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Borussia Dortmund will look to put the frustration of last Friday’s home draw against Hertha Berlin behind them as they look to stay top of the table in the UEFA Champions League against Sporting Club Portugal.
The Lisbon club has been out of action since October 13 following a 1-0 win in the Portugese Domestic Cup over FC Famalicao. Sporting’s last action in the Champions League came in the form of a 2-0 win against Legia Warsaw.
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Quick Ball Movement
Sporting makes a habit on terrorizing opponents with quick passes. The crisp movement allows plays to develop rapidly, giving defenses less time to cut out the chances. Sporting is tough to defend in this regard, although its shot selection is normally not as smart as its passing game.
KEY TO THE GAME: Tighten Up
Sporting has found success this season by finding gaps in opposing defenses and playing balls in between. Who isn’t successful at that, right? But Sporting has perfected it to a T. Both goals in its last UCL game came as a result of picking out holes in the opponent’s defense. Dortmund’s backline, whoever it may be, will need to keep it tight on defense.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Bas Dost
IF the Dutchmen is in the lineup against Dortmund, he will tough to contain. Dost came over to Sporting from Wolfsburg and had a relatively successful stint in the Bundesliga. Since joining the Lisbon club, Dost has scored once in just two matches and will use his past Bundesliga experience to terrorize Dortmund.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
- Formation: 4-4-2
- Goaltender: Rui Patricio
- Defenders: Jefferson, Ruben Semedo, Sebastian Coates, Joao Pereira
- Midfielders: Lazar Markovic, Adrien Silva, William Carvalho, Gelson Martins
- Forwards: Bas Dost, Bryan Ruiz
PREDICTION: 2-0 Dortmund
It’s never easy to win on the road, but it has to be done. Sporting barely managed a 2-0 win over Legia in the last leg and with the speed Dortmund possesses, it could be a rather rough day at the office for the Sporting defense.