Match Overview

The 2025/26 General Stage Matchday 2 fixture between Napoli (Italy) and Sporting (Portugal) will take place on October 1st at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. This forecast provides a detailed prediction, betting tips, odds, and statistics for the Napoli vs Sporting match.

Napoli Team Overview

Current Form and Champions League Performance

In their opening match, Napoli suffered a 0-2 away defeat to Manchester City. This result ended the Italians’ 9-game scoring streak in the Champions League. Napoli has secured only one victory in their last 6 Champions League matches (2 draws, 3 losses), and it was only in that winning fixture that the club managed to keep a clean sheet. Furthermore, the Neapolitans have kept a clean sheet in only two of their last 11 matches in this tournament.

Key Statistics for Napoli

• Both teams scored in 5 of Napoli’s last 6 Champions League matches.
• At home, the team has remained undefeated in 16 of their last 17 Champions League matches (10 wins, 6 draws).
• The club has scored at least one goal in their last 21 home games in this tournament.

Napoli Predicted Lineup (3-5-2)

Alex Meret – Luca Marianucci, Juan Jesus, Sam Bekema – Matteo Politano, Kevin De Bruyne, Stanislav Lobotka, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Scott McTominay – Rasmus Højlund, Matteo Politano.

Team News and Absences for Napoli

Defenders Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno, Leonardo Spinazzola, Mathias Olivera, and forward Romelu Lukaku will miss the match due to injuries. Defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo is suspended.

Sporting Team Overview

Current Form and Champions League Performance

The Portuguese side began the tournament with a dominant 4-1 victory over Kairat. This win marked their first in 7 Champions League matches (2 draws, 4 losses). Interestingly, their previous victory before this winless streak was also a 4-1 scoreline. Furthermore, the team scored 3 goals against the Kazakh side within three minutes. Sporting themselves conceded goals in 7 of their last 8 matches in this tournament.

Key Statistics for Sporting

• The Lisbon side scored no more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 Champions League encounters.
• Away from home, the club has failed to win in 8 of their last 10 Champions League matches (4 draws, 4 losses).
• Sporting conceded at least one goal in 5 of their last 7 away games in this tournament.

Sporting Predicted Lineup (3-5-2)

João Virginia – Georgios Vagiannidis, Gonçalo Inácio, Zeno Debast – Ricardo Mangas, Morten Hjulmand, Pedro Gonçalves, Geovany Kenda, Giorgi Kochorashvili – Luis Suárez, Francisco Trincão.

Team News and Absences for Sporting

Midfielder Daniel Bragança and forward Nuno Santos are sidelined with injuries. Defender Ousmane Diomande has recovered from his injury.

Referee Profile

Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

Referee Statistics

Matches – 14 (International fixtures, 2024/25-2025/26);

Yellow Cards (including second yellows) – 54;

Avg. Yellow Cards per match – 3.9;

Red Cards – 2;

Avg. Fouls per match – 24;

Penalties – 21%.

Match Prediction: Napoli vs Sporting

Napoli’s Recent Struggles

The Neapolitans cannot boast impressive results in the Champions League. In their last 6 matches in this tournament, the team has secured only one victory (2 draws, 3 losses). The only team the Italians managed to defeat in this period was Braga, a side noted in that particular Champions League campaign for having scored fewer goals than all but two other teams. That match against the Portuguese side was Napoli’s sole clean sheet in their last 6 Champions League fixtures.

Sporting’s Offensive Prowess

The Lisbon team displayed excellent attacking prowess in the first round, with only Eintracht scoring more goals than them. Sporting rarely leaves the pitch without scoring, having found the net in 11 of their last 13 Champions League matches. Moreover, the club is not shy about attacking away from home: the Portuguese side has scored in 7 of their last 8 away fixtures in this tournament. I believe the Lisbon team will have chances to score against their upcoming opponent, especially since Napoli has a significant number of defenders sidelined with injuries.

My Betting Tip

My prediction: Sporting Individual Total Over 0.5 with odds of 1.50

Author

Author: Alexey Tarabrin