Schalke have performed with great credit in the Champions League of late and will have their eyes on another knockout phase appearance in 2015.
The Germans opened with a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on match day one against Chelsea and have built on the success of that point gained versus the Premier League leaders.
The same score line followed at home to Maribor but Schalke shaded a seven-goal thriller with Wednesday’s opponents a fortnight ago and will be hoping to extend their unbeaten record in Europe this season.
It was a remarkable match in Gelsenkirchen last time out, Schalke rallying from a goal down to lead 3-1 before requiring a last-minute penalty to seal the points after a Sporting fightback, and why the Portuguese are odds on for the upcoming clash I am not too sure.
Schalke may have lost four of their five top flight away matches this term but their overall form has been OK and their results in this competition on their travels have been excellent.
It is just three defeats in 15 Champions League matches away from the Veltins-Arena dating back to 2010 and those trio of reversals came at Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Sporting are certainly not in that bracket of calibre of opposition and the 4-2 win over Maritimo on their final start was the first in four matches on home soil.
This is the Sporting’s first appearance in this competition in five seasons and they are currently off the pace in the Primeira Liga too.
Home manager Marco Silva has overseen just four wins in nine domestic matches and, furthermore, Sporting are winless in the Champions League.
I am of the view that Schalke are the better of this pair and their recent European experience can stand them in good stead.
New boss Roberto Di Matteo managed to triumph as a manager on the biggest stage of all while interim boss at Chelsea and the Italian will be confident of another decent run this time around.
3pts Lay Sporting (vs. Schalke) @ 1.98 (Betfair)