Arsenal are out to secure a second successive UEFA Champions League semifinal appearance but must finish the job against Sporting on Wednesday night.
The Gunners had to wait until the 91st minute for Kai Havertz to score the only goal of the game, securing a crucial 1-0 away win in the first leg last Tuesday.
Despite that victory, Arsenal are on a shaky run of form that could see them bottle an English Premier League lead that they have held on to for most of the season. Mikel Arteta’s side have not won the domestic title in 24 years.
They are coming off a shock 2-1 home loss to minnows Bournemouth over the weekend, while their opponents Sporting were 1-0 winners at Estrela on Saturday.
The Portuguese giants come into the match on a better run of form, and their performance last week was convincing enough to still give them a glimmer of hope going into the second leg.
However, Sporting have only managed one win in their last eight European away games and this could just be the toughest one yet. If they overcome the Arsenal test, this will be their maiden appearance in the semis of the competition.
What time does Arsenal vs Sporting start?
The game kicks off at 10PM E.A.T at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal vs Sporting team news
The hosts are still without key players Bukayo Saka and Martin Odeegard, with their absence felt in recent weeks. Havertz may start after his heroics last week as well as Leandro Trossard.
Noni Madueke may have to settle for a place on the bench, as Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres lead the Arsenal attack.
The back four is set to remain unchanged from the first leg, with David Raya in goal.
As for the visitors, they are not expected to make any changes to the side that started in the first leg at home last week. Top scorer Luis Suarez will hope to have better luck in front of goal as he leads the line.
Arsenal vs Sporting head-to-head and current form
In the last five head-to-head matches between these two sides, Arsenal lead with two victories compared to Sporting’s solitary 2-1 win in the Europa League two seasons ago. The remaining two games resulted in a draw.
The Gunners have lost three of their last five games, including the 2-1 loss to Bournemouth a few days ago. They take on a Sporting side who have won all but one of their last five games.
Sporting have also lost just one of their last 11 away games in all competitions, giving this fixture an enticing edge.
ALSO READ: Arsenal fixtures: Latest fixture list, next match and results
Current form:
Arsenal – LWLLW
Sporting – WLWWW
Arsenal vs Sporting previous games
Arsenal vs Sporting prediction
Before last week’s game, the previous four games between these two clubs had always produced over 2.5 goals. It is expected that this second leg will be less cagey than the first, opening up both sets of attacking players.
We can go with goals here, rather than the expected Arsenal home win.
Prediction – Over 1.5 goals – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!