Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP prediction 22/10/2024

• Date: 22/10/2024
• Competition: Champions League
• KO: 21:00 CET
• Venue: 28 Black Arena (Klagenfurt am Wörthersee)

The Black Arena in Austria is the host for a Champions League contest on Tuesday evening as Sturm Graz takes on Portuguese visitors Sporting CP.

Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP Betting Tips - Sporting CP to Win

Sturm Graz and Sporting Lisbon meet in Klagenfurt on Tuesday night in the Champions League group stage, with both sides currently sitting top of their domestic leagues.

Returning to the Champions League for the first time in 24 years, Sturm have found the step up to Europe’s elite a difficult proposition. The Austrian champions lost their first two league games against Brest and Club Brugge. 

The hosts' previous history in the competition offers little encouragement, with defeat suffered in each of their last nine matches since 2011. Sturm lost their last five home UCL games, including a 1:0 defeat against the aforementioned Brugge last month.

Sporting have been flying in the Portuguese Primera Division winning all eight of their matches so far. While they needed a late 94th-minute winner to edge past Portimonense in the Portuguese cup in their most recent run out on Friday, Sporting extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches across all competitions. 

In the Champions League, Rúben Amorim´s side have made a solid start with a 2:0 win over Lille in Portugal before a hard-fought 1:1 draw in the Netherlands against PSV.

These sides have recent history having faced off in the Europa League last season, with Sporting recording a 2:1 win in Graz before a 3:0 win in Lisbon. Another away win seems likely on Tuesday.

Considering recent form and Graz´s miserable record in this competition, I´m confident an on-form Sporting can claim another win in Austria.