Sporting Lisbon vs FC Midtjylland Prediction & Betting Tips - Europa League

Prediction published on 14/02/2023, 09:21  by Kennedy Kechula in Europa League Predictions

Europa League action return this week with one of the fixtures lined up seeing Sporting Lisbon play host to FC Midtjylland in the first leg match of their Europa League playoff on Thursday. Sporting were unable to progress further in the Champions League and finished third in their group with seven points while Midtjylland finished second in a tough Europa League group with eight points. Sporting have fallen by the wayside in this year’s title race in Portugal and find themselves 15 points off the top spot and are also out of Cup competitions. Their only chance at silverware is in the Europa League. They come into this match after a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to rivals Porto. After winning seven matches on the trot to close out 2022, Ruben Amorim’s men have been inconsistent in 2023 and haven’t won more than two matches in a row. Before losing to Porto, they had won two straight matches scoring a total of six unanswered goals. In Europe this season, they have won just one of their three home matches. They’ve lost two successive matches with four goals conceded and only one scored in Europe.

FC Midtjylland’s offensive strengths, bettered only by four other teams in the group stages, played a big part in the Danish side’s progress from Group F. Midtjylland finished second and edged out Lazio and Sturm Graz thanks to a superior goal difference, made possible by their 12 goals. They won two matches in the group with one of them a shocking 5-1 hammering of Lazio at home. All but one of their six matches have seen at least 2.5 goals scored. The Danes have failed to score just once in the competition so far. Midtjylland come into this match after taking part in the Atlantic Cup where they played two matches drawing one and winning the other. Their success in the Europa League hasn’t replicated itself in the domestic league where the three-time Danish champions find themselves outside the championship playoff places.