Preview: RB Leipzig vs Sporting Lisbon – forecast, team news, lineups

Sporting Lisbon will try to get hers Champions League Campaign back on track when they are in front of you RB Leipzig Team that has already been eliminated.

Two consecutive defeats in this competition until the end of 2024 led to Sporting’s decline down in the tablewhile Leipzig brings up the rear with six out of six defeats.

Game preview

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An already dismal campaign hit another low point over the weekend Marco Roseis Leipzig when they squandered a 3-0 lead and drew with bottom-placed Bochum the Bundesliga.

To be without Benjamin Sesko And Lois Openda After the red cards in the defeat in Stuttgart, Rose will have been delighted with how his men blew Bochum away within the first 45 minutes until a Myron Boadu The hat-trick brought the hosts back on level terms and ultimately led to Leipzig being eliminated from the top four.

Their two star strikers will return here, but despite their quality, RB have failed to pick up a single point in the Champions League so far, and another defeat here would see them equal the record for most consecutive UCL defeats by a German club – currently held by Bayer Leverkusen held (seven in the 2002/2003 season).

However, Leipzig is not alone at the bottom of the table with zero points, as the Swiss young talents Young Boys and newcomer Slovan Bratislava have not yet had any success this season.

This will be a tough test for a team that has been hopeless on the continent so far, but with Sturm Graz heading into Matchday 8, Leipzig will be hugely disappointed if they still finish the season without a point.

The Red Bulls’ duels with Portuguese clubs often went quite well. There was only one defeat in four matches, against Porto in 2017.

However, on their last visit to Germany in the Champions League, Sporting had a very entertaining evening as they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0, but they need to regain their consistency if they are to enjoy a repeat performance here.

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Since then, form has fallen off a cliff Reuben Amorim moved to Manchester United with his replacement Joao Pereira already released.

Under Pereira, Sporting lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal and away to Club Brugge on matchday six after Amorim had taken ten points from a possible twelve before his departure.

This puts the Lions on the verge of their longest losing streak in the competition for almost a decade, but the positive is that results have improved since then Rui Borges got the job just after Christmas.

Pereira suffered four consecutive defeats, including at home to Santa Clara and away to Moreirense, and was then sacked on 25 December, with Borges coming on and recording home wins against both Porto and Benfica.

However, the new coach has already suffered one major disappointment in his short reign, losing the Taca da Liga final to Benfica earlier this month, but a 3-0 win at Rio Ave coupled with Porto’s defeat at Gil Vicente this weekend means they have three points clear on Top of the Primeira Liga.

However, attention now turns to the Champions League and it is likely that just one more point will be needed for Sporting to secure a place in the playoffs, while two wins would give them a chance of moving into the top eight , tied with Bologna returning home on the eighth matchday.

RB Leipzig Champions League form:

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

Sporting Lisbon Champions League form:

Form of Sporting Lisbon (all competitions):

Team news

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Leipzig will probably have to do without an injured trio Xavier Schlager, Lukeba Castle And André Silva February at the earliest, but West Ham are said to have inquired with the latter about a possible move this month.

Yussuf Poulsen He returned at the weekend after a two-month injury layoff, but a place on the bench is likely for him with Sesko and Openda available again after suspension.

Benjamin Henrichs will miss the rest of the season due to a serious leg injury, hence the new addition Ridle Baku stepped in and started the last two games at right wing-back in his place.

Pedro Goncalves might be the big miss for Sporting as he did not take part in training leading up to this encounter.

Potentially alongside Goncalves on the sidelines is a defensive trio Eduardo Quaresma, Nuno Santos And Matheus ReisAll three of them weren’t in training either, but Viktor Gyokeres should return to the starting lineup after scoring a goal as a late substitute at the weekend and notching a sixth goal in four games.

Sporting also entered the transfer market this month and signed the Real Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva He is on loan for the rest of the season and has taken his place straight away Franco Israelon his return to Portugal after eight years in Spain.

Possible starting lineup for RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Klostermann; Baku, Vermeeren, Seiwald, Space; Simons, Openda, Sesko

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Rui Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, St Juste, Quenda; Catamo, Morita, Hjulmand; Trincao, Gyokeres, Araujo

We say: RB Leipzig – Sporting Lisbon 2:3

Entertainment is often provided when Leipzig are in the game, but none of that has worked in their favor so far this Champions League season.

A few weeks ago Sporting were losing every time they took the pitch but results have steadily improved and they are confident they can get back into form here on the continent to book their place in the knockout stages. -round to secure.

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