Sporting CP vs Midtjylland prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-02-15 20:00.
Sitting 15 points adrift of leaders Benfica in the Primeira Liga, it looks increasingly unlikely Sporting CP are going to mount a title challenge, and last season’s runners-up actually sit as low as fourth following a 2-1 defeat to Porto at the weekend. The return of European action will therefore be a welcome distraction for Rúben Amorim’s side, who come into this UEFA Europa League (UEL) knockout play-off as a third-place Champions League (UCL) group finisher.
There were fortuitous circumstances around their progression as they actually lost 2-1 at home to Frankfurt in their final UCL group stage game and only edged Marseille into third spot thanks to a last-gasp winner from Tottenham at the Stade VĂ©lodrome. However Sporting may now be confident of profiting from that luck and taking a first-leg advantage back to Denmark as they have lost only four of their 35 UEL home matches (W23, D8).
The fact José Alvalade Stadium tends to be a fortress in Europe for the home side will certainly concern Midtjylland, who rarely travel well on the continent. They’ve secured victory in just one of their last 15 European away games (D6, L8), which includes a winless run across their last seven (D3, L4). There’s also an element of intrigue about what level Midtjylland will be at given they’ve not played a competitive game of football since November due to their domestic winter break.
In the UEL knockouts for just the second time ever, that domestic break perhaps came at a good time for Midtjylland who were winless in their last four domestic matches and currently sit in the bottom half of the Danish Super Liga which is a potential relegation spot. They’ll hope that European action can be the springboard to turn their season around, especially as they’ve suffered just one defeat in their last five UEL matches (W2, D2, L1), scoring at least twice in four of those games.
Key battle: Exciting teenager Youssef Chermiti has registered a second-half goal contribution in each of his last three Sporting appearances (G2, A1). Trying to stop him will be Midtjylland goalkeeper Jonas Lössl who, ahead of the round, has made the eighth most UEL proper saves (20).
Hot streak: Sporting have won all five of their previous two-legged knockout ties against Danish opposition (W7, D2, L1).