The first silverware of the Portuguese domestic season is up for grabs on Saturday evening, as reigning champions Sporting Lisbon face off against Taca de Portugal winners Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup at the Estadio Municipal de Aveiro.
Sporting's Reign and Porto's Transition
Sporting Lisbon enjoyed a dominant 2023-24 campaign, securing their first Primeira Liga title since 2021 with an impressive 90 points from 34 matches. The Leoes were spearheaded by the prolific Viktor Gyokeres, who bagged an astounding 43 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions. Their home fortress, Estadio Jose Alvalade, proved insurmountable for opponents, with Sporting winning all 17 league matches there last season, scoring 57 goals and conceding just 11.
Meanwhile, Porto experienced a mixed season under Sergio Conceicao, who departed after seven trophy-laden years at the helm. Their failure to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2016 was a significant blow, and they finished a disappointing 18 points behind Sporting in the league standings. However, they concluded the season on a high by lifting the Taca de Portugal trophy with a 2-0 victory over Sporting, thanks to goals from Evanilson and Mehdi Taremi, who has since moved to Inter Milan.
New Era for Porto
The Dragoes are now under the stewardship of Vitor Bruno, who has the task of guiding them back to the top of Portuguese football. He has overseen a productive pre-season, with Porto winning all five of their friendly matches and conceding just a single goal. Despite their recent struggles, Porto are the most successful club in the Super Cup's history, having lifted the trophy 23 times, though their most recent experience in the competition ended in a 2-0 defeat to Benfica in 2023.
Team News and Potential Lineups
Sporting Lisbon have lost experienced centre-back Sebastian Coates, who has returned to Uruguay to join Nacional. The Leoes have brought in young defender Zeno Debast, who arrives fresh from featuring for Belgium at Euro 2024. Pedro Goncalves and Trincao, both scoring twice in pre-season, are in good form and are set to start on the wings.
Porto remain without left-back Zaidu Sanusi, who suffered a serious knee injury in February. Youngster Martim Fernandes impressed in the recent 4-0 thrashing of Al-Nassr and could feature on the left side of the defence.
Despite both sides entering the match on the back of positive pre-season runs, Sporting Lisbon hold the edge as they prepare for a new campaign under manager Ruben Amorim, who guided them to league glory last season. Porto, still adapting to life under their new manager, will face an uphill battle against the reigning champions.
Our Prediction: Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Porto
This match promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams eager to secure the first major trophy of the new season. Sporting Lisbon's attacking prowess and recent dominance in the league make them the slight favourites, but Porto's ambition and determination to reassert themselves at the top of Portuguese football could make this a closely fought contest.
