Sporting face Marítimo on 27 October in Taça da Liga after two straight defeats

A week of defeats before the first quarter-final

Sporting go into the Taça da Liga quarter-final after two consecutive defeats. The first came at home against LASK Linz in the Champions League, and the second was a league loss to Académico de Viseu, the club's first league defeat of the season. Diário de Notícias reported that the Viseu result left Sporting nine points behind the league leaders. The tie with Marítimo comes only 48 hours after the Viseu match, a gap Borges described as a challenge the club has faced before.

Borges expects a reshuffled side

Rui Borges told the club's official channels, Sporting TV, that he expects significant changes to the starting lineup. He said most players who started against Académico de Viseu would probably not be available for this game, because playing again within 48 hours is not physically possible. He added that the fixture gives young players a chance, and that some of them will almost certainly feature. Borges also said the whole squad is available for selection.

“I have no doubt that whoever plays will give a good response. The objective is to win the competition.”

Pressure on the coach

Borges was whistled by supporters after the defeat to Académico de Viseu, according to Diário de Notícias, which wrote that his position could now be at risk. The paper said he has been under criticism at Alvalade since Sporting lost the Taça de Portugal final to Torreense. About a month earlier, president Frederico Varandas had denied holding emergency meetings to discuss the coach's future. On Monday, 26 October, Varandas attended training, which the paper described as unusual, in an effort to calm the discontent. Borges said the unease is natural for a club of Sporting's size, because fans feel it when the team does not win.

“It is natural that there may be a moment of greater unease, but we have to deal with it.”

Marítimo and the broadcast

Borges expects Marítimo to sit in a medium-low block and rely on counter-attacks, which he said Marítimo use more than any other team but one in the first division. He said Sporting must sustain long attacks and finish them so Marítimo cannot reach the phase of the match where they feel most comfortable. Marítimo are 14th in the I Liga with eight points, level with Vitória SC, and the Taça da Liga tie will be their trip to Alvalade. Sport TV 1 will broadcast the match.

Format and remaining quarter-finals

The 20th edition of the Taça da Liga admits only the top six clubs from the previous season's I Liga and the top two from the II Liga into the quarter-finals. Vitória de Guimarães, the holders and ninth-placed club in 2025/26, are left out. FC Porto host Académico de Viseu on Wednesday, 28 October, while Sporting de Braga face Famalicão and Benfica host Gil Vicente on Thursday, 29 October. The final four returns to Estádio Municipal de Leiria, with semi-finals on 5 and 6 January 2027 and the final on 9 January 2027.