Arsenal vs Sporting Lisbon preview predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Europa League Round of 16 second leg Thursday 16 March, kick-off 8pm, live on BT Sport
Predicted Score
Arsenal 3-1 Sporting Lisbon
Suggested Bets
Arsenal vs Sporting Lisbon BTTS, yes
Arsenal vs. Sporting Lisbon over 3.5 goals
Important statistics
Arsenal have won all three home games in Europe without conceding a goal
Arsenal have won 10 of their 13 PL home games
Both teams have scored in six of Arsenal’s last eight home games in all competitions
Sporting have scored in all three away games in the Europa League this season
past meetings
EL: Sporting Lisbon 2-2 Arsenal, March 2023
EL: Arsenal 0-0 Sporting Lisbon, November 2018
EL: Sporting Lisbon 0-1 Arsenal, October 2018
Team News
Eddie Nketiah (ankle) needs to be evaluated but Gabriel Jesus made a return against Fulham and will likely be back. Mohamed Elneny is still out while Kieran Tierney, Jorginho, Emile Smith Rowe and Matt Turner are lined up to start.
Manuel Ugarte is back from a suspension and will return straight to the eleven. Ex-Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin will miss out with a knee injury and Daniel Braganca is out. Keeper Antonio Adan is expected to return. Hidemasa Morita and Sebastian Coates are both suspended.
Current shape
Arsenal are unbeaten in six games in all competitions
Arsenal recently won 3-0 in Fulham
Sporting recently defeated Boavista 3-0 at home
Sporting have won four games without conceding in the Primeira Liga
what was said
Arteta after the win in Fulham: “I’m very happy with the performance, of course we won 3-0 away, didn’t concede a goal, with the chances [we created] and the goals we scored… a big compliment to the team because we deserved to win, we played really well.
Ruben Amorim after the draw against Arsenal last week: “The duel is open, it’s obviously difficult. Arsenal are a team that pushes others to the fore, we need to be able to defend. I’d be more open with a 2-1 or 3-1 like we’ve had the opportunity to do, but we think it’s possible.”
Verdict
Mikel Arteta admitted his team had lost cohesion after making six changes in last week’s 2-2 draw in Portugal. The Spain boss is likely to rotate his team again for the second leg at The Emirates as he seeks glory in the Premier League.
Arsenal launched 47 attacks on Sporting’s 19 in the first leg, but according to Arteta it was the sloppy passing game in their own half that let Arsenal down. If they can solidify that aspect this time, they should be primed to win.
However, at 1/3, Arteta’s men are not an attractive proposition and it may well be a game to score goals on the side instead.
The Gunners’ home record has been impressive this season and they have yet to concede a goal at home in Europe. But Sporting will provide their toughest test yet in the competition, as they proved in the Portuguese capital last week.
Arsenal have not come up short against the better teams in the Premier League this season. Quite the contrary, their only defeat came against champions Man City, but they have overwhelmed the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United on home soil, with both teams scoring in both games.
Both teams have scored in six of Arsenal’s last eight home games in all competitions. And that could be the case against Sporting, who have scored in all three away games in the Europa League this season.
Goals have been plentiful in north London in recent weeks, with over 3.5 goals coming in eight of the last 10 in the Premier League.
A closer look at Sporting’s team news will tell you that Morita and Coates are big misses and Arsenal are ruthless enough to expose the visitors. Likewise, Arsenal’s changes in defense and midfield could give Sporting the chances they need to get into the goalscoring charts.