The defeat to Arsenal (3:1) last round was Bayern’s first of the season in all competitions. Whether Kompany will draw conclusions from it – we will find out closer to the Champions League playoffs. In the meantime, the “record master”, who has rested a little, is intensively preparing for Sporting to consolidate his position in the top 8 of the general round. Union and PSV are also ahead, so everything is in the hands of the German champion.
Over the weekend, Bayern defeated Stuttgart with a half-reserve (0:5). The humiliating score was ensured by Kane’s hat-trick, scored after coming on as a substitute. Ta, Stanisic (played half), Pavlovich and Karl also got a break. The Swabians exposed themselves with aggressive pressure and also failed to take advantage of the Bavarians’ weakness on set pieces in defense. But the contrast with the cup match with Union (2:3) was telling, because the core team played there, but they were completely exhausted.
Luis Dias’ suspension was reduced, but he will still miss the game against the Portuguese. Karl, who scored 2 goals in 2 starts in the Champions League, should come in instead, and Gnabry will move to the left wing. Davis and Musiala have recovered from serious injuries, but their return should be expected in early 2026. Boe also fell ill. On the plus side: rotation on weekends, they clearly saved their strength for the Champions League.
Sporting
With the departure of Amorim and the summer sale (forwards Dioqueres and Garder, defender Essugu left), Sporting slumped a bit. But they still managed to win the championship, and now, under the leadership of Rui Borges, they have made decent progress: they have not conceded in 12 matches in all tournaments, of which they have won 9. True, after the derby with Benfica (1:1), they fell behind Porto by 5 points, but that’s against an opponent who has lost only 2 points in 13 rounds.
On the other hand, in the Champions League, which was clearly the focus, everything is going well. They beat those they had (“Kairat” (4:1) and “Club Brugge” (3:0)). They used the opportunities provided by their opponents (“Marseille” played with ten men in the second half, thanks to which the Portuguese won a strong-willed victory 2:1). And they drew in Turin (1:1). Of the unpleasant things – 9 out of 10 were scored at home, which does not look very rosy before the trip to Munich.
Sporting is without Belgium centre-back Zeno Debast, who can also play in defence. He will be replaced in the heart of defence by the equally adventurous Diomande. Plus, Bragança’s deep-lying playmaker is unavailable. Although with his athleticism, he would hardly have made it to Bayern. Nuno Santos is also in the infirmary. Another nuisance is the threat of a ban for Gonçalves, Araujo and Uhlmann. One yellow card and they will miss the game with PSG.
Approximate compositions
Bayern: Neuer – Laimer, Upamecano, Ta, Stanisic – Kimmich, Goretzka – Oliseh, Karl, Gnabry – Kane
Sporting: Silva – Fresneda, Inácio, Diomande, Araujo – Simoes, Jühlmann – Catamo, Trincão, Gonçalves – Suarez
Standings
| # | Team | AND | IN | N | P | P | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14-1 | 15 |
| 2 | Paris Saint-Germain | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 19-8 | 12 |
| 3 | Bavaria | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15-6 | 12 |
| 4 | Inter | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12-3 | 12 |
| 5 | Real | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12-5 | 12 |
| 6 | Borussia | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17-11 | 10 |
| 7 | Chelsea | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12-6 | 10 |
| 8 | Sporting | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11-5 | 10 |
| 9 | Manchester City | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10-5 | 10 |
| 10 | Atalanta | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6-5 | 10 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11-4 | 9 |
| 12 | Atletico | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12-10 | 9 |
| 13 | Liverpool | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10-8 | 9 |
| 14 | Galatasaray | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8-7 | 9 |
| 15 | PSV | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13-8 | 8 |
| 16 | Tottenham | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10-7 | 8 |
| 17 | Bayer | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8-10 | 8 |
| 18 | Barcelona | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12-10 | 7 |
| 19 | Karabakh | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8-9 | 7 |
| 20 | Naples | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6-9 | 7 |
Bets and odds
HOME WIN 1.26
DRAW 6. 66
AWAY WIN 10.0
Prediction for the match Bayern – Sporting from FULLTIMEPREDICT.COM
Sporting looked very decent away against Juventus and Napoli. But it’s hard to compare the Italian giants with Bayern Munich of this season’s caliber. The only thing that can save the Portuguese from a fiasco is the opponent’s fatigue. It’s important for Lisbon to clearly deviate in the first half and hope that the Bavarians won’t have enough strength to attack. Bet: handicap on Bayern (-1.5) with odds of 1.64.
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