February playoff round. Secondly, after losing 0–3 away to Bodø/Glimt in the round of 16, they did not give up and won by the same score at home, then added two more goals in extra time. Against the British giant, they held on almost until the final moments, but still conceded to Kai Havertz.
Before this playoff stage, The Gunners had won two of five matches against the Portuguese side, with three draws. The English side are likely to play pragmatically based on the scoreline. Backing under 3.0 total goals looks like the right option.
Prediction for the match: Under 3.0 scored goals.
