First it was the Premier League, then La Liga. And now, Primeira Liga followers finally get to have their season resume action after the Christmas hiatus. There was some Portuguese football action near the end of last month, in the form of the newly created Taca da Liga, but there is no better way to mark the resumption of the 2015/2016 campaign by having the two current top sides face off in a game that will determine if one side remains on top or another moves to the summit after 90 minutes of action.
Only one point divide league leaders Porto from Sporting CP, with reigning champions Benfica still in contention in the title race
Sporting CP
Hosts Sporting CP will come into this game having lost just one of their past five league fixtures, and overall, just one defeat in their first 14 games of the 2015/2016 Primeira Liga campaign. The Lions rebounded well after a disappointing 1-0 reversal versus União Madeira in their last league match before to the Christmas break by powering past Paços de Ferreira in the Taca da Liga three days prior to this big game.
Despite their league defeat last month, the hosts are still in pole position to seize top spot should they manage to do what no team has yet managed to do - take all three points from Porto - in Portuguese football's big clash later today.
Under ex-Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, Sporting are hoping to finally win their first Primeira Liga title since the 2000/2001 season
Porto
Meanwhile, Porto are flying high, but not just as the league leaders: the Dragons are currently the only unbeaten side left in the Primeira Liga. Outside Portugal, in Europe's "Big 5" leagues, only Ligue 1 powerhouse PSG can boast to have a perfectly unblemished record, with Les Parisiens having won 16 and drawn three out of their first 19 games.
Having enjoyed a good start to the season, Julen Lopetegui is hoping to steer Porto to their first league title since the 2012/2013 campaign
However, despite their perfect league record, Porto will be coming into this game having suffered a 3-1 defeat against Maritimo in their Taca da Liga clash. Whilst they were viewed as the heavy favourites for all three points, Maritimo did manage to make it to last season's final, meaning that they are a side that should be taken seriously, despite their own struggles in the league. As such, the visitors will be keen on rebounding from the disappointment in their last game of 2015 with a win to kick proceedings off in the new year.
Stats, facts, and head to head
This derby, called the Leões versus the Dragões (Lions vs the Dragons) is, along with O Classico, the biggest match in Portuguese football. Like La Liga's El Clasico, there is more than just football at stake when Sporting CP and Porto clash on the pitch, as it has also represented, at various points in time, an ongoing tug-of-war between the South and North of Portugal.
This fixture has been contested a total of 159 times in the Primeira Liga. Today's hosts Sporting CP have emerged as winners on 55 occasions, but it's visitors Porto who hold the slight edge, with 62 wins, so the remaining 42 clashes have finished as stalemates.
Meanwhile, in the Portuguese Cup, the 48 meetings are nearly split down the middle, with the Lions having won 16 times versus the Dragons' 17. Again, the remaining 15 games so far have concluded as draws. In the Portuguese League Cup as well as the Super Cup, there have been two and eight meetings respectively between these two sides.
Sporting CP, in the former competition, have won once, and drawn once, meaning that Porto's best result in the Portuguese League Cup has been a draw. In the Super Cup, again, the Lions have the advantage, with four wins, and four draws, whilst the Dragons have lost four and drawn the remaining quartet.
All in all, there have been a total of 217 meetings across all competitions between Sporting CP and Porto. Here's how the numbers break down:
- Sporting CP: 76 wins
- Porto: 79 wins
- Draws: 62
The last overall meeting between the two sides finished as a 3-0 win for Porto, and this exact same fixture at Sporting CP's home ground concluded as a one-all draw. However, during the 2013/2014 campaign, the Lions were able to slay the Dragons in a tense match that saw more yellows than goals and even concluded with one side (Porto) finishing the game with 10 men.
Which channel is broadcasting Sporting CP vs Porto on TV or Online?
For those who enjoy the Primeira Liga, this could not be a better way for them to start 2016 with a top of the table clash between two of Portugal's biggest sides. And to make sure Portuguese football fans do not miss out on the action, LiveSoccerTV.com has plenty of options to catch the game, especially for supporters who are not able to watch it pitch-side in Lisbon.
Here are some selections for Sporting CP and Porto followers who reside in the following countries:
- In the USA at 15.45 EST on: Sport TV Americas, NGSN USA, fuboTV, Univision Deportes USA
- In Portugal at 20.45 WET on: Sport TV1
- In the UK at 20.45 GMT on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport Europe
- In Canada at 15.45 ET on: Sport TV Americas
If you are a Portuguese football aficionado who lives outside these four countries, check out LiveSoccerTV's special Sporting CP vs Porto broadcast page for viewing options and times for wherever you call home.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
