Matchday 7 of the 2024/25 Champions League group stage will see RB Leipzig (Germany) host Sporting CP (Portugal) at the Red Bull Arena on January 22. RB Leipzig vs. Sporting CP: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Manfredas Lukjanchukas (Lithuania)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 30;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 38%.
Predicted lineups for RB Leipzig vs. Sporting CP
RB Leipzig (3-4-1-2): Maarten Vandevoordt – Lutsharel Geertruida, Willi Orban, Lukas Klostermann – David Raum, Kevin Kampl, Arthur Vermeeren, Nicolas Seiwald – Xavi Simons – Benjamin Sesko, Lois Openda.
Sporting CP (4-4-2): Franco Israel – Jeovani Kenda, Goncalo Inacio, Ousmane Diomande, Jeremiah St. Juste – Maximiliano Araujo, Morten Hjulmand, Joao Simões, Geny Catamo – Viktor Gyokeres, Francisco Trincao.
RB Leipzig
In the last round, Marco Rose's team suffered a 2-3 defeat at home to Aston Villa. The club has disappointed its fans in the current Champions League campaign, losing all six matches in the group stage. Leipzig sits in 34th place in the standings and has no chance of advancing to the playoffs.
Key defender Benjamin Henrichs will miss the game due to health issues.
- The club has not scored more than one goal in 6 of its last 8 matches in this European competition.
- Leipzig has conceded first in their last 4 Champions League games.
- The Germans have conceded in the first 45 minutes in their last 4 matches in this tournament.
Sporting CP
In the previous round, the team lost 1-2 to Club Brugge. The club has now suffered two consecutive defeats in the Champions League, although they had performed confidently before that, winning three and drawing one of their first four matches. Sporting is in 17th place in the standings, trailing the nearest top-8 competitor by three points, while also leading 25th place by the same margin. Notably, Sporting has conceded only three goals in away matches in the current Champions League season, with only four teams in the tournament having better records.
Forward Nuno Santos, midfielder Pedro Gonçalves, and defenders Matheus Reis and Eduardo Quaresma will miss the match due to health issues.
- The club has not scored more than one goal in 4 of its last 5 away matches in this European competition.
- Both teams scored in 4 of Sporting's last 5 away matches in the Champions League.
- No more than three goals have been scored in Sporting's last 4 away matches in this tournament.
RB Leipzig vs. Sporting CP: Match Prediction
Leipzig has had a disastrous European season, losing all six matches in the group stage. Marco Rose's side failed to earn points even against modest Celtic (1-3). The poor results are largely due to weak defensive play, with the team conceding 13 goals in six matches in this European competition. Additionally, Leipzig has already missed out on a playoff spot and is unlikely to play with full commitment in the remaining Champions League matches.
On the other hand, the Portuguese team has performed well in this tournament. Sporting has not lost in 4 of its last 6 Champions League matches (3 wins, 1 draw). During this stretch, the club secured maximum points against opponents such as Lille (2-0) and Manchester City (4-1). Moreover, the team still has a chance to advance to the next stage of the tournament, so Sporting will aim to win the remaining matches.
I anticipate the Portuguese will earn points against an unmotivated opponent. My prediction: Sporting to win or draw
