They both shoot – yes
They both shoot – yes
Arsenal are having a great season. For the first time in a long time, the team can win Premier League gold medals. After 27 matches played, they lead the table, breaking away from the nearest persecutor – Manchester City by 5 points.
In the first leg at José Alvalade, the Gunners avoided defeat (2-2) thanks to an own goal by Morita. In this match, Mikel Arteta used rotation, which once again shows the priorities of the club.
In terms of expected goals scored (xg = 1.93) and goals conceded (xga = 0.97), Arsenal are ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Premier League.
Sporting is able to capitalize on Arsenal’s focus on the domestic championship, but to do so, they need to play the perfect match. In Primeira Liga, the team is in 4th place, 5 points behind the Champions League zone.
On the eve of this match, the Lizards warmed up with Boavista (3:0), thanks to which they extended their winning streak to 4 matches.
In terms of expected goals scored (xg = 2.08) and goals conceded (xga = 0.88), they are in the top three in their league.
I think Arsenal will rotate their starting line-up again in this game and they won’t be able to show their full potential. However, even in this case, the Gunners are unlikely to have problems in attack.