Gil Vicente take on the visitors Sporting Lisbon in the quarterfinal match of Taca de Portugal. The match will be played on Thursday, February 27th at Estádio Cidade de Barcelos (Barcelos).
Gil Vicente can only make an impact in the cup. The Roosters are known for successfully overturning their forced relegation through legal action—not in sports courts, but in general civil courts. As a result, they were reinstated to the Primeira Liga from a semi-professional level through an agreement. Not long after, they managed a remarkable 5th-place finish and even made their debut in the Europa League. However, they crashed out in the qualifiers, and since then, the club has delivered mediocre results—13th place, followed by 12th last spring. This season, they have failed to improve, suffering several defeats after the New Year. Even Casa Pia managed to beat them, albeit narrowly (1-0). On the bright side, they have reached the Taça de Portugal quarterfinals, though against relatively weak opponents. The team's inconsistent league form means the cup remains their only real chance to achieve something significant this season.
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Sporting fell to 4th place in 2023, yet the club kept Rúben Amorim out of respect for his past achievements. That decision paid off, as they reclaimed the league title last season after a tight race with Benfica. In the new campaign, under Amorim, the team had a shaky start, losing the Supertaça to Porto, but otherwise performed strongly both domestically and in the Champions League. However, things changed dramatically when Manchester United lured Amorim away—where, so far, he has struggled. Sporting appointed a new manager, but results have been mixed. They lost the Taça da Liga final on penalties to Benfica and suffered a 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in their first Champions League knockout round match. They didn't put much effort into the home leg either, settling for a 0-0 draw. In the Primeira Liga, where they had managed to hold onto a narrow lead, their form has dipped—they have failed to win in recent rounds, even drawing with newly-promoted AVS. Their recent struggles in both domestic and European competitions raise questions about their ability to finish the season strong.
Since 2012, Gil Vicente has beaten Sporting only once. However, two of their last four meetings, including one this season, ended in draws. Even in their current form, Sporting should be too strong for this opponent. Expect the visitors to win with at least a -1 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Sporting to win with -1.0 handicap.
