Sporting are aiming to win the Europa League again on Thursday after two games without a win against Polish club Rakow ahead of their I League leadership debate with Benfica.
Leonin enter the fourth round in second place in Group D, level with Austrian club Sturm Graz, which they won 2-1 on their debut, three points behind Italians Atalanta and with a three points to his credit. advantage over Rakov.
The Poles, the weakest team in the group, had claimed their only point in the previous round when they drew 1-1 at home to Sporting, a game in which the Portuguese played eight minutes behind in numbers due to the expulsion of Victor Dieuqueres.
The Swedish striker, the Lions’ top scorer in the 2023/24 season with 11 goals, is the main casualty of the match at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, which kicks off at 20:00 (the same time they begin to face each other). Sturm Graz), but the influential Japanese midfielder Morita is also recovering from injury.
Two weeks ago, despite having one player less, Ruben Amorim’s side managed to take the lead thanks to a goal scored by Uruguayan defender Sebastian Coates in the 14th minute, only for Fabian Piasecki to restore the tie in the 79th minute. scored the only Polish goal in the tournament.
Sporting, who lost 2-1 at home to Atalanta before the draw in Poland, are forced to beat Rakov because only the first-place team will advance to the round of 16, while the second will play in the playoffs. round with a Champions League opponent, and the third is relegated to the European Conference League.
The clash with the Polish champions comes just three days before they travel to the Estádio da Luz to face Benfica on round 11 of the championship, while the Lisbon rivals are separated by three points with Sporting in the lead. champion.
The remaining games in the fourth round feature clashes between Roma, coached by Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, Liverpool, one of the strongest title contenders, and Bayer Leverkusen, the only team with a 100% winning record in the tournament. second continental club competition.
The Italians visit Slavia Prague in Group G, while the English and Germans travel to Toulouse (Group E) and Qarabag (H) respectively, after beating the French and Kazakhs in the same match in the previous round. 1.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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