Arsenal vs Sporting CP – Match preview and team news

Q: What was the score of the first leg between Arsenal and Sporting CP?

Arsenal won the first leg 1–0 against Sporting CP.

Q: Who scored the winning goal for Arsenal in the first leg?

Kai Havertz scored the winning goal for Arsenal in the 91st minute of the first leg.

Q: How did Arsenal perform in their last Premier League match before facing Sporting CP?

Arsenal lost 2–1 to Bournemouth in their last Premier League match.

Arsenal vs Sporting CP – Match preview and team news

Arsenal host Sporting CP on Wednesday, aiming to reach the Champions League semi-finals for a second consecutive season.

The Gunners hold a slender 1–0 advantage following their quarter-final first leg in Lisbon. Kai Havertz settled that cagey affair with a clinical 91st-minute winner. However, Mikel Arteta’s side enters this return fixture following a disappointing domestic weekend.

A 2–1 loss to Bournemouth has significantly damaged their Premier League title aspirations.

Sporting CP, meanwhile travel to North London with hopes of a historic comeback. The Lions have never reached the semi-finals of this prestigious competition. Rui Borges’ men kept pace at the top of the Primeira Liga with a weekend win.

They also famously eliminated Arsenal on penalties at this stadium three years ago. Sporting must now end a ten-game winless run in England to progress.

Arsenal vs Sporting CP – Match preview and team news

Date: Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Last Meeting: Sporting CP 0–1 Arsenal (7 April 2026, Champions League)

Team news

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta faces a selection headache with several key performers listed as major doubts. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Martin Ødegaard are all facing late fitness assessments. Riccardo Calafiori and Jurriën Timber also remain touch and go for the match. Specifically, Mikel Merino is definitely ruled out with a foot injury. Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapié have returned to full fitness sooner than expected.

Sporting CP

The visitors welcome back captain Morten Hjulmand after he served a one-match suspension. Luis Suárez is also available after an administrative error regarding his yellow cards was cleared. However, Nuno Santos remains sidelined with a hamstring issue. Luís Guilherme and Fotis Ioannidis are also ruled out through injury. Sporting need an error-free performance to overturn the one-goal deficit.

Form

Arsenal

Arsenal have struggled for domestic consistency during the early stages of 2026. They have suffered three defeats in their last four competitive matches. Despite this, the Gunners remain unbeaten in the Champions League this season. They have also kept 16 clean sheets in their last 22 European home games.

Sporting CP

Sporting arrive in London following three consecutive victories in the Primeira Liga. They trail leaders Porto by five points with a game in hand. Rui Borges’ side famously recovered from 3–0 down to reach this stage. Nevertheless, they have not won a Champions League knockout away game since 1970.