Tonight, Arsenal will take a break from the Premier League title race as they face Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie. The Gunners have been in fine form in the league, winning their last four matches, and will be looking to continue their impressive run of form in Europe.
The match will be played at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, and will be the first time the two sides have met in European competition. Sporting are currently fourth in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, and have been in good form in the Europa League, having won all three of their group stage matches.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have been in excellent form in the Europa League, winning all six of their group stage matches. They have also been impressive in the Premier League, and are currently fourth in the table, just two points behind leaders Manchester City.
The Gunners will be without the services of Mesut Ozil, who has been ruled out with a back injury, while Alexandre Lacazette is also a doubt with a knee injury. However, they will be boosted by the return of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been in fine form this season, scoring 14 goals in all competitions.
The match promises to be an exciting one, with both sides looking to take a step closer to the quarter-finals of the competition. Arsenal will be hoping to take an advantage back to the Emirates for the second leg, while Sporting will be looking to make home advantage count.
The match will be streamed live in English on BT Sport, with kick-off at 8pm GMT. It promises to be an intriguing encounter, and one that could have a big impact on the rest of Arsenal’s season.
