Gil Vicente and Sporting Lisbon will kick off Primeira Liga action in 2026 when the two sides meet at Estadio Cidade de Barcelos on Friday, as both teams look to make a strong start to the new year.
Sitting second in the Portuguese top-flight standings, the Lions will aim to close the five-point gap to the summit, at least temporarily, while the Roosters aim to strengthen their position in the top four.
Match preview
Sporting head into this encounter hoping victory improves their standing in the title race this time after last weekend’s 4-0 success failed to reduce the gap to the summit, following Porto’s win over AVS the next day.
However, there is no escaping the fact that the reigning champions were exceptional in that emphatic triumph over the Vilacondenses, registering 10 shots on target, three of which contributed to a hat-trick from Luis Suarez.
The result further highlighted Sporting’s attacking threat, having now won each of their last three games in the top flight by multiple-goal margins, scoring 14 times while conceding just once across that run.
That leaves Rui Borges’s men with 13 victories from their opening 16 Primeira Liga fixtures, having scored a league-high 46 goals and conceded just eight to retain the second-best defensive record in the division.
Sporting have also been almost flawless on their travels, claiming seven wins from eight away league games this season, with the only blemish coming in a 1-1 draw against city rivals Benfica, and they will be keen to take maximum points on Friday.
© Imago / Ball Raw Images
A four-game unbeaten run offers some encouragement in what has otherwise been a faltering spell for Gil, who have struggled to turn draws into wins, recording five stalemates in a six-match winless stretch, including each of the last four.
That sequence includes last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Arouca at Estadio Municipal, where Cesar Peixoto fought back from a two-goal deficit to earn a share of the spoils thanks to strikes from Pablo and Murilo de Souza.
The result took the Roosters’s points tally to 27 (W7, D6, L3), leaving them fourth and one point clear of fifth-placed Braga, while also marking the highest total they have recorded at this stage of a top-flight season, even with a game still to play.
Four wins and a draw from seven home matches suggest Gil could take something from Friday’s clash, though the Galos face a daunting task against opponents they have lost to in 11 of their last 13 meetings across all competitions (D2).
Gil Vicente Primeira Liga form:
Sporting Lisbon Primeira Liga form:
Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago / Sports Press Photo
Gil will again be without Ghislain Konan and Jonathan Buatu, who are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, meaning Marvin Elimbi and Antonio Espigares are likely to continue their partnership at the heart of the defence.
Jonathan Mutombo has been sidelined since October and is expected to miss out once more, while Agustin Moreira could be absent for a fifth successive match and Mohamed Bamba remains ruled out.
Pablo has scored in back-to-back games since returning from a brief injury layoff and will aim to continue that run as he looks to add to his league tally of 10 for the season.
Currently leading the Golden Boot race with 14 goals, Sporting striker Suarez will be full of confidence heading into this fixture after netting seven times in his last five league appearances.
On the injury front, the visitors will again be without winger Geny Catamo and centre-back Ousmane Diomande, with both players away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Nuno Santos, Zeno Debast, Georgia Quenda and Pedro Goncalves are all ruled out through injury.
Ivan Fresneda returns to contention after serving a one-match suspension for accumulated bookings, and a decision remains over who starts at right-back between him and Georgios Vagiannidis.
Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:
Andrew; Ze Carlos, Espigares, Elimbi, H Santos; S Garcia, Caseres; T Toure, Esteves, Murilo; Pablo
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Silva; Vagiannidis, Quaresma, Inacio, Mangas; Simoes, Hjulmand; Trincao; Ioannidis, M Araujo; Suarez
We say: Gil Vicente 1-2 Sporting Lisbon
Both of Gil’s home defeats this season have come in matches where they failed to find the net, and even if they do manage to score on Friday, outscoring a Sporting side that has struck at least twice in six of their eight away league games this term appears unlikely, making an away victory the most probable outcome.
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