Sporting can become champions in Dragao, but they need Braga’s help in Lusha

Sporting can become Portuguese football champions on Sunday at the Dragao Stadium if they win the classic match against Porto and Benfica lose to Sporting Braga in the 31st round of the I League.

The Lions sit comfortably at the top of the league with a seven-point lead over their Lisbon rivals, the only team that can stop Alvalade’s club from winning their 20th title, with Porto and Sporting Braga 18 points behind in third and fourth place respectively.

When they take to the Dragons’ pitch, Sporting will already know whether they can secure their second title in four years as Benfica face Braga on Saturday and only defeat for the defending champions will allow the Green and Whites to “, and there are still three rounds ahead.

Benfica’s draw with Migno’s team does not allow Sporting to mathematically win the title in advance, since they will be separated by nine points – the same points that will be played for the rest of the I League – and with equality in a direct confrontation (both won at home 2-1) .

The derby did not find Sporting in better form and Porto in a more delicate situation, weakened by a series of poor results and in turmoil due to elections the day before, in which for the first time President Pinto da Costa faces strong opposition from by former coach Andre Villas-Boas.

The team, coached by Sérgio Conceição, who recently lost goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender João Mário due to injury, won only one of the last four games of the tournament, completely remaining out of the fight for the title and, most likely, second place and, as a result, , access to the Champions League next season.

For Sporting, which beat Porto 2-0 in the first round, coach Ruben Amorim will also be without defenders Diomande and Ricardo Esgaio, both suspended, but the return to goals of Swedish striker Victor Gyökeres, the tournament’s top scorer, opens with 24 good prospects for the Lions.

Sporting are also on a run of eight wins in a row, equaling their best record in the competition this season and could be beaten at the Stadio Dragau, where the hosts will not be able to make things easy against Sporting Braga. .

The fight for the last place on the championship podium is much more intense, and the Minho team will want to demonstrate this at the Estádio da Luz, despite the fact that they lost both matches with Benfica in the 2023/24 season in Braga in the first round, 1- 0, and in Lisbon, in the 1/8 finals of the Portuguese Cup, 3-2.

Both teams have the same record in their last 10 matches (seven wins, one draw and two losses) and are going through difficult times: Benfica due to strong protest against German coach Roger Schmidt and Braga after coach Arthur Jorge left for Botafogo. and his replacement Rui Duarte.

Sunday’s defeat in Alvalade left Vitória de Guimarães in fifth place, five points behind Porto and Sporting de Braga, with only a win over Boavista (13th) on Saturday allowing them to Guimarães harbors some hopes of reaching third position. .

The 31st round, which starts on Friday with the match between Gil Vicente (12th place) and Arroca (sixth place) and ends on Monday when Estrela da Amadora (15th place) hosts Farense (10th place), can make Wiesel’s bottom team the first team. relegated to the II League due to an unfavorable combination of results.