Sporting CP vs Bologna facts

The Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon is the venue as Sporting CP take on Bologna on UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 – the teams' first meeting in more than a quarter of a century.

Bologna can no longer qualify for the knockout stages in their competition debut despite taking four points from their last two fixtures, coming from behind to beat last season's finalist Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in Italy on Matchday 7 for their maiden win.

Sporting have ten points although they have lost their last two matches 2-1 away, at Club Brugge and, most recently, eliminated Leipzig.

Previous meetings

Matches 4
Sporting CP wins 1
Bologna wins 2
Draws 1
Sporting CP goals 4
Bologna goals 5

1990/91 UEFA Cup quarter-finals
Bologna 1-1 Sporting CP
Sporting CP 2-0 Bologna
Luizinho's 86th-minute equaliser earned Sporting a first-leg draw at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, where Kubilay Türkyilmaz had given the home team the lead. Jorge Cadete and a Fernando Gomes penalty in Lisbon sealed the Portuguese side's semi-final place.

1998/99 UEFA Cup first round
Sporting CP 0-2 Bologna
Bologna 1-2 Sporting CP
The Italian side turned the tables eight seasons later, seizing control of the tie with a first-leg win thanks to a goal in each half from Carlo Nervo and – after José Luís Vidigal's 56th-minute dismissal for Sporting just a minute after his introduction as a substitute – replacement Luisano. Leandro's opener in Italy gave Sporting hope but they quickly lost Simão Sabrosa to a red card and late goals from Nervo and Giuseppe Signori, a penalty, ended their challenge.

Form guide

Sporting CP

Record vs Italian clubs: W5 D14 L16 F30 A45
Home record vs Italian clubs: W4 D10 L3

Sporting's 2023/24 European campaign was ended by eventual champions Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 (1-1 h, 1-2 a). They had also lost 1-2 at home and drawn 1-1 away against the Italian side in the group stage.

That made it nine matches without a win against Italian opponents (D4 L5), since a 2-1 win at home to Lazio in the 2011/12 Europa League group stage – their only victory in the last 15 (D7 L7) and one of just two in their last 26 (D10 L14).

Four of Sporting's five victories against Italian clubs have come at home, although that 2011 defeat of Lazio is the only win in their last seven games (D5 L1). However, last season's defeat by Atalanta is the only loss in the last eight (W2 D5).

Sporting are making their 11th appearance in the Champions League proper, and a third in four seasons.

The most recent came in 2022/23, when the Lions finished third in their section behind Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Sporting went on to reach the Europa League quarter-finals two seasons ago and also spent 2023/24 in that competition. Second in their section behind eventual champions Atalanta, Ruben Amorim's side beat Young Boys 4-2 on aggregate in the knockout round play-offs only to once again lose out to Atalanta in the last 16 (1-1 h, 1-2 a).

The Portuguese club have five victories in their last 15 home European games (D4 L6). In the Champions League, they have won seven of their last 15 matches in Lisbon, losing the other eight including 1-5 against Arsenal on Matchday 5; they have beaten LOSC Lille (2-0) and Manchester City (4-1) this season.

Sporting claimed their 20th league title last season and a second in four years, having not lifted the crown between 2001/02 and 2020/21.

Rui Borges was appointed Sporting's third coach of the season on 26 December, replacing João Pereira who had himself succeeded the Manchester United-bound Amorim on 11 November.

Bologna

Record vs Portuguese clubs: W2 D2 L1 F5 A4
Away record vs Portuguese clubs: W1 D1 L1

Bologna's 0-0 draw at Benfica on Matchday 6 is their only other fixture against a team from Portugal aside from their four games with Sporting.

This is Bologna's first Champions League campaign. They are the 11th Italian side to appear in the competition proper and the first newcomers since Atalanta in 2019/20.

Their only previous European Cup campaign lasted a single tie, Bologna losing on a coin toss to Anderlecht in the 1964/65 preliminary round (0-1 a, 2-1 h, 0-0 play-off).

Matchday 1 was Bologna's first European fixture since the UEFA Intertoto Cup final against Fulham in August 2002.

The Italian side's away record in UEFA competition is W7 D5 L14; they have lost 2-0 at both Liverpool and Aston Villa this season before drawing at Benfica.

Champions of Italy seven times – most recently in 1964 – Bologna were fifth in Serie A in 2023/24, setting a new club record of 68 points. It was their highest finish since 1966/67, when they were third.

Thiago Motta left for Juventus in the summer. Vincenzo Italiano, who guided Fiorentina to the Europa Conference League final in each of the last two seasons, was named as his replacement.

Links and trivia

Have played in Italy:
Morten Hjulmand (Lecce 2021–23)
Franco Israel (Juventus youth 2018–22)

Have played together:
Eduardo Quaresma & Stefan Posch (Hoffenheim 2022)
Franco Israel & Samuel Iling-Junior (Juventus U23 2021/22)

International team-mates:
Viktor Gyökeres & Emil Holm, Jesper Karlsson (Sweden)
Morten Hjulmand & Jens Odgaard (Denmark Under-21s)

Latest news

Sporting CP

Goals late in each half from Francisco Trincão and substitute João Simões, a minute after his 89th-minute introduction, gave Sporting a 2-0 victory at home to Nacional on Saturday.

Defeat at Club Brugge on Matchday 6 made it four in a row in all competitions for Sporting; they were unbeaten in their subsequent eight matches (W5 D3) before losing in Leipzig.

Viktor Gyökeres' goal in Germany means he has ten in his last 12 games having finished 2024 with 62 goals in 63 games for club and country, ahead of Erling Haaland (49) and Harry Kane (46).

Sporting were 2-1 winners at home to Santa Clara in the Portuguese Cup on 18 December to set up a quarter-final at Gil Vicente on 5 February.

A 0-0 Liga draw at Gil Vicente on 22 December proved João Pereira's last match as Sporting coach.

His successor Rui Borges kicked off his reign with a 1-0 win at home to Benfica in the Lisbon derby on 29 December, Geny Catamo scoring the only goal.

Sporting began 2025 with a 4-4 draw at Vitória SC on 3 January, Gyökeres scoring his fifth hat-trick of the season for club and country.

The Swedish striker also scored in both the Portuguese League Cup semi-final (1-0 vs Porto) and final (1-1 vs Benfica) on 7 and 11 January respectively, Sporting losing the latter 6-7 on penalties with Francisco Trincão the only player from either side to miss in the shoot-out.

On 16 December Gyökeres was named Sweden's Player of the Year; Morten Hjulmand took the Danish award on 5 January.

Matheus Reis was taken off with a thigh injury after 14 minutes against Porto, returning as a late substitute on Saturday.

Jeremiah St. Juste went off in the first half at Leipzig with a thigh injury and missed Saturday's win.

Eduardo Quaresma has not played since being substituted in the second half of the League Cup final due to muscular problems.

Nuno Santos (out since 26 October, knee) and Pedro Gonçalves (10 November, thigh) have both been sidelined.

On 14 January Sporting signed goalkeeper Rui Silva on a deal until 2028.

Bologna

Bologna have four wins in their last eight matches in all competitions (D3 L1), coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Empoli on Saturday.

A 3-1 comeback victory at home to Monza on 18 January is the Rossoblù's only win in their last five league games (D3 L1).

A 2-3 defeat at home to Verona on 30 December is Bologna's sole loss in their last 12 games (W6 D5).

Bologna drew their first two matches in 2025 2-2, conceding an added-time penalty at home to Roma on 12 January, Lewis Ferguson converting a spot kick for his first goal since 3 March.

Three days later the Rossoblù drew at champions Inter, an Emil Holm equaliser earning them a point.

Santiago Castro has six league goals in 2024/25; the 20-year-old is the first Bologna player to score more than five goals in a Serie A season before turning 21 since Roberto Mancini in 1981/82.

Bologna's 33 points after 20 games was a new club record.

Riccardo Orsolini suffered a serious thigh injury against Dortmund.

Michel Aebischer has not played since 15 October due to a thigh injury.