Arsenal vs Sporting Prediction, Odds, Lineups
A berth in the Europa League quarterfinals is on the line Thursday when Arsenal welcome Sporting Lisbon to the Emirates for the second leg of their Round of 16 affair. The kick-off is scheduled for 4 PM ET. Continue reading for the Arsenal vs Sporting odds.
The Gunners are coming off a big 3-0 victory over Fulham at the weekend, solidifying their spot at the top of the Premier League table. Lisbon also grabbed a win by the exact same scoreline on Sunday in domestic action.
The first leg between the two sides had no shortage of excitement, ultimately ending 2-2 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. We have our leg two Arsenal vs Sporting prediction here.
Arsenal vs Sporting Odds
Despite the hard-fought stalemate last Thursday, Arsenal heads into the reverse tie as a heavy -285 favorite for an implied win probability of 74.03% in the Arsenal vs Sporting odds. Sporting meanwhile sits at +750 Europa League odds for a mere 11.76% chance of coming out victorious. The Gunners are unbeaten in five all-time meetings with the Primeira Liga giants, winning twice and drawing three times.
Odds as of March 14th at DraftKings.
Arsenal vs Sporting Preview
The Gunners are flying high domestically and although Man City is nipping at their heels in the title race, the North Londoners remain in first. Surely that is their main focus at the moment, but this competition is also a clear opportunity to win more hardware. Mikel Arteta’s men flew through the group stages with a 5-0-1 record and have come up against a rather difficult opposition in the last 16 in Sporting.
The visitors scored an early opener through William Saliba, but it wasn’t long until Sporting equalized thanks to a header from Goncalo Inacio. Just 10 minutes into the second half they took the lead thanks to a goal before the Gunners equalized minutes later thanks to an own goal. While Arsenal would’ve liked to head into this second leg with a win under their belt, a draw on Portuguese soil is definitely respectable.
Plus, Arteta’s group has kept four straight clean sheets in Europa on home turf and just hammered Fulham. They’re in great form.
Lisbon is looking to progress to the last eight of this competition for the first time since 2017-18 and bring a rather impressive record into Thursday’s fixture, going unbeaten in their last seven games across all competitions. That includes a 5-1 victory over Midtjylland in the Europa playoffs and a very convincing win on the weekend.
Nuno Santos and Paulinho found the back of the net, while Boavista also scored an own goal. However, Ruben Amorim’s side still remains in fourth in Portugal and a whole 15 points off first place Benfica. That means Europa is about their only shot at silverware this term. Unfortunately, they’ve failed to win in nine previous visits to England. Not exactly a great sign against an Arsenal club who are flying high right now.
Arsenal vs Sporting Projected Lineups & Injuries
Arsenal Projected Lineup: Turner; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Jorginho, Partey, Vieira; Nelson, Trossard, Saka
Injuries & Absences: Elneny, Nketiah
Sporting Projected Lineup: Adan; St. Juste, Inacio, Reis; Esgaio, Ugarte, Goncalves, Santos; Edwards, Paulinho, Trincao
Injuries &Absences: Bellerin, Morita, Coates
Arteta could start Bukayo Saka but may opt to use Emil Smith Rowe instead and bring his star on in the second half given how important Premier League play is right now. Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard are likely used as substitutes, too. Eddie Nketiah is dealing with an ankle injury, while Mohamed Elneny is recovering from knee surgery.
Sporting is without two key players in midfielder Hidemasa Morita and center-back Sebastian Coates because of suspension. Former Gunner Hector Bellerin won’t be playing against his former team here, either.
Arsenal vs Sporting Key Stats
Arsenal vs Sporting Prediction
Morita and Coates are crucial to Lisbon’s success and Arsenal continues to play well at the Emirates. Expect this to be a thrilling second leg though, with both teams scoring for our Arsenal vs Sporting prediction. However, the Gunners will prevail.
Arsenal vs Sporting Picks: Arsenal to win & both teams to score (+180)
