Sporting Lisbon vs Genk Prediction and Betting Tips | July 19, 2023

Sporting Lisbon and Genk face off against each other at the Estadio Do Algarve in a friendly on Wednesday (July 19).

The two teams last met 11 years ago in the UEFA Europa League, with Genk winning the two-legged tie 3-2. Ahead of their upcoming clash, Sporting could hark back to the incidents from their two previous meetings with the Belgian side. The Portuguese giants conceded a red card in each game - two weeks apart.

Leoes kicked off their preseason friendlies last weekend with a 2-1 win over Estrela. They have four more games lined up against top sides like Portimonense, Real Sociedad and Villarreal after Genk. Sporting finished fourth in the Primeira Liga last season and are preparing for the Europa League group stage.

Genk, meanwhile, have played two friendlies in the off-season, winning 3-0 against Tienen early this month and losing 3-2 to PAOK last week. After their Sporting meeting, they take on Burnley. The Belgian team will be participating in the UEFA Champions League in the new season after finishing second in the Jupiler Pro League.

Blauw-Wit have signed a few new players, notably goalkeeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge, who arrived from Anderlecht. Talks are ongoing for potential additions. The game against Sporting will help manager Wouter Vrancken assess how his side is adjusting to the departures and arrivals.

Pedro Goncalves and Francisco Trincao were the top performers for Sporting last season, with 15 and ten goals respectively. They're still at the club despite reports of possible transfers and will look to start the new season strongly.

Meanwhile, Genk midfielder Mike Tresor established a new record in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League last season, with 24 assists. Tresor and top scorer Joseph Paintsil (17