Midtjylland-Sporting CP is a return match in the Europa League round of 16 play-offs and is played on Thursday at 18:45: predictions.
A goal from Uruguay’s Coates within seconds of the final whistle saved Sporting CP from a defeat that would have severely complicated the Portuguese side’s qualification plans, who must now win in Denmark to secure one of eight Europa League round of 16 passes. Midtjylland, on the other hand, proved to be a tough opponent, difficult to face despite the few matches they have played in recent months: the Danish league only resumed last weekend.
Seven days later, the 1-1 draw at the ‘Alvalade’ stadium: a match in which the supremacy appeared quite clear on a technical level, but Ruben Amorim’s team wasted too much and the domination of possession (over 70%) proved to be an end in itself. The Danes defended well and struck at the right time with Egyptian Ashour, with about ten minutes to go, in the middle of the offensive forcing by the Lusitanians. In the return leg, the margin for error will obviously be smaller for the green-and-whites, who will have to assert their superiority over a Midtjylland side who will try to impress in front of their home crowd, as they did in the group stage when they thrashed Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio 5-1.
Sporting CP meanwhile redeemed themselves in the Primeira Liga post-match fixture, beating Chaves with some difficulty to consolidate fourth place in the table. The Champions League zone, however, remains distant: third-placed Braga have eight points more than the Lisbon club. It was easy in the Superligaen for Capellas’ men, who played their first league match since November: a roundabout 4-0 win at Viborg, currently the tournament’s second-ranked side.
Capellas, Midtjylland coach
The Prediction
Sporting CP remain favourites for qualification but winning in Denmark will by no means be a walk in the park. It cannot be ruled out that both teams will score on at least one occasion as they did in the first leg.
Midtjylland-Sporting CP’s likely line-up
- MIDTJYLLAND (4-3-3): Lossl; Andersson, Dalsgaard, Gartenmann, Paulinho; Gigovic, Martinez, Olsson; Isaksen, Heiselberg, Andreasen.
- SPORTING CP (3-4-3): Adan; St Juste, Coates, Reis; Esgaio, Pedro Gonçalves, Ugarte, Nuno Santos; Edwards, Paulinho, Arthur Gomes.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
