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Arsenal remain favourites to win the Premier League but hopes of a cup treble have been decimated in the last couple of weeks after defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and a shock exit to Championship outfit Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
When the draw for the last eight of the Champions League was made, this looked the plum draw but suddenly doubts are creeping in.
Sporting wobbled when losing 3-0 to Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their last-16 tie but the Portuguese side stormed back to win the return 5-0 after extra time. In short, they’re a dangerous outfit at home.
Sporting v Arsenal kick-off time
Sporting v Arsenal kicks off at 20:00 BST on Tuesday, April 7 at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Sporting v Arsenal how to watch
The game will be shown live in the UK via Amazon Prime. Coverage begins at 18:30.
BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT will both provide live radio coverage.
Sporting team news
Sporting are without captain Morten Hjulmand due to suspension, while Fotis Ioannidis, Geovany Quenda and Nuno Santos are all ruled out with injuries.
Luis Guilherme is also a doubt due to an ankle problem, and Ivan Fresneda may return after missing the 4-2 win over Santa Clara through illness.
Arsenal team news
Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, a key presence in both boxes, was taken off with injury in the loss to Southampton and is a big doubt.
Fellow defender Piero Hincapie is definitely missing while Eberechi Eze isn’t yet fit to return to midfield.
Mikel Merino also remains sidelined, although Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber should all be back in the matchday squad.
Sporting v Arsenal odds
For Tuesday evening’s meeting in Portugal, Sporting are as big as 4/1 to take a first-leg lead. Arsenal are 8/11 to win on the night while the Draw is 13/5.
The Gunners are incredibly short at just 1/5 to qualify for the last four while Sporting are 5/1 to reach the semis.
Despite recent domestic cup exits, Arsenal remain 14/5 favourites to win the Champions League. Sporting are the outsiders of the eight teams left in at 50/1.
Sporting v Arsenal prediction
The market has Arsenal as Champions League favourites but a big part of that is their favourable draw.
But if, as expected, they get past Sporting, the winners of Barcelona v Atletico Madrid await and that suddenly seems a big ask.
True, Arsenal were the dominant side in the Champions League group phase but it’s how you finish the tournament that counts and Mikel Arteta’s men are starting to look less than convincing.
Sporting may not have enough over two legs to see off the Gunners but for this opening game, a team with 19 wins and a draw from their last 20 home matches needs to be respected.
The Portuguese knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League in the last 16 in 2022/23 after a penalty shootout.
That followed a pair of stalemates and another draw is the call here at 13/5.
Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres signed from Sporting last summer, so he will be back on familiar turf and looks the best goalscorer bet.
There’s more than one angle to that though. The striker is in great form after netting a hat-trick against Ukraine, scoring the goal that took Sweden to the World Cup finals and adding another in the FA Cup loss to Southampton.
Gyokeres is 9/5 in the anytime scorer markets.
