Sporting pursues the second triumph in Champions and FC Porto the first

O Sporting pursues the second victory in the League of Football Champions, in the visit to Lens in boiling, while FC Porto seeks to win the first triumph by receiving Betis on the second day of the league phase.

After the triumph at the Alvalade premiere, in front of the Turks of Galatasaray, by 3-1, the ‘lions’ move on Tuesday to the stadium of the French vice-champion to face a team going through a troubled period, following the dismissal of German coach Dino Toppmöller, who was replaced by deputy Yannick Cahuzac

Lens is far from the radiance of the last season, in which Paris Saint-Germain – currently a two-time European champion – forced to re-validate the French title, even though he won at the 2026/27 ‘Champions’ premiere in the field of the Prague Sparta, for 3-2, thanks to two goals scored after 90 minutes (the first with assistance from the Portuguese Mezian Soares).

The first steps in the French League were not so safe, as Lens won only two of the six games held, which left the next opponent of Sporting in the ninth place, but the Lisbon team also recently starred in some compromising slips in the Portuguese championship, before winning in the visit to Sporting Braga (3-1).

The team trained by Rui Borges had tied the previous two games, with Famalicão (1-1) and Arouca (2-2), being six points away from the leader FC Porto, who won the eight matches played in the race, among which in the reception to Benfica, second positioned, by 3-1.

The national championship champion – and European in 1987 and 2004 – did not have such an auspicious debut in the most important European club competition, even though the 2-0 home defeat against Manchester City and the ‘bis’ of the Norwegian advanced Erling Haaland are far from being an unexpected outcome.

The training trained by Italian Francesco Farioli, who will not be able to count on the Brazilian advanced William Gomes due to injury, will not expect facilities on Wednesday, when he receives the Betis, since the Spanish, winners at the Lille premiere, by 3-2, such as Lens, are – in contrast with the French – continuing the good campaign they carried out in the previous season.

The Seville club occupies a sensational fourth place in the La Liga, just behind the leader FC Barcelona and the Atlético de Madrid, and provisionally behind Real Madrid, trained by the Portuguese José Mourinho and who is part of the team the compatriot Bernardo Silva.

For the colossus of Madrid, his ‘beach’ is even the Champions League and the outstanding record holder of titles, with 15 trophies won, already began by demonstrating it in the current edition, by debuting with a home victory over the Inter Milan, by 2-1, preparing for a trip on Wednesday to Rome.

However, the second round's biggest poster game will be the reception of Manchester City, champion in 2023, to Paris Saint-Germain, winner of the last two ‘Champions’ and who started defending the title with a 6-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, a confrontation between the Portuguese international Matheus Nunes and Reuben Dias, from the English side, and Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Vitinha, in the French.

The remaining candidates for the succession of the Parisians (all winners on the opening day) will have the life, theoretically, easier after the long break for the national selections games: Arsenal, current European runner-up, receives Lille, while Bayern Munich, Liverpool and FC Barcelona move to the Viking stadiums, LASK Linz and Galatasaray, respectively.