THE Sporting returns to action this Tuesday for its debut in the League Cup competition, in a duel at the Estádio de Alvalade against Marítimo, for the quarter-finals of the competition.
When you think that playing at home and in front of your fans is a point in your favor, at a time when there is clear tension in the Lions’ team, this could be detrimental to Rui Borges’ team, which will see an almost hostile audience given recent events, if the game starts to go wrong with the Lions.
However, it is not just Sporting whose pride is hurt, as Marítimo wants to take this opportunity to clean up the image left at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, against Vitória SC, where they were beaten 5-0 in a heavy result, last Friday.
Now, given the short distance between the two meetings on the calendar, Rui Borges did not make any predictions about the League Cup match, although he has increased pressure for this match, after white scarves were shown by fans in the stands of the game against Académico de Viseu, which ended in another defeat in Alvalade for Sporting.
Regarding the history of clashes, in the 108 duels between the two teams, the lions won 74 matches, while Marítimo emerged victorious in 18 of the clashes.
The most recent happened in January 2023, when the islanders beat Sporting, 1-0, in Barreiros, for the I League. Even so, the story at the Estádio de Alvalade is very different, as the percentage of green and white victories rises from 69% in the general context to 79%, with 44 wins in 56 games, with only five defeats against this opponent, with Marítimo having no other outcome than defeat for nine consecutive games.
The match between Sporting and Marítimo is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 pm this Tuesday, at the Alvalade Stadium, in Lisbon, and will be judged by Iancu Vasilica, a referee from the Vila Real Football Association, who will have André Dias and José Pereira as assistants, Gonçalo Neves as the fourth referee, and the VAR will include Cláudia Ribeiro and Pedro Felisberto as AVAR.
Coaches in direct speech
Rui Borges
Game 48 hours after the defeat with Académico: “It’s a challenge that already happened last season and that we managed to overcome with quality, merit and a victory. Tomorrow we expect the same. Within that is total trust in the entire group, in the entire team and in all the players. It’s another demonstration that we believe in everyone. I have no doubt that whoever plays tomorrow will give a good response.”
Seafarer with wounded pride: “It’s going to be a little in line with what we’ve seen, especially in our league games. It’s going to be a medium/low block, it’s the second team that has the most counterattacking actions in the I League. It dictates the moment of the game that they like the most and in which they feel most comfortable. We have to wait and be prepared for this so that we don’t get caught up in these constant losses of the ball. Above all, so that we’re not always reacting towards our goal. It’s important to have these longer attacks and finish these attacks to not let Marítimo enter that moment of the game in which they feel more comfortable. I believe we will give a different and better response than the one we have been giving.
Objectives in the League Cup: “Sporting is Sporting and the objective is to win this competition as always. We know that it is always difficult, that we have these challenges in this game, such as playing 48 hours after the previous one. On the one hand, there is a positive side which is that everyone is available to play and has the coach’s trust to play. We saw a less positive result and they all want to give a different response. We want to be in the final four and, if we can, be competing in the final of the competition.”
Mitchell van der Gaag
There was no usual press conference to preview the meeting
Latest results
Sporting: DDVVE
Maritime: DVDED
Last eleven
Sporting: Kaique Pereira; Iván Fresneda, Gonçalo Inácio, Ibrahima Ba, Maxi Araújo; Sergi Altimira, Issa Doumbia; Luís Guilherme, Flávio Gonçalves, Nestory Irankunda; Luis Suarez.
Maritime: Fran Vieites, Igor Julião, Gábor Szalai, Romain Correia, Paulo Henrique, Rodrigo Andrade, Raphael Guzzo, Maxime Domínguez, Tomás Tavares, Adrián Butzke and Martín Tejón.
Absences
Sporting: Rodrigo Zalazar and Nuno Santos (injured) and Zeno Debast (doubtful).
Maritime: Vladan Danilović (doubtful) and Yellu Santiago (injured).
