Lisbon -
Porto and Benfica will play the first classic of the Primeira Liga in Portugal this Friday, January 15th of this season, two teams that, unlike other editions where they usually fight for the top spot, will try to close the gap with the leader, a solid Sporting CP.
Both teams are 4 points behind Sporting CP, although Porto has a more regular trajectory and is still alive in the Champions League, so in February they will face Juventus in the round of 16.
The team of Sérgio Conceiçao will not have any absences, except for Spanish defender Iván Marcano, who broke his ligaments last summer and is still in the recovery phase.
The Dragons take advantage of the good form of Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi and their midfielder Sérgio Oliveira, distinguished as the "best player of the month" in the Portuguese league by Portuguese coaches.
Porto has won seven consecutive league matches and will count on former Real Madrid player Pepe for the classic, who has been plagued by injuries in December.
On the other hand, Benfica, which spent around 90 million euros on signings in the summer transfer market, has not achieved the expected results, especially after the arrival of coach Jorge Jesus, who returned to Benfica after winning the league and Copa Libertadores with Flamengo.
Uruguayan Darwin Núñez is in the spotlight, as he has become the offensive reference for a Benfica team that was eliminated from the Champions League at the first opportunity and will face Arsenal in the round of 32 of the Europa League in February.
The Eagles need a victory to prevent the leader from increasing the point gap.
On the other hand, Sporting, where Ecuadorian winger Gonzalo Plata started the match, opened the curtain of the 14th league match by receiving Rio Ave at home, with three important absences that tested positive for Covid-19 in the last hours.
This is our starting 11 for today's match! --
Follow everything at: https://t.co/qBhuJzGN4E#SCPRAFC #LineUpSCP #DiaDeSporting #OndeVaiUmVãoTodos pic.twitter.com/XyZzqhxCjy
— Sporting Clube de Portugal (@Sporting_CP) January 15, 2021
These are Portuguese defender Luís Neto, left-back Nuno Mendes, and Slovenian forward Andraz Sporar, who are key pieces in the coach Rúben Amorim's starting eleven.
The Lions are the only team in the top European competitions that has not lost in the league, despite being eliminated from the Portuguese Cup in the round of 16 by Nacional this week. (D)