After recording a brutal 5-0 win over lacklustre Boavista on the 27^th of April, Sporting CP’s players cemented themselves at the top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga in impeccable style.

The neck-and-neck chase between Sporting CP and almighty Benfica has undoubtedly given football fans across Europe great entertainment, as after 31 Primeira Liga fixtures, both clubs have 75 points to their name.

With only three fixtures remaining, will Sporting Lisbon be able to retain 1^st place and defend their crown as the best team in the country, or will the Eagles clinch it in the last possible second? The tie-breaker will likely be the head-to-head on the 10^th of May, when the two teams collide at the Estadio da Luz.

Yes, Benfica’s exciting run in 2024/25 can’t be ignored, but we have to give credit where it’s due and mention that coach Rui Borges has managed to squeeze the most out of his not-so-secret weapon in the attack, as Viktor Gyökeres is on the verge of breaking multiple records.

World-class finishing by Gyökeres

Anyone who follows the Portuguese league closely is already aware of Gyökeres’ key strengths. The 26-year-old Swedish international is having a season to remember, as no matter how hard defenders try to nullify him, he just can’t stop scoring.

Standing at 1.89m, the Swedish giant definitely has the required physical characteristics to effectively challenge defenders in the air, whilst also possessing impressive technical skills.

The 26-year-old is a true menace to defenders, as he has bagged 38 goals to date. The haul he scored against Boavista a few days ago pulled him closer to joining the very prestigious club of players who bagged 40 goals or more within a single Primeira Liga season.

Not only that, he still has a chance to catch up to Eusebio (42 goals), Fernando Peyroteo (43), and Hector Yazalde (46). If he hits 43, he will also make it a 1-2-3 for Sporting at the top of that particular table.

Gyökeres’ presence is indispensable to Sporting

Whenever the Swedish sensation is among the starters for coach Borges, Sporting Lisbon thrives. With Gyökeres in the starting XI, Sporting have lost only one game this season! This is truly an omen that Sporting Lisbon can indeed go all the way this year and prove once again they are the best team in the league.

Seeing as Sporting have three more domestic league games yet to be settled – matches against Gil Vicente, Benfica, and Vitoria SC, we believe the manager will rely heavily on luck-bringing Gyökeres to help him put his arms around another Primeira Liga trophy.

Everyone who is after a nice payout should try ‘Gyökeres to score & Sporting CP to win’ this Sunday as their foundation to any bet builder, as with the home-field advantage behind him, the striker has a can’t-miss chance to score a bunch more. Especially now that we know for sure that Francisco Trincao – Gyökeres’ favourite teammate (11 joint-goal participations), will be among the starters as well.

Defenders can’t relax around the Swede

With 38 goals and six assists since the start of the season, the 26-year-old finisher is truly a menace to Portuguese shot-stoppers. You might be wondering whether or not he has a favourite time to strike, and that is a fair question.

What we’ve noticed is that Gyökeres scores almost as frequently in the second halves of the games as he does in the opening 45 minutes. He has scored a total of 16 first-half goals in the first halves of the games he played in the domestic league, which still means he’s a force to be reckoned with for the remaining part of the matches he plays, as he has 12 second-half goals.

This provides ammunition for anyone hoping to land a bigger payout with any bookmakers who have a ‘Gyökeres to score in each half’ selection available, either as a standalone pick or as part of a bet builder.

Miscellaneous trends

This is what we noticed in Sporting’s last five Primeira Liga games with Gyökeres among the starters:

Over/Under & BTTS

• Over 2.5 Sporting Goals: Three games
• BTTS (No): Two games
• Over 2.5 Sporting Goals & BTTS – No: Two games

Sporting Lisbon have the best attacking and defensive records in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Corners & Over/Under

A lot of Gyökeres’ goals were the result of well-taken corners, which is why we think it’s wise to consider this option as part of a Bet Builder.

• Boavista (A: W 5-0) / Corner count: W 5-3
• Moreirense (H: W 3-1) / Corner count: W 4-2
• Santa Clara (A: W 1-0) / Corner count: D 3-3
• Braga (H: D 1-1) / Corner count: W 4-0
• Estrela Amadora (A: W 3-0) / Corner count: L 3-2

As you can see, we saw over 5.5 corners in three of Sporting Lisbon’s last five games, which is definitely something to think about.

Bet Builder tips and value analysis

With only three Primeira Liga games remaining, Gyökeres will do his best to at least catch up to Benfica icon Eusebio (42 goals), so that he can put his name in the history books as one of the three top scorers in a single season in Portugal.

Vs Gil Vicente (H): 4^th May @ 57/10

• Viktor Gyökeres to score First
• Both Teams to Score (No)
• Sporting CP Over 3.5 Corners
• Most Shots on Target: Sporting CP
• Over 6.5 Bookings

He scored a sixth-minute opener at Estadio de Bessa last Sunday, which speaks volumes regarding his goalscoring prowess and serves as proof that Gyökeres can be a part of a Bet Builder in the following games.

Sporting CP’s last official match resulted in seven bookings shown by the referee, which indicates we might see more of the same against Gil Vicente as well.

Gil Vicente’s leaky backline (43 goals conceded) will surely have issues stopping Sporting’s tremendous attack. After all, coach Borges’ players have the best attacking record in the Portuguese league, with 83 goals scored whilst maintaining the best defensive record as well, as they conceded goals on only 25 occasions.

Vs Benfica (A): 10^th May @ 39/5

• Viktor Gyökeres to score or assist
• Correct score: 2-2
• Over 2.5 goals

Gyökeres may be a terrific goalscorer, but he also has six assists to his name, which is a reason to consider him as part of a Bet Builder against Benfica. With 44 goal contributions in the Primeira Liga, Gyökeres has earned our trust.

The match at Estadio da Luz will likely result in a 2-2 tie, as that’s what the head-to-head record suggests. This is the most common result we’ve seen between the two teams, as three of the last eight matches had 2-2 on the scoreboard after 90 minutes of play.

Regarding our last segment, we can’t see this high-stakes game resulting in under 2.5 goals. Sure, the first game between them this season resulted in a 1-0 Sporting win, but you should know that a whopping 70.0% of the last 10 direct matches saw over 2.5 goals.