Sporting Lisbon v Dortmund: Expect goals in crucial Group C game

Sporting Lisbon v Borussia Dortmund: Expect goals in crucial Group C game

With Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund both equally priced, Dan Fitch is going for goals in this crucial match.

Second spot up for grabs

Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund are fighting to land the second qualification spot in Group C.

Ajax have already qualified with four straight wins and only need a point against Besiktas to ensure that they win the group. That leaves second placed Dortmund and Sporting in third, to compete for the other spot in the last-16 of the Champions League, with both teams level on six points.

Dortmund are currently ahead of Lisbon by virtue of a superior head-to-head record, having won the reverse fixture 1-0. They have since been beaten home and away by Ajax, but are faring well domestically. Their 2-1 win against Stuttgart leaves them in second place in the Bundesliga, a point behind the leaders Bayern Munich.

Sporting are also second in their national championship, with only goal difference keeping them behind Porto in the Primeira Liga. After losing their first two games in the Champions League, Sporting have beaten Besiktas home and away, which forms part of a run of nine consecutive wins across all competitions.

Expect goals

Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund are both priced at 2.72 to win, with the draw at 3.7.

Those odds seem fair. Dortmund have more talent, but are without the injured Erling Haaland and Lisbon have home advantage.

Though the reverse fixture only saw one goal, we can perhaps expect more on Wednesday. Seven of Dortmund's last nine games since that match, have seen at least three goals scored. For Lisbon it's six out of nine and with both teams very motivated to win, over 2.5 goals should land at 1.75.