RB Leipzig vs Sporting CP

This will be the first European meeting between RB Leipzig and Sporting CP, while each of Leipzig’s four games against Portuguese sides to date have come in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (W1 L1 v FC Porto in 2017-18, W1 D1 v Benfica in 2019-20).

RB Leipzig’s previous four games against Portuguese sides in European competition have seen a total of 16 goals netted, at an average of four per game. Indeed, both teams have scored at least once in all four of those matches, with Leipzig netting as many as they’ve conceded (8).

Since the start of 2022-23, Portuguese teams have won three of their four away matches against German opponents in the UEFA Champions League (L1): Sporting CP 3-0 Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Porto 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen and Braga 3-2 Union Berlin. That’s as many victories (3) as Portuguese sides managed in the first 33 such fixtures combined in the European Cup/Champions League (D4 L26).

RB Leipzig have lost all six of their UEFA Champions League matches this season – in European Cup history, the only German side to register a longer losing run is Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002-03 campaign (7 defeats in a row).

Sporting CP were unbeaten in their first four UEFA Champions League games this season (W3 D1) but have lost their last two. They haven’t lost more in a row within one season since losing their final four matches in 2016-17.