Our best bets for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg clash between Arsenal and Sporting CP include backing the visitors to avoid defeat at the Emirates.
Arsenal will hope to get their season back on track in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Sporting CP on Wednesday night.
The Gunners hold a 1-0 advantage following last week’s contest in Lisbon, but the north Londoners have recently lost the EFL Cup final to Manchester City, been dumped out of the FA Cup at Southampton and seen their lead cut at the top of the Premier League.
It’s crunch time for Mikel Arteta’s men, who are desperately trying to collect a major trophy and Sporting stand in their way on Wednesday night.
We have selected a football betting Bet Builder on the match that pays out at 12/1 if successful.
Arsenal v Sporting CP Bet Builder
Misfiring Gunners could lose another battle
Arsenal are still favourites to lift the Champions League trophy and the draw has been kind to Mikel Arteta’s men.
However, the Gunners struggled in the League Cup final against Manchester City, were favourites when travelling to Southampton in the FA Cup and long odds-on to beat Bournemouth on Saturday.
The north Londoners failed in all of those challenges, and although Arteta’s side were 1-0 winners over Sporting in Lisbon, that was hardly a convincing victory.
The pressure is reaching fever pitch for the Gunners, and from what we have seen in the last few weeks, Arsenal lack the composure to bring the trophies home.
Leg 1: Sporting or draw double chance @ 13/8
Cautious second leg looms
Arteta is unlikely to alter his cautious approach for the crucial run-in to the season and it could be more a case of protecting what he’s got rather than going for more goals in this second leg.
Arsenal have scored only 11 times in their last nine games and they don’t appear to have the firepower to blow Sporting out of this tie.
The Lions hit only 11 shots against the Gunners in Lisbon last week and Rui Borges’ men put up an expected goals figure of 0.77.
Those are certainly not free-flowing attacking numbers, but the Portuguese outfit are a solid side, who could be tough to break down on their travels.
Sporting have allowed only nine goals in their previous 11 games and the Lions are well adept at keeping opposition forward lines at bay.
Leg 2: Under 2.5 goals @ 19/20
Arsenal’s are once again likely to be very dangerous from set-plays. They will sense an opportunity from free-kicks and corners with centre-back Gabriel among the players hoping to cause Sporting problems.
The Brazilian is averaging 0.8 shots on goal per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season and the 28-year-old has found the net on four occasions this term.
Leg 3: Gabriel 1+ shot on target @ 21/10
