Champions League
2026-04-07 - Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League Quarter Final First Leg
Tuesday 7th April 2026 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Sporting Lisbon
When Ruben Amorim departed as manager of Sporting Lisbon in November 2024, there was a real concern amongst the supporters that this period of success would come to an end. The Amorim stock plummeted at Manchester United, but Rui Borges took over at Sporting and won the title last season.
The side are 5 points behind Porto in the Portuguese top flight, but with a game in hand, and Sporting Lisbon are still confident they can win the title for the third time in a row. This will be the first time they have done that since the early 1950s, while the stunning Second Leg win over Bodo/Glimt in the Last 16 of the Champions League has allowed Sporting to put together their best run in the premier European competition since reaching the Quarter Final in 1983.
Sporting Lisbon have lost 1 of the last 16 games played in all competitions and they overturned that 3-0 defeat at Bodo/Glimt in the Last 16 of the Champions League by beating them 5-0 at home in the Second Leg. The side are unbeaten in 9 at home in all competitions and Sporting have won 8 of those matches in normal time.
Key players were rested for the Sporting Lisbon win over Santa Clara. Ivan Fresneda was absent with an illness, but is hopeful of shaking that off in time for the First Leg of this Quarter Final. Nuno Santos remains doubtful for this fixture.
Arsenal
The League Cup Final defeat on one side of the March international break was followed by an upset FA Cup Quarter Final defeat at Southampton on the return and some Arsenal fans will be feeling nervous about what is to come. Mikel Arteta will know his team retain control of the destination of the Premier League title, while Arsenal do benefit from being on the 'easier' side of the Champions League bracket.
The Gunners have played 10 Champions League games this season and have won 9 of those, although the exception was the away Leg in the Last 16 against Bayer Leverkusen, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Last season Arsenal reached the Semi Final of the Champions League, which was the best run in this competition since 2009, but fans are expecting the squad to reach the Final for just the second time having done so twenty years ago.
Arsenal had been unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions, but have now suffered back to back defeats for the first time this season. They had won 3 away games in a row in all competitions before the 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen and then the 2-1 defeat at Championship Southampton.
Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard look like they will be available to travel and the expectation is the same for Bukayo Saka. There is concern around Gabriel, who had to come off with an injury on Saturday, but William Saliba can come in. Others like David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres should also start.
Head to Head
Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal have met five times previously and the former have yet to beat this opponent.
However, they did win the Europa League Last 16 tie between the clubs as recently as 2023 after both Legs ended in draws and Sporting held their nerve in the Penalty Shoot Out.
The most recent meeting was in the Champions League Group Stage last season and Arsenal ran away with a 1-5 win in Lisbon.
Prediction
The changes made to the Arsenal starting eleven did not help their cause, but Mikel Arteta will feel his team were a little unfortunate to lose to Southampton in the FA Cup Quarter Final.
The performance was much better than in the League Cup Final and Arsenal will have a number of key players available for this Champions League Quarter Final.
You have to say they are going to be a lot more dangerous with those players available, although Gabriel has to be a doubt, and Arsenal are set as strong favourites to win the First Leg.
Performances in the Champions League are hard to ignore, but English clubs have found it tougher in the second half of the competition. Some suggest that is down to the regular strength of opponents faced domestically, but Arsenal cannot have excuses with the way the draw has panned out and they should have enough to beat Sporting Lisbon over two Legs.
However, the First Leg is going to be challenging, as Arsenal found in the Last 16 when a little fortunate to return from Leverkusen with a draw. The injury pile up is far from ideal, even if some key names have been given over two weeks of rest since the League Cup Final defeat, and Arsenal have continued to be a team that are functional rather than spectacular.
Last season they did win 1-5 here in Lisbon, but Sporting have played well in the Champions League this season and the squad are going to be playing with some confidence. They have beaten a quality opponent like Paris Saint-Germain here and Sporting showed what they can do with momentum behind them when crushing upstarts Bodo/Glimt in the last Round.
Arsenal do have a solid history when visiting this opponent having won 2 of 3 trips to Sporting Lisbon, but it is hard to believe they are going to coast to a comfortable win here. At the moment there have been one or two signs that the long season is catching up with Arsenal and they may look to ensure they are in a solid position when returning home for the Second Leg and that may mean focusing on the defensive side of the performance rather than the attacking one.
The Premier League leaders can be very dangerous at their best, but that has not really been seen in the last couple of games and Sporting Lisbon look worth backing with the start on the Asian Handicap.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Sporting Lisbon 1-1 Arsenal
