Borussia Dortmund have one foot firmly in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and Sporting CP need to produce one of the great comebacks in Germany to keep their hopes alive.
I thought the Portuguese side might edge the first leg with home advantage but it was Dortmund who came out on top, netting three times in the second period after the half-time draw came up for me.
That 3-0 victory was all the more impressive given new boss Niko Kovac was only taking charge for the second time but he followed it up by losing another Bundesliga game as his side crashed to a 2-0 loss away to Bochum.
Only European success can now salvage something from Dortmund's season and it's hard to see Sporting Lisbon overturning such a big first-leg deficit in a stadium as intimidating as the Westfalenstadion.
Rui Borges' men are in poor form and could only draw 2-2 with Arouca at home on Saturday, making it just one victory in their last five games in all competitions.
How the bookies view it: No shock on the cards
Sporting's chances of an epic comeback have been written off, with Borussia Dortmund just 1/1000 with BoyleSports to go through and the Portuguese side 25/1 rank outsiders.
For a win on the night, the German side are 20/23, with Sporting Lisbon at 11/4 and the draw paying 13/5.
Head to head: Dortmund on top
Dortmund's victory in the first leg continued their excellent record in this fixture. They've now won four of the five meetings and lost just once.
Players to watch: Guirassy in the groove
It will be interesting to see if Kovac rests some of his big hitters for this one with a place in the last 16 pretty much in the bag already. He will probably go quite strong then make changes later on and Serhou Guirassy will be out to continue his incredible scoring record in Europe this season. He has 10 already and is a decent 5/4 at BoyleSports to add to that tally.
Sporting CP's star striker Viktor Gyokeres was only fit enough to start the first leg on the bench but should be in from the off here as they seek a miracle. He got 90 minutes under his belt at the weekend and is 13/8 to add to his 31-goal tally this term.
Probable line-ups
Dortmund are missing midfielder Felix Nmecha through injury while defender Ramy Bensebaini is a doubt with a muscle issue. Captain Morten Hjulmand returns from a ban to stiffen Sporting's midfield but Nuno Santos and Geny Catamo miss out while Pedro Goncalves is a doubt.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Ryerson, Schlotterbeck, Svensson, Sabitzer, Gross, Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens, Guirassy.
Sporting CP: Rui Silva, Fresneda, St Juste, Diomande, Matheus Reis, Hjulmand, Simoes, Quenda, Trincao, Araujo, Gyokeres.
Anything else catch the eye?
How this game pans out will depend on who grabs the first goal. If Sporting CP get back into the tie then it could be a cracker but if Dortmund increase their aggregate lead to 4-0 the match could easily lose intensity and peter out.
I'd imagine Kovac will still go for a win as he looks to boost confidence after successive Bundesliga defeats so a Borussia Dortmund victory with over 1.5 goals looks decent at 5/4 in a BoyleSports bet builder.
If the Germans do get ahead in the first half then the second period could become something of a non-event. So backing most goals to come in the first period might be another good option at 11/5.
Sporting midfielder Hjulmand is back from a Euro ban but faces a domestic one after being sent off at the weekend in the Bundesliga. The Dane has three yellows and a red from his last four outings so looks a decent price at 13/5 with Bet365 to pick up another card.
This UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and Sporting CP will be played on Feb 19, 2025 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting CP prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
