Preview: Sporting Lisbon vs. Besiktas - prediction, team news, lineups

Sporting Lisbon welcome Besiktas to the Estadio Jose Alvalade for a repeat of their Champions League fixture from two weeks ago.

The two sides came into their previous encounter without a single point to show for their opening two games, but Sporting left Turkey with three points in the bag.

Match preview

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The Portuguese side's European campaign got off to a nightmare start with a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Group C leaders Ajax, with Sebastian Haller netting four goals as the Sporting defence capitulated.

Despite seemingly sorting out their problems at the back, they could only manage a narrow 1-0 loss away at Borussia Dortmund and so came into the game against Besiktas with their chances of progressing already fading.

An impressive 4-1 win, featuring a brace for defender Sebastian Coates, combined with Ajax's 4-0 rout of Dortmund has dragged them back into contention, though, as they sit three points behind BVB and level on goal difference.

They will be confident of repeating that result two weeks later on home soil, particularly as they now find themselves on a run of six consecutive victories in all competitions.

That run of form has moved the Leoes up to second in Portugal's Primeira Liga, just two points behind leaders Porto and with their prospects of repeating last season's league triumph looking far rosier than a few weeks back.

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Besiktas, on the other hand, have seen their hopes of silverware - both on the continent and domestically - fade badly in recent weeks.

The loss to Sporting means they will surely have to win all three remaining games to stand any chance of progressing, and anything but a win here will likely see them struggle even to claim a conciliatory Europa League spot via third in the group.

Things have not been going much better in the Super Lig either, where an effective six-pointer against Hatayspor last weekend ended in a narrow 1-0 loss and saw Sergen Yalcin's side slip back to fourth in the table.

Their 2-1 win against Galatasaray last Monday - where a Cyle Larin brace turned around an initial one-goal deficit - is a rarity that has come along with five losses in their last seven games.

Yalcin will have to do something to motivate his men on Wednesday if they are to end this current run and beat Sporting for the first time.

Team News

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The hosts have a pretty clean bill of health, with Tiago Tomas the only current injury concern.

Brazilian forward Tabata, who sustained a knee injury in a game against Aurora a little under a month ago, returned via a substitute appearance in the win over Vitoria de Guimaraes at the weekend.

Coates is set to remain as part of a back three and will look to add to his incredible run of four goals in the last four games.

Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi came off injured in the first half of the visitors' loss to Hatayspor and looks very unlikely to return in time for Wednesday's game.

He joins important midfielder Miralem Pjanic as well as Valentin Rosier, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and Ajdin Hasic in the treatment room.

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Inacio, Coates, Feddal; Porro, Palhinha, Nunes, Reis; Pote, Sarabia; Paulinho

Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Destanoglu; N'Sakala, Wellinton, Vida, Yilmaz; Ghezzal, Ucan, Josef, Hutchinson, Larin; Karaman

We say: Sporting Lisbon 2-0 Besiktas

Sporting will be high on confidence heading into the match, whilst their opponents are in turmoil and missing some crucial players. We can only see one result here, with at least a two-goal victory for the hosts.

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