UCL Quarterfinal: Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal preview, prediction, team news and head-to-head

• Over 3.5 goals

• Both teams to score

• Match to end in a draw

First went the quadruple dream, dashed by Manchester City in the EFL Cup final. Then followed the treble goal, upset by Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Two lofty Arsenal dreams extinguished on either side of the March international break to leave their supporters with the all-too familiar mounting feeling of bottling once again.

However, the Gunners are still well placed to finish the Premier League season top of the pile, and will be keen to add the Champions League to their trophy cabinet. They must first arrest their losing run, though, and Sporting will provide firm opposition.

Arsenal remain the only side yet to suffer defeat in Europe’s elite competition this season, finishing top of the league phase with a perfect record before overcoming Bayer Leverkusen across two legs in the round of 16.

As Arsenal aim to reach the semi-finals in successive seasons, and only a fourth time overall, Viktor Gyokeres will be eyeing a first taste of success in this fixture as he returns to his former stomping ground.

Sporting, however, are on an impressive Champions League run largely built on their formidable record at Jose Alvalade.

After suffering a 3-0 defeat in the round of 16 first leg at Bodo/Glimt, Rui Borges’s men became just the fifth side to overturn a three-goal deficit in the Champions League knockout, recording a stunning 5-0 triumph in the return leg at Jose Alvalade to seal a historic quarter-final berth.

That victory marked the beginning of Sporting’s current surge, with the Lions winning each of their last three matches, scoring at least four goals in each, and they will hope that attacking momentum carries into Tuesday’s clash against a potentially weakened Arsenal defence.

Sporting and Arsenal have squared off seven times in all competitions. The Gunners have the lead in the head-to-head record with three wins. Leões have just one win to their name, and one game has ended in a draw.

Both teams met in the league phase of the competition last season, and the visitors secured a comfortable 5-1 away win.

Sporting Lisbon Champions League form: 🟩🟥🟩🟩🟥🟩

Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions): 🟩🟧🟥🟩🟩🟩

Arsenal Champions League form: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟧🟩

Arsenal form (all competitions): 🟩🟧🟩🟩🟥🟥

Arsenal’s defeat to Southampton also brought fresh concerns, as centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off, and Arteta’s post-match update on the situation did little to ease fears, with the Brazilian now a major doubt for Tuesday’s encounter.

That represents the latest fitness setback for the North London club, who had several regulars miss Saturday’s game following the international break, during which multiple players withdrew, though the hope is that Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber will be fit to return.

Meanwhile, Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapie and Mikel Merino are confirmed absentees for the trip to Lisbon as they continue their recoveries from injury.

With five goals in his last three appearances across club and country, Gyokeres enters this encounter full of confidence as he prepares to face his former side.

The man tasked with filling Gyokeres’ boots, Luis Suarez, has scored in Sporting’s last three Champions League home matches, netting four times in that stretch, and he will aim to continue that run.

The hosts will remain without Fotis Ioannidis, Geovany Quenda and Nuno Santos, while Luis Guilherme is also a doubt due to an ankle problem, and Ivan Fresneda — who missed the previous outing through illness — is touch and go for this one.

Furthermore, Sporting must cope without captain Morten Hjulmand, who is suspended for this clash, meaning Braganca could once again partner Hidemasa Morita in a double pivot.

Sporting Lisbon: Silva; Vagiannidis, Diomande, Inacio, Mangas; Braganca, Morita; Catamo, Trincao, Goncalves; Suarez

Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Saliba, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Martinelli, Gyokeres, Saka

Arsenal are unbeaten in the first leg of their last eight European Cup/Champions League quarter-final ties (W3, D5), while Sporting are unbeaten in 20 home matches (W19, D1). Both sides enter with contrasting momentum but possess strong records to draw confidence from.

This encounter therefore appears finely balanced, with the two teams likely to cancel each other out in a contest that could feature goals at both ends, particularly if the Gunners are unable to field their strongest defensive pairing.

Correct score prediction: Sporting Lisbon 2-2 Arsenal