Sporting’s final league match before the Christmas break is a tricky-looking encounter at 6th-placed Académica.
Sporting coach Domingos Paciência has worked wonders to mould a completely new set of players into a team that can legitimately claim to be right in the mix to win silverware this season.
The Lions have won 15 or their last 18 matches, and the defeat against Lazio in midweek will have done nothing to dent their confidence. Indeed, with the top spot in their Europa League group sewn up before the trip to Rome, Domingos fielded a second-string side precisely to rest players ahead of the trip to Coimbra.
As before the midweek match, the coach reiterated the fact that he considers the game on Sunday a crucial game. “We are aware that to keep the points gap to our rivals the same we can’t lose points in this game,” he said.
Académica have clocked up some impressive results this season, no more so than beating FC Porto 3-0 recently in the Portuguese Cup. Domingos is expecting a tough examination of his side.
“It’s a tough trip for several reasons: Académica are going through a good spell, they are well placed in the table, so they can approach the game without much pressure.”
One of the reasons the Students have enjoyed success so far is undoubtedly down to the work of their young coach, Pedro Emanuel. The former FC Porto captain has made a smooth transition into management, and already he is being touted as the future coach of Porto.
“I’m expecting a keenly fought game between two teams who will be striving for the three points,” said Emanuel. “We’ll be facing opponents who have not been so well placed to make a championship challenge for years.
“What we have to do above all else is be equal to ourselves. We have to be an honest, determined and focused team, with a very strong collective spirit. We know what we have to do both individually and collectively to counter the favoritism of Sporting.”
Kick off at 7.15pm local time on Sunday at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra.
The Lions have won 15 or their last 18 matches, and the defeat against Lazio in midweek will have done nothing to dent their confidence. Indeed, with the top spot in their Europa League group sewn up before the trip to Rome, Domingos fielded a second-string side precisely to rest players ahead of the trip to Coimbra.
As before the midweek match, the coach reiterated the fact that he considers the game on Sunday a crucial game. “We are aware that to keep the points gap to our rivals the same we can’t lose points in this game,” he said.
Académica have clocked up some impressive results this season, no more so than beating FC Porto 3-0 recently in the Portuguese Cup. Domingos is expecting a tough examination of his side.
“It’s a tough trip for several reasons: Académica are going through a good spell, they are well placed in the table, so they can approach the game without much pressure.”
One of the reasons the Students have enjoyed success so far is undoubtedly down to the work of their young coach, Pedro Emanuel. The former FC Porto captain has made a smooth transition into management, and already he is being touted as the future coach of Porto.
“I’m expecting a keenly fought game between two teams who will be striving for the three points,” said Emanuel. “We’ll be facing opponents who have not been so well placed to make a championship challenge for years.
“What we have to do above all else is be equal to ourselves. We have to be an honest, determined and focused team, with a very strong collective spirit. We know what we have to do both individually and collectively to counter the favoritism of Sporting.”
Kick off at 7.15pm local time on Sunday at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra.
