The year is close to coming to an end and Sporting will have a very full calendar. By the time 2025 arrives, the Lions will have to overcome six duels in the various competitions.
December has already started, which means the year is close to coming to an end, but football is still hot. The calendar is quite full for the ‘big three’ who compete in several competitions and, therefore, they will not have many days of rest until 2025 knocks on the door.
Sporting has a sequence of six games ahead of them, including duels for the Primeira Liga, Portuguese Cup and Champions League. So far, the Lions are well positioned in the various competitions, but have suffered two defeats in the last matches. It remains to be seen whether the Leo team will be able to turn things around and return to winning ways or will allow bad results to set in.
The first duel that the team coached by João Pereira will need to overcome is against Moreirense, in the 13th round of the championship, next Thursday. After the setback against Santa Clara, Sporting needs to emerge victorious from Moreira de Cónegos to consolidate their advantage at the top of the table, as their rivals took advantage of the slip-up to get closer to the lead.
After five days, the green and whites are back in action, this time for the sixth round of the Champions League league stage. The match will be against Club Brugge, who have three points less than Sporting in the league table. The Belgian team drew against Celtic in the last European duel, but were slightly superior throughout the game. On the other hand, the Portuguese team hosted Arsenal and was beaten 1-5, keeping ten points.
Upon returning to the Portuguese league, the lions will host Boavista in the 14th round, on December 14th. The duel with the chess teams precedes the round of 16 match of the Portuguese Cup with Santa Clara, and could lead João Pereira to do some management in the squad. Still, it is important for Sporting to secure the three points, not only because of the revalidation of the national title, but also from the point of view of the squad’s confidence.
In the next duel, the Leonine team will meet Santa Clara again, this time in the Portuguese Cup round, and will want to emerge victorious so they can move on to the premier competition. The game will be at the Estádio de Alvalade and will be decisive for the success of the season’s goals, as last season they lost in the final to FC Porto.
The next game is again related to the Primeira Liga and will be against Gil Vicente, for the 15th round. At this point, it remains to be seen whether Sporting has returned to its winning streak, managing to keep its rivals away from the top of the table, or whether it has slipped again and lost its lead in the championship.
After the Christmas season, it’s time to return to the Portuguese league and face Benfica in the Lisbon classic. On December 29th, Alvalade will host the eternal rivals for the first duel of the season between the two teams and it will be a fierce fight for the three points. If they win, it will be an excellent way to end the calendar year for the Lions, with confidence to start 2025 on the right foot.
The number of games in a short space will be challenging for any team, even more so because Sporting plays on several fronts. Therefore, it will be essential for the Leo coach to manage the squad well so that results are not compromised.
