– Sporting Lisbon have never beaten Arsenal in European competition, but the Gunners will not be underestimating the Portuguese giants ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg on April 7 in Lisbon.
Arsenal routed Sporting 5-1 in the group stage last season to bring their head-to-head record to two wins and three draws.
However, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta believes that encounter will have no bearing on the upcoming tie.
“It’s completely different,” he said. “I watched the first half of their game (against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League last 16) and they are a top side. It’s going to be very difficult.”
Much has changed for both sides since they last met in November 2024, when Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres was playing for the Portuguese club.
The Swede returns to face the club he scored 97 goals for in 102 competitive games between 2023 and 2025, helping them win back-to-back league titles and the Portuguese Cup in 2025.
Gyokeres endured a difficult start to his first season in north London following his move to the Emirates Stadium in July 2025.
But he has emerged as an influential presence in recent weeks, scoring their equaliser in the FA Cup loss to Southampton and netting twice in the derby win at Tottenham.
Gyokeres also bagged Sweden’s late play-off winner against Poland to book their place at the World Cup. He will be looking to add to his Champions League tally this term, having scored four goals in eight appearances.
Yet Sporting are not missing Gyokeres, thanks to a signing they made just two days after the Swede left for Arsenal.
Colombian Luis Suarez leads the Primeira Liga scoring charts with 24 goals in 25 games. He has netted four times in Sporting’s last three Champions League home matches, including the 5-0 second-leg win over Bodo/Glimt that earned them a 5-3 aggregate victory.
But he is not their only goal threat. Sporting have a 100 per cent record since beating Bodo/Glimt with five different scorers, with league wins over Alverca (4-1) and Santa Clara (4-2).
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said: “We’re playing against the best teams now, getting down to the business end of the competition, and it’s going to be really tough.
“We expect a team that’s going to come at us and be really attacking, so we’ll be ready for whatever’s thrown at us.”
Arsenal were at least boosted by Rice’s return to training on April 6 alongside key players Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Magalhaes.
But Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka remain missing as the Premier League leaders’ double bid is in danger of being derailed by injuries.
Still, Arsenal have won nine of their 10 games in this season’s Champions League. Not that Sporting are intimidated.
Sporting coach Rui Borges said: “It’s about continuing to dream and believing in what we can achieve, regardless of the opposition.
“We won against a team (Bodo/Glimt) that beat us 3-0 and had had five consecutive victories against teams that were contenders to win the competition.
“We are among the top eight sides in Europe, as happened in the league phase (seventh).” AFP
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