17 March 2023
Portuguese side Sporting CP are the next opponents on Juve's path in the Europa League.
It will be the first time the sides have met in this tournament – the only previous two meetings having come in the Champions League group stage.
The winners will face the team that will emerge victorious from the from the other quarter-final tie in Juve's side of the draw, Manchester United-Sevilla.
But let's take it one step at a time and find out more about the side from Lisbon.
DOMESTIC FORM
Currently the team coached by Rúben Amorim are sitting in fourth position in the standings. Their top-four spot is the result of 50 points from 24 games, 30 of which have been earned at home, 20 away.
The team has collected an average of almost two points per game, but Benfica, in first place, are a comfortable fifteen points ahead.
Last season in the Primeira Liga, Sporting CP finished season runners-up with 85 points from 34 games, second to Porto on 91 points
As for the two national cup competitions this season, in the League Cup, Sporting CP lost 2-0 in the final against Porto, while in the Taça de Portugal, they were eliminated in the third round by third-division side Varzim.
The team's top scorer in the league is the Portuguese forward, Pedro Gonçalves, simply known as Pote, with 12 goals in 23 games. So far, across all competitions, he has scored 17 goals in 39 matches, including the outrageous equaliser against Arsenal in the last 16 return leg played at the Emirate Stadium.
ON THE EUROPEAN SCENE
In the last nine seasons Sporting CP have always participated in European competition, also taking into consideration the preliminaries.
Sporting CP's European journey this season is similar to Juve's.
Rúben Amorim's team were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League by finishing in third place on seven points despite heading into the last group stage matchday only one point behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and level with Eintracht Frankfurt in second.
The events that unfolded in the second half of Matchday 6 saw the Lusitanians drop to the Europa League after failing to add another victory from the four remaining matches after two opening successes.
Last season, the Portuguese outfit reached the Champions League round of 16 but were eliminated by eventual semi-finalists Manchester City. With that result, the green-and-whites matched the achievement obtained in season 2008/2009.
In the Europa League, Sporting CP's best result has been the semi-final place in season 2011/12, when they lost against Athletic Bilbao.
The Portuguese club reached the quarter-finals in the Europa League in season 2017/2018, also eliminated by Spanish opposition in the shape of Atletico Madrid.
