Looking ahead to Saturday's Liga NOS fixture

Top of the Liga NOS table after 6 games played, Sporting CP take on Vitória SC this Saturday at the Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques.

The team come into the contest off the back of an unbeaten start to the season, having only dropped points in the 2-2 draw against FC Porto last month. Most recently, they beat CD Tondela 4-0 last Sunday, thanks to a brace from Pedro Gonçalves and first goals of the league season for Pedro Porro and Andraž Šporar.

The opposition

Vitória SC triumphed against Gil Vicente FC away from home on Matchday 6, with Rochinha and Bruno Duarte scoring the goals. They are up into sixth place in the table with 10 points -6 behind Sporting CP.

Last time out

The most recent meeting between the two teams was back in June, and ended in a 2-2 draw. Šporar was on target to put Sporting CP ahead twice, but João Carlos Teixeira and Marcus Edwards provided the equalisers on each occasion.

Previously, at the Estádio José Alvalade, goals from Jesé, Marcos Acuña and Sebastián Coates handed Os Leões a comfortable 3-1 home win in October of last year.

Gonçalves in form

Pedro Gonçalves has been a standout in recent weeks, finding the net on 5 occasions in 3 games. The free-scoring midfielder was on target twice against CD Santa Clara in the 1-2 away win, capped the 3-1 home victory over Gil Vicente FC with a goal in stoppage time, and added another brace in the 4-0 rout of CD Tondela.

It is his most successful ever scoring run to date, and his 5 goals this season match his total from 33 Liga NOS games played last term with Famalicão

Squad

Bruno Tabata and Antunes have both been undertaking individual training this week, on both the pitch and the gym at the Academia Sporting. Neither will be available for the Matchday 7 game.