Eintracht Frankfurt vs Sporting prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-06 16:45.
After scoring eight times in two Bundesliga games (W2), Eintracht Frankfurt appeared to have shaken off their hangover from last season’s UEFA Europa League (UEL) triumph in time for their maiden UEFA Champions League (UCL) group game against Sporting Lisbon. As the only group-stage debutants this season, Frankfurt are making their first appearance in UEFA’s top-tier competition since 1959/60, when they went all the way to the final (L 7-3 to Real Madrid), but few will be expecting a repeat.
Nevertheless, leaving aside mixed results against Portuguese opponents in UEFA competition (W2, D2, L2), they’ll draw plenty of confidence from last season’s run to UEL glory when they were unbeaten here (W2, D4). If that sequence is anything to go by though, entertainment might be in short supply as four of those fixtures featured under three goals.
Sporting’s underwhelming start to their season (W2, D1, L2) also suggests a free-flowing game might not materialise, even if they could be eyeing up European success to kickstart their stuttering campaign. As they seek to emulate making the UCL round of 16 last season, they’ve only won one of their last eight fixtures against German opponents (D1, L6) so this is a tough early test of that ambition.
With one European away win in six attempts though (D1, L4), the Portuguese side could struggle in a tricky Group D which contains three other teams with European titles to their names, especially if they start slowly. Not that it would come as a surprise as they’ve only opened one of their last six UCL group-stage campaigns with victory (D1, L4).
Players to watch: Rafael Borré completed the scoring as Frankfurt beat RB Leipzig 4-0 on Saturday, having done likewise in their final two UEL games last term. Pedro Gonçalves is Sporting’s leading scorer this term with three goals, two of them match openers.
Hot stat: Sporting have never won a European fixture in Germany (D1, L13).