Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City face off on Tuesday in the Champions League. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+ from the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon.
Sporting will play their first UCL match since the announcement that manager Ruben Amorim would be leaving to take the reins at Manchester United, City's biggest rival. But they haven't really been tested domestically, most recently cruising to a 5-1 home win over Estrella on Friday.
City come into this one on the backs of a deserved 2-1 league defeat at Bournemouth, in which Pep Guardiola's side was clearly inferior for the first 75 minutes. But they've continued to be a better defensive side during their continental exploits, having yet to concede a goal while amassing seven points in the league phase so far.
Here is my Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City prediction.
Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City Odds, Picks, Prediction
| Man City Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-0.5 -130 | 2.5 -163o / 130u | -125 |
| Sporting Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+0.5 +102 | 2.5 -163o / 130u | +320 |
- Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City moneyline odds: Sporting Lisbon -125, Draw +280, Man City+320
- Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City over/under: 2.5 goals (over +163, under -130)
- Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City pick: Sporting Lisbon 1st half, draw no bet (+165, BetRivers)
I am backing Sporting Lisbon to win the first half, draw no bet (+165, BetRivers) in Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City.
Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City Champions League Preview
For most potential Champions League opponents, this might represent the ideal time to have the Cityzens on the fixture list, at least if you have to play them.
The absence of freshly minted Ballon d'Or winner Rodri (as well as a couple of others) continues to depress the performances of Pep Guardiola's men. They'd mostly overcome that through the first few weeks after the Rodri news broke, based on a weaker-than-average schedule.
But as the opponents have strengthened, the results have slipped, with Saturday's defeat marking the second loss in a row following a League Cup defeat at Tottenham. City were probably more unfortunate to drop the midweek affair than their league defeat. But either way, they now face a third fixture away from home in seven days.
As for Sporting, there are rumors of discontent within the squad at Amorim's departure. And although Sporting romped to a 5-1 win over an Estrella side in a relegation scrap, the quality of the performance was inferior to the final score, with the hosts leaking more chances than their typical habits.
At the same time, individuals who may be eying a move to follow Amorim to the Premier League could see Tuesday as a unique platform to make their case. Star striker Viktor Gyokeres and prodigious defender Ousmane Diomande are the most obvious candidates, though, at this point, we are only at the conjecture stage.
All in all, though, the heavier weight has to come down on the fact that this is a bad spot for the visitors. And it's tempting to back the hosts to pull off an upset.
I'll stop just short of that, playing Sporting to win the first half. Of all the edges City have, the most obvious is their depth — even when hamstrung by several injuries. And in their most recent losses, they've still dominated the latter stages in search of an equalizer they just couldn't quite find.
So I'm playing the home side to win the first half on a draw no-bet wager at +165 and an implied 37.5% probability. If it's even at the break, it pushes.
Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City Prediction
Pick: Sporting Lisbon 1st half, draw no bet (+165, BetRivers)
