Brazilian defender Xandao is set to make his debut for Sporting in the Portuguese Cup tie against Nacional.
The 23-year-old was signed from Sao Paulo FC this winter but hasn’t experienced any game time for the Lisbon outfit so far. Domingos Paciencia has a host of options at the back and given the importance of the crucial run-in phase, he hasn’t made many changes
to starting line-up this season.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Oguchi-Onyewu-c28332 are believed to be his preferred choices but for the Portuguese Cup game against Nacional, the tactician will be forced to shuffle his backline as pivotal players have been ruled out.
American International Onyewu was red-carded in his last game and while the former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Twente-c39233 man has apologized for his behaviour, it still doesn’t mean that he will be able to play.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alberto-Rodríguez-c4344 is also out of contention for berth in the starting eleven, as he is currently sidelined due to injury. Paciencia only has Carriço and Polga as the fit players and in order to maintain their freshness for the upcoming game against Maritimo,
he is set to hand Xandao his debut for the club.
The former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Paulo-c29431, in which he made 44 appearances for the Brazilian outfit, as well as finding the back of the net once.
Sporting’s campaign has been derailed with their recent wane in performances and the Lions find themselves out of the Primeira Liga title race. Also being eliminated from the League Cup, their sole avenue of earning silverware this term is the Portuguese
Cup and they will be determined to secure progression to the next round.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nacional-c39984 are placed 9th in the Liga Sagres standings but will have home advantage for this one. The Lisbon giants already have a shaky record against the Alvinegros as they only escaped with three points last time with a narrow win.
The Portuguese Cup tie is delicately poised at 2-2 and Xandao will have to be at his very best if he has to quell the opposition’s attack and hep Sporting progress to the latter stages of the prestigious competition.
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