It is with a full house – or, at least, with sold-out tickets – that Sporting returns home. At 20:30 this Sunday, the green and white team will try to continue the good start of the season against a Famalicão that will not go down without a fight.
After two victories to open, the lions know that they cannot take their foot off the accelerator and that, placing the third, they gain breath and space in a lead that, at the start of this round, was still shared with three more teams. Famalicenses follow further behind, but not by much. There were four points accumulated so far, in the sum of a tie (0-0) with Moreirense and a victory that serves as a warning for the new opponent: 1-2 on the ground of SC Braga.
Perhaps we would be talking about two teams on equal terms, if not for the expulsion that forced Famalicão to play a full second half with 10. It is a competent team, which does not let itself be shaken by the uncertainty surrounding Iván Jaime and, like João Pedro Sousa made a point of stressing that this Saturday, he is going to Alvalade «at the right time».
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Still, none of that should shake Sporting, which continues to hold all the favoritism. St. Juste is the only casualty for Amorim, who is approaching maximum strength at a time when he is still waiting for more reinforcements. Fresneda is a matter of time and until that time comes the battle is between Esgaio and Geny, while Hjulmand, who has already debuted in Rio Maior, points to the title.
It is even in the core that the biggest doubts are. If the Dane enters the eleven, there are several options left to complete the duo, since Bragança has already recovered and rivals Morita, while Pedro Gonçalves could also be pushed back due to Paulinho’s good form in the most offensive sector.
Famalicão knows what it’s like to win in Alvalade
Sporting has not known the taste of defeat in the Primeira Liga for 16 games, going back to last season, and the historic advantage it has over Famalicão is not surprising. In total, the lions won 23 out of 30 clashes and if counting only in relation to the top division, that number is 13 out of 20.
Taking this favoritism into account, it is important to underline that the Famalicenses have already shown several times that they have the ability to give this opponent problems. In fact, in the recent past they beat Sporting twice, once in Alvalade, and both games took place with João Pedro Sousa at the helm…
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