Borussia Dortmund will welcome Sporting Lisbon for the second leg of their Playoff match in Lisbon on Wednesday night.
Jamie Pacheco is recommending a bet at a shorter price than usual, but he believes it’s a solid choice. Read on to see why he’s confident about this pick, along with his prediction for Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting CP.
Borussia Dortmund
Although we initially thought Sporting might be underdogs in the first leg, Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 away victory was a bit of a surprise.
Dortmund outperformed Sporting in all the key areas—possession, shots on target, corners, etc. While the final score seemed a bit high, they were undoubtedly the superior team, with former Brighton player Pascal Gross scoring the second goal, marking his first goal of the season despite a solid performance from the midfielder.
Though they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bochum over the weekend, their overall domestic season has been mediocre. With this match being more significant to them, they’ll likely avoid complacency and take no chances assuming the tie is completely decided.
Likely XI: Kobel, Schlotterbeck, Svensson, Can, Ryerson, Brandt, Gross, Ozcan, Adeyemi, Gittens, Guirassy.
Sporting Lisbon
The absence of key players Viktor Gyokeres, Morita, and Hjulmand proved too much for Sporting, exposing the team’s lack of depth.
However, with Hjulmand returning from suspension and Gyokeres nearing full fitness, they might have a stronger side for this match. Still, a 3-0 deficit from the first leg is a massive challenge, and history suggests recovering from such a loss is nearly impossible.
Sporting also struggled in a 2-2 home draw against Arouca, where captain Hjulmand was sent off for two bookings, one leading to a penalty. Additionally, Daniel Braganca was injured during that game, so his absence will be felt.
Likely XI: Silva, Araujo, Fresneda, Inacio, St Juste, Simoes, Debast, Hjulmand, Quenda, Trincao, Gyokeres.