Tottenham got off to a winning start in their UEFA Champions League group stage campaign against Olympique Marseille, yet this week’s trip to Sporting Lisbon could prove to be Antonio Conte’s biggest test yet this season.
The Portuguese giants got off to an incredible start in Europe with a thumping 3-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, with Sporting setting the tempo early in their group that they will going toe-to-toe with Tottenham for top spot come the end of November.
Sporting had a productive summer transfer window whilst also having numerous exciting players step up another level, and against Tottenham, some of these names could cause the north London side damage in the Champions League.
Indeed, an away day in Lisbon will be a tough one for Tottenham, and here are five Sporting players Conte must be wary of ahead of Spurs’ trip to the Portuguese champions this week, where three points could see the Premier League side on their way to top spot.
Pedro Porro
Signed in 2020 from Manchester City on a two-year loan deal with an option to buy, very few would have expected Pedro Porro to become the player he is today, with the Sporting right-back one of the best defenders in Portugal and one of the best fullbacks outside of Europe’s top-five leagues.
Athletic, technical and a threat in the attacking third, Porro will relish the chance of going up against Tottenham’s wing-backs, and the Spanish defender could cause a lot of problems for Spurs if he is given the license to control the right-flank and inflict damage from the wing.
Hidemasa Morita
One of Sporting’s new arrivals this summer, Hidemasa Morita has made an immediate impact with the Portuguese giants since signing from league rivals Sants Clara, with the Japanese international already bagging an assist in the Champions League in last week’s win against Frankfurt.
A dynamic midfielder who will control the centre of the park for Sporting, Morita has the ability to neutralise Tottenham’s central attacks should Conte favour a direct approach against his Lisbon rivals this week, with the 27-year-old arguably set for his biggest test yet in his entire career.
Francisco Trincao
Premier League fans might remember Francisco Trincao from his loan spell at Wolves last season, yet despite arriving with much fanfare, the FC Barcelona talent failed to make much of an impact at Molineux, but the same can’t be said for his time so far with Sporting.
A goal already in the Champions League has many fans expecting big things from Trincao this season with Sporting, and with Tottenham next up for the Barcelona loanee, the former Braga star could make live up to his former reputation with a dynamite performance against Spurs in the coming days.
Pedro Goncalves
Another player who was once on Wolves’ books who failed to make much of an impact, Pedro Goncalves has gone from strength to strength since moving to Sporting in 2020, with the left-sided winger already on four goals and three assists in all competitions this season.
Tricky on the ball and able to deceive any opponent with his quick feet, Goncalves will relish in the chance of going up against Tottenham’s defenders, and the winger could be the man for Conte to keep the closest eye on this week in Lisbon given the forward’s impressive form already this season.
Marcus Edwards
Marcus Edwards was once viewed by many as THE talent coming through at Tottenham, yet despite comparisons to Lionel Messi from Mauricio Pochettino, the former wonderkid eventually left north London with his career seemingly set to fail, that is, until, the winger moved to Portugal.
Becoming a superstar at Vitoria de Guimaraes before signing for Sporting this January, Edwards, now 23-years-old, is one of the most effective wingers in all of Portugal, and with the attacker scoring last week against Frankfurt, the forward could cause his former side Tottenham nightmares this week with his new fans behind his back.
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