Sporting Vs Estoril Praia — Sporting seek momentum as Porto loom in cup tie
sporting vs estoril praia pitches second-placed Sporting Lisbon against seventh-placed Estoril Praia on Friday, with Sporting four points behind leaders Porto and looking to build form ahead of a cup semi-final next week.
By Adeyeye Oluwapelumi | 25 Feb 2026 17: 46, Last updated: 25 Feb 2026 18: 22
Sporting Vs Estoril Praia
Sporting arrive off a 3–0 win at Moreirense last weekend, when Francisco Trincao, Geny Catamo and Luis Suarez all found the net after the interval, extending an unbeaten run that has stretched to nine matches across all competitions (W8, D1) since elimination from the Taça da Liga semi-final. The victory also keeps Sporting on the back of a 19-game Primeira Liga unbeaten run (W15, D4) that they will look to protect on Friday.
Second place and the Porto factor
Sporting sit second in the table, four points adrift of Porto, who face Arouca earlier in the evening; Friday’s match is a chance to close the gap should Porto slip. With the first leg of their Taça de Portugal semi-final against Porto set for next Tuesday at Estadio Jose Alvalade, Rui Borges has framed the fixture as important for momentum—Borges said, "This will be one of the most difficult games we'll have this season. "
Sporting's recent form and injury list
Rui Borges’s side have collected maximum points from all 18 previous league matches against teams currently outside the top five, a sequence that includes a 1–0 victory away to Estoril in September and a run of nine straight wins in the fixture. Sporting have prevailed in their last 13 home matches across all competitions. Sporting will remain without centre-back Zeno Debast, who is nursing a ligament issue, and midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili is set to miss a fourth consecutive match through injury. Chelsea-bound winger Geovany Quenda is still in London recovering from foot surgery and has been sidelined since early December. On a more positive note, midfielder Pedro Goncalves is unclear in the provided context.
Estoril's attacking form and defensive worries
Estoril travel to Lisbon off a morale-boosting 3–1 victory over Gil Vicente at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota last weekend. After bouncing back from a heavy defeat to AVS, Estoril conceded from the penalty spot inside the opening 15 minutes before Felix Bacher restored parity moments later; a second-half brace from Yanis Begraoui secured the win for Ian Cathro’s side. The Canaries have won six of their last nine league matches (D1, L2) and scored three or more goals in five of those victories, giving them the third-best attacking record in the division with 46 Primeira Liga strikes—two more than leaders Porto.
Travel form, defence and what to watch
Despite their scoring punch, Estoril have been vulnerable at the back, conceding 39 times, a contrast with Sporting’s league-high 59 goals. The Canaries have also struggled away, losing six of their 11 Primeira Liga road fixtures this season, with four of those defeats coming in their last six on the road (W2). Those travel problems and defensive frailties are the clearest avenues for Sporting to press an advantage on Friday.
Head-to-head and immediate ramifications
The sides have met nine times recently with Sporting winning each encounter, and Sporting’s dominance includes that 1–0 September victory at Estoril. Friday’s result will shape short-term preparations: a Sporting win would reinforce momentum before the Taça de Portugal semi-final first leg at Estadio Jose Alvalade next Tuesday, while an Estoril result would underline their resurgence after the Gil Vicente win.
Sporting travel to this match chasing points to stay within touching distance of Porto; Estoril arrive hoping to translate recent scoring form into an upset in Lisbon. The next confirmed fixture on the calendar is the Taça de Portugal semi-final first leg between Sporting and Porto at Estadio Jose Alvalade next Tuesday.
