Sporting – Benfica

Sporting and Benfica are equal opponents right now.

On Thursday, 31 July, Sporting will play against Benfica. The teams are kicking off the season in Portugal. This is a match for the Super Cup. Sporting secured a historic Golden Double last season: the team won the league and the Cup. Benfica will participate in the Super Cup as the holders of the second position. Sporting was built around the magical figure of Viktor Djoekeres last season. The Swede was in such great form that he nearly won the Golden Boot, missing out by just one goal to Kylian Mbappé. The top scorer transferred to Arsenal amid some controversy. Now Sporting will be building a new team. Dario Essugo and Marcus Edwards have officially left the club but the matter was resolved last year. However, the incoming transfers are not impressive so far. Sporting has definitely become weaker. They signed Giorgi Kochorashvili from Levante, who will play in the defensive midfield. The attack has been bolstered by the enigmatic winger Alisson Santos from Brazil. Currently, there is no direct replacement for Djoekeres – this is a colossal problem. Benfica faces a different difficulty – a lack of rest after the Club World Cup. The team has been preparing in a rush. In the USA, the club performed well, reaching the Round of 16 and only losing in extra time to the future winner Chelsea. Benfica has also lost its star: Álvaro Carreras returned to Real Madrid. In addition, they sold central striker Arthur Cabral to Brazil. Veteran João Mário has signed with Benfica. Arguably, the most significant loss emotionally is Ángel Di María. The veteran has decided to retire from European football at the age of 37. Among Benfica's signings, central midfielder Richard Rios stands out. The Colombian is a key player for his national team. They also signed two wide players: Amar Dedić joined from Salzburg, and Samuel Dhal previously played for Roma. Last season, Sporting significantly troubled Benfica. The teams played four matches – the 'Eagles' did not win any. In three of the encounters, the teams exchanged goals. Currently, both teams have changed considerably. A balanced game and goals are to be expected. At the same time, the issue with Sporting's attack remains unresolved. It seems the team will have to restructure more heavily than their opponent. On the other hand, facing Benfica presents issues due to fatigue. Sporting found it easier to prepare for the season. Bookmakers are offering roughly equal odds on the top clubs, but there is a positive trend in favour of Benfica. This is related to the transfer of Djoekeres. It is unlikely that anyone will gain a significant advantage in reality. A draw seems highly probable.