Sporting vs Manchester City betting tips
Manchester City make the trip to Portugal on Tuesday to take on Sporting CP in the Champions League, and the game has an added twist now that manager Ruben Amorim will take charge of Manchester United later this month (8pm, TNT Sports 1).
He has the chance to endear himself to United fans before he starts if he can get one over his soon to be local rivals.
All the talk about Amorim and his impending departure doesn’t seem to have had too much of an effect on his side, who, just hours after he was named as the new United boss, beat Estrela 5-1 to make it 10 wins from their opening 10 league games.
The only points the Portuguese side have dropped this season came in matchday two of the Champions League when a late goal by Daniel Braganca earned them a 1-1 draw at PSV Eindhoven.
They won their other two matches 2-0 at home to Lille and the same scoreline away at Sturm Graz, leaving them in eighth place but level on points with Tuesday’s opponents, who sit third thanks to their superior goal difference.
City go into the game on the back of two defeats, although one was in the Carabao Cup when a much-changed side were beaten at Tottenham.
But Pep Guardiola will want to see more from his players in Lisbon than he saw on Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 at Bournemouth, a result that cost them top spot in the Premier League.
They remain undefeated in Europe, following up a goalless draw against Inter Milan in their opening match by impressively beating Slovan Bratislava 4-0 and Sparta Prague 5-0. Betting sites price them as 10/3 favourites to win the competition, ahead of Real Madrid (9/2) and Arsenal (8/1) in the outright market.
Man City’s only defeat in their last 28 Champions League matches was a penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid last season while, at the opposite end of the scale, if Sporting can avoid defeat on Tuesday they will equal their longest-ever unbeaten run in the competition – which currently stands at four games between September 1982 and March 1983.
The two sides have only met four times before, and unsurprisingly, it is City who lead the head to head with two wins, one defeat and one draw.
Last time City came to Lisbon, they inflicted Sporting’s heaviest home defeat in the competition, thrashing the Portuguese 5-0, and football betting sites make them warm favourites to come out on top on Tuesday.
Despite Sporting’s unbelievable start to the season, it’s hard to see them being the side to finally dethrone City in 90 minutes and Guardiola’s men are odds-on with all the major betting apps, while Sporting are a 10/3 chance.
Guardiola claimed before the weekend’s trip to Bournemouth that he only had 13 fit players, which turned out to be a slight exaggeration after naming a bench that included Kevin de Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Savinho. What was more worrying was the manager admitting his side “couldn’t match the intensity” of the Cherries.
He should expect more of the same high press, all-action style from Amorim’s side, meaning City will have to cope better than they did at the Vitality Stadium.
Erling Haaland, who already has 14 goals this season, has been directly involved in 49 goals during his 42 Champions League appearances, with 44 goals and five assists.
If he scores or assists here, the Norwegian will become the fastest player to reach 50 goal involvements in the competition’s history, overtaking Ruud van Nistelrooy, who did it in 45 appearances. Haaland is a best-price of 10/13 to score or assist in Lisbon and 7/2 to open the scoring.
In Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting have their own goal machine and he will be looking forward to coming up against the Premier League champions, with many tipping him to follow Amorim to Old Trafford.
The former Coventry City striker has been directly involved in 10 goals in 12 appearances for Sporting in Europe, registering seven goals and three assists. He has also scored in all four of his European starts at the Estadio Jose Alvalade and has 20 goals in just 14 appearances, including nine in his last five.
Sporting vs Manchester City prediction: Man City most corners, Viktor Gyokeres and Erling Haaland to score anytime – 11/2 Betfred
Sporting vs Man City free bets
Fafabet have a range of football betting offers which can be used in conjunction with wagering on Sporting vs Manchester City on Tuesday.
Bettors can a £5 free bet when they place a £25 or more create-a-bet or bet builder on Sporting vs City. The bet builder must feature three legs and have combined odds of 4/1 or bigger.
Fafabet also offer money back as a free bet if a Champions League game finishes goalless, while there’s also a chance to earn free bets up to the value of £10 as a percentage of any losses from betting on Sporting against City.
These offers are available to existing customers who have first completed the Fafabet sign-up offer.
Responsible gambling
It’s important to always gamble responsibly and remember that betting should be considered a form of entertainment, not a guaranteed way to make money.
When using gambling sites, only bet what you can afford to lose. Sports betting can also be addictive so please take steps to remain in control of your budget. Make sure to use the responsible gambling tools offered by online bookmakers, including those on the list above, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. A bookmaker should only be chosen if it meets your requirements.
There are several charities and healthcare providers should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues. The providers below offer support and information:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
