Matchday in focus: Sporting Clube de Portugal

Tactics

It’s likely that Sporting coach Rúben Filipe Marques Amorim will send out his team in a 3-4-3 formation. That’s the standard formation under the 37-year-old, which also led to a 3-0 success over Frankfurt in the reverse fixture.

Sébastian Coates is in command in the Sporting defence, with the 32-year-old also being the team captain. Matheus Reis and Goncalo Inácio normally partner him at the back, with ex-Mainz man Jeremiah St. Juste also an alternative.

Absentees

Luís Neto and Daniel Bragança are out injured, but attacker Pedro Gonçalves and right-back Ricardo Esgaio are available again following suspension.

For Eintracht, Christopher Lenz and Makoto Hasebe are sidelined due to injury. Tuta is available again after being suspended for the last Champions League match, while Ansgar Knauff also returns to the squad.

One to watch: Marcus Edwards

Marcus Edwards has been key to Sporting’s success this term.

Marcus Edwards opened the scoring in the previous meeting between the two sides before setting up another goal. The 23-year-old is regarded as the current shooting star in Amorim’s side.

Five goals, five assists: Edwards has been key to Sporting’s success this term.
Back to haunt former club: The London-born winger scored in the 1-1 draw with boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur.

Key battle: Tuta vs. Pedro Gonçalves

Tuta is set to return to the starting line-up after serving a one-match ban for his red card at Tottenham. If so, he’ll be up against Gonçalves, who ranks second in the Portuguese top flight for goals and assists combined after Benfica’s Gonçalo Ramos. The 24-year-old was the highest scorer in the league last season with 23 goals, and has already found the net six times this term as well as registering three assists, meaning he’s been involved in nearly half of Sporting’s league goals this season.

However, Gonçalves has yet to open his account in the current Champions League campaign, although he has posted one assist. After being forced to sit out the last game against Spurs following his sending off against Marseille in the previous outing, the left winger could be part of the Lions’attack against Eintracht. Tuta and his colleagues will have the task of frustrating him.