Sporting Lisbon vs. Arsenal Betting Tips: Goncalves to find the net against The Gunners

Arsenal travel to Portugal to take on Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on Thursday. This game is the first leg of their last 16 tie, with the winner of Roma vs Real Sociedad awaiting whoever triumphs between The Gunners and Sporting. As usual, we’ve provided you with our two best bets for the game, which kicks off at 17:45, so don’t get caught out by that early kick-off.

Arsenal have not fared well when making the trip to Portugal in major European Competitions, only winning on one of their last visits (D5 L3). That solitary victory came in this competition back in 2018/19 when the sides met in the group stages, with Arsenal taking four points from a possible six. 

Sporting Lisbon failed to progress from their Champions League group, before advancing from their Europa League knockout tie against Midtjylland. Ruben Amorin’s side have won their last four matches in all competitions, which includes their commanding 4-0 away win at Midtjylland in this competition.

Arsenal are the 1/4 favourites to advance to the quarter-finals, and can be backed at 11/10 to take a lead back to the Emirates in next Thursday’s second leg. The draw this week, can be backed at 12/5, while Sporting can be sided with at 11/4 to make it to the last-eight and slightly shorter at 5/2 to win the first leg.

In their knockout round second leg, Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte picked up a yellow which now means he will miss the first leg with Arsenal due to suspension. This should pave the way for 19-year-old Mateo Tanlongo to come into the starting XI, and we are backing him to be carded in what is a huge game for the youngster.

Argentine Tanlongo only arrived at Sporting in January and for his former employers Rosario Central, he was booked four times in just seven appearances this season. For his new club, Tanlongo has only played 73 minutes of football across his six cameo substitute appearances, however, he has already been carded twice. Thrown in at the deep end with this game against Arsenal is a bit of an understatement and we feel the occasion may get to him against a high quality opposition. 

At 17/1, we’ll also be having a small punt on Pedro Goncalves, (who is also known as ‘Pote’ and priced up as that with some betting sites), to score and be carded in the match. Priced at 16/1 to do so with Unibet, in comparison to just 10/1 over at bet365.

Arsenal will be well aware that Sporting have already beaten their North London rivals Spurs this season in European competition and one of the key players in that game with two assists was Goncalves. The 24-year-old is also the top scorer for Sporting with 12 league goals and only Benfica’s Joao Mario having managed more goals and assists combined this term.

Besides being their leading scorer, Pote has also been shown seven yellow cards in the league this season, second only to the suspended Manuel Ugarte with nine. This bet for Goncalves to score and be carded has already landed four times this season and with Arsenal expected to rotate and failing to keep a clean sheet in seven of their last nine matches, we think this 17/1 shout could have more legs than the odds suggest.