Santa Clara vs Sporting CP Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | Liga Portugal

Santa Clara vs Sporting CP Preview

• Competition: Liga Portugal
• Date: Saturday, 12 April
• Kick-Off Time: 05:00 PM GMT
• Venue: Estadio de Sao Miguel

The Santa Clara vs Sporting CP match will be played on Saturday, 12th April at the iconic Estadio de Sao Miguel. Both teams will be aiming to get three points in Liga Portugal.

Satna Clara will be confident going into this fixture as they have already faced Sporting twice this season and have performed well against them. They have beaten them once and played out a draw against them this season. Santa Clara are surely overperforming this season, and the credit goes to the coaching staff and the players. The home side have players who are capable of making a difference on the field, and surely they will make things complicated for Sporting.

In 28 matches, they have won 14 games, drawn four and lost 10 games, with 46 points on the table, they are sitting at fifth place. Porto do have a 10-point lead as they are placed at the fourth position, and Santa Clara will aim to close that gap as soon as possible.

On the other hand, Sporting are still in the league title race as they are just two points behind Benfica. The upcoming games will be key for them to stay in the race, and they can't afford to drop any more points in those fixtures. Overall, their season has been full of ups and downs after the departure of Ruben Amorim, but they do have players who can turnaround the situation. In 28 games, they have won 20 matches, drawn six and lost two games. With 66 points on the board, they are second in the Liga Portugal. They will have to be at their best to get a positive result on Saturday. This will be a mouthwatering clash.

Santa Clara Team News

Pedro Pacheco and Wendel Silva both are doubtful for the upcoming clash. The rest of the squad is fit to play. It should be a great contest as both teams will look to grab a win.

Sporting CP Team news

Nuno Santo, Joao Simoes, Alexandre Brito and Daniel Braganca are all doubtful for the upcoming fixture. The rest of the players are fit to play.

Santa Clara vs Sporting CP Predicted Lineups

Santa Clara Predicted Lineup (3-4-3):

Goalkeeper: Batista

Defenders: Venancio, Rocha, MT

Midfielders: Soares, Ferreira, Adriano, Pereira

Forwards: Lopes, Costa, Silva

Sporting CP Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1):

Goalkeeper: Silva

Defenders: Quaresma, Diomande, Inacio

Midfielders: Quenda, Hjulmand, Debast, Reis

Forwards: Trincao, Catamo, Gyokeres

Santa Clara vs Sporting CP Head-to-Head Record

Both teams have faced each other 13 times, out of which Santa Clara won twice, one game ended in a draw, and Sporting CP won 11 matches. In the last five fixtures, Santa Clara won once, one match ended in a draw, and Sporting won three games.

Key Players to Watch in Santa Clara vs Sporting CP

Luis Rocha (Santa Clara)

The Portuguese veteran has played his whole career in Portugal, and he has played in the top division and the second division as well. The 38-year-old centre-back is known for his physicality and stamina on the pitch.

Despite being the ondlest player in the team, he is a realibe player and with his leadership qualities he leads the team from backline. Rocha's performance is one of the main reasons why Santa Clara has done well this season. This is his second season with the club, and he will hope to finish as high as possible in the points table. In 25 matches this season, he has got six yellow cards till now.

Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP)

Diomande's main strengths are his physicality, his vision and his speed. His physicality helps him win the vast majority of his ground and aerial duels. He is able to hold off opponents and doesn't go down easily. His vision helps him when playing out from the back, something Sporting CP adopts as a key to their playing style.

He is a great progressive passer and has a lot of verticality in his game. Diomande's speed is also very impressive, and he is very rarely caught out of position. He does not seem comfortable using his weaker left foot at all, which is his biggest weakness. Overall, he is a defender who is capable of scoring from set pieces as well. In 26 matches he has scored two goals and have got four yellow cards as well.

Santa Clara vs Sporting CP Prediction

Last time, Santa Clara made things complicated for Sporting as the match ended in a stalemate. Overall, the home side do have the quality to get a point at home. Quality-wise, Sporting are a bit better, and surely they will be a big challenge for the home team. This will be a tightly contested fixture for sure, but most probably, Sporting will narrowly win this game.

Predicted Score: Santa Clara 1-2 Sporting CP

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