In addition to playing at home, the 'green and white' team is in a more privileged position, as it has a one-point advantage over the national champions and has one less game played, with Famalicão, which was postponed for security reasons.

The 'Lions' confidence increased with their recent qualification for the Taca de Portugal final, achieved on Tuesday with a 2-2 draw at Benfica's stadium, in the second leg of the semi-finals, after winning 2 -1 at home, in the first leg, played more than a month ago.

Sporting is also the only team that has a 100% winning record in front of their fans, while the 'Reds' have shown some weaknesses away from home, where they have already wasted 10 points, the last following a heavy defeat against FC Porto, 5-0.

Faced with so many setbacks, the team coached by German Roger Schmidt will be able to cling to the good performance they produced four days ago (despite having been at a disadvantage twice and having failed to qualify for the final of the Taca de Portugal) and, especially, the clash in the first round of the championship.

On November 12, 2023, Sporting reached the 90th minute leading 1-0, but the perseverance of the national champion allowed him to turn the result around and prevail 2-1, with two 'last-minute' goals, scored by João Neves, at 90+4, and by the Danish Casper Tengstedt, at 90+8.

Swede Viktor Gyökeres had opened the scoring in the 45th minute and, almost five months later, he once again became the most fearsome weapon in the team led by Rúben Amorim, as evidenced by his leadership of the competition's top scorers, with 22 goals.

The second clash between the Lisbon rivals in the same week, with the title as a backdrop and at a time in the 2023/24 season that no longer allows for slip-ups, with seven rounds to go before the end of the Liga NOS, relegates the remaining matches to a secondary level of the journey.

With nine points behind Benfica and 10 behind Sporting, FC Porto begins to focus on defending third-place, as fourth-placed Sporting de Braga was just two behind in the previous round, after that, the runner-up lost 1-0 at Estoril Praia.

The Braga team, under the command of interim Rui Duarte after the departure of Artur Jorge, will always benefit if they win on Saturday, at home, against Arouca, who remains in a comfortable seventh place, under the command of Daniel Sousa – the future coach of the Minho team. -, as the 'dragons' host Vitória de Guimarães, fifth-placed, three points away from the 'Arsenalistas' the following day.

At the 'tail' of the table there is also a decisive game, but in the fight for maintenance in the main echelon, between Desportivo de Chaves, 18th and last placed, and Portimonense, 16th, both in the 'red zone' ', who face each other at the Trás-os-Montes stadium.

The 28th round of the Liga NOS starts on Friday, with the reception of Farense (13th) to Boavista (10th), and concludes on Monday, with the clash between Casa Pia (ninth) and Estoril Praia (12th).


Schedule for Game Week 28:

- Friday, April 5th:

Farense – Boavista, 20:15

- Saturday, April 6:

Rio Ave - Gil Vicente, 15:30

Famalicão - Vizela, 15:30

Sporting de Braga – Arouca, 18:00

Sporting – Benfica, 20:30

- Sunday, April 7:

Desportivo de Chaves – Portimonense, 15:30

Moreirense - Estrela da Amadora, 18:00

FC Porto - Vitória de Guimarães, 20:30

- Monday, April 8:

Casa Pia - Estoril Praia, 20:15