Sporting-LASK Linz: Opening the doors in the Champions League?

Aafter the victories achieved over Galatasaray (by 3-1) and Lens (by 0-2), Sporting will receive, at the beginning of the night of Wednesday, the LASK Linz, knowing beforehand that a possible ‘three online’ will leave well routed, at least, the clearance for the playoff of the Champions League.

The lions add six points in six possible, and now have the opportunity to reach the nine, which, in the last sport season of 2025/26, were enough for Benfica and Bodo/Glimt to reserve a place in the next phase of what is the biggest competition of European football clubs.

At the front, the national runners-up in the title will have a theoretically inferior opponent... albeit from a bad memory, before which he was defeated, in the last two times he faced him, by category 3-0 (in 2019/20) and 1-4 (in 2020/21), on both occasions, counting on the Europa League.

A possible new surprise would, moreover, be seen with good eyes by the Austrians, as they continue to ‘zero’ in the million-dollar test, after defeats with AEK (by 0-1) and Liverpool (by 3-6), and live at the bottom of the table, without much margin of error, if they want to continue to aim for ‘survival’.

The Sporting-LASK Linz has an initial whistle scheduled for 8 p.m. (Hour of Continental Portugal), José Alvalade Stadium, and will be beeped by Scottish Nicholas Walsh, who will lead a team composed by assistants Francis Coonor and Daniel McFarlane, fourth referee Donald Robertson, VAR Stuar Attwell and AVAR Piotr Lasyk.

Coaches in direct speech

Rui Borges

Importance of winning: “ We don't guarantee clearance, now we take an important step, if we get nine points, to achieve the first goal, which is the Champions League playoff. That will always be the first goal. It's very important to win. We know how important it is to win at home, even before great opponents”.

Good moment from Luis Suárez: “ We have to take this moment, he has to enjoy it too, but above all, I see him very focused on the collective and on helping the team, and that's Luis' big difference. It leaves everything in the field and is rewarded for its individual and technical capacity. The finishing capacity is fantastic. It is rewarded with goals, this is what it wants and seeks, but it knows that if it does not give to the leg, there are two more advanced to play”.

Change of hierarchy in goal: “It is a decision of the master. You're all waiting to see who's playing tomorrow because of the features... I have two great goalkeepers. Above all, you must be aware that you can play and may not play, so it is certain that, within the features, in the last game, Kaique was important. Tomorrow, the game may have different features. Within what LASK is, it is a decision I will make tomorrow.”.

Dietmar Kuhbauer

Sporting at a good time: “Sporting played very well in the first two Champions League games and we will have to fulfill our mission very rigorously. We have to be on point. To do this, we need a maximum performance.”

Praise Luis Suárez: “I think Luis Suárez is one of many good players Sporting has. Of course it's a great goal scorer, but we expect to neutralize it completely. We're going to face the whole team and it's important that we all work together. They're a good team as a whole. We really have to prepare for everyone.”

Response to Rui Borges: “We want to make a big game and win, about what we will do I can’t say much but it seems that Sporting coach already knows... let’s play our game.”

Last results

Sporting: V-E-E-V-V

LASK Linz: D-E-D-D-V

Last elevens

Sporting: Kaique Pereira; Iván Fresneda, Gonçalo Inácio, Eduardo Quaresma, Maxi Araújo; Sergi Altimira, Issa Doumbia, João Simões; Geny Catamo, Nestory Irankunda and Luis Suárez.

LASK Linz: Lukas Jungwirth; Florian Flecker, Daniel Elfadli, German, Miguel Freckleton, Yvan Dibango; Melayro Bogarde, Sascha Horváth; Robert Ljubic, Samuel Adeniran and Sasa Kalajdzic.

Absence

Sporting: Zeno Debast, Nuno Santos and Rodrigo Zalazar (injured).

LASK Linz: George Bello, Moses User and Ramiz Harakate (injured).