Sporting Lisbon v Porto: 11/2 cards Bet Builder appeals

• Red card in five of last seven meetings

• Inacio carded in seven of 18 starts this season

• Back Bet Builder at 11/2 in Portuguese showdown

• Read Betfair's new 90 Minute Payout offer here

Sporting Lisbon v Porto
Monday 18 December, 20:15
Live on TrillerTV

We've mentioned before in this props column how the games between Portugal's 'Big Three' regularly result in high-card totals and there is little reason to expect anything different here.

Both sides have dropped only eight points in their first 13 league games and come into this one knowing the winner will leap to the top of the table. A draw will keep the other member of the triumvirate, Benfica, at the summit.

The Big Three's dominance of the rest of the league means these showdowns are crucial to the final outcome so the stakes are huge here.

Porto have held the Indian sign over Sporting for several years now - they are unbeaten in this fixture since 2019 - so there is every reason to think the hosts will be going that extra mile to end that barren run.

Leg 1: Red card in the match

Five of the last seven games between the duo have seen a red card and that's the first part of our Bet Builder.

Referee Nuno Almeida hasn't been shy to send players off in this fixture - he's produced a red in his last three appointments to this meeting.

He's also got one other 'Big Three' game on his CV - Benfica v Sporting - and also flashed the red card in that one.

So far this season, Almeida is averaging just over 5.5 cards per game so he looks well set to continue recent trends.

Leg 2: Goncalo Inacio to be shown a card

Turning to the player-card market, the history of this fixture means there are a few players odds-on.

Porto left-back Wendell is among them - he's been carded in five of seven league starts this season.

However, I'm never enthused by players at odds-on in this market and instead will look further down it in search of value.

For Sporting, Paulinho may provide some at 9/52.80.

He's been carded in four of five starts in this fixture but looks likely to be on the bench for this one.

Instead, let's try centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

He's picked up seven cards in 18 starts for Sporting this season yet is out at 2/13.00 heading into the raucous atmosphere of this game with the added pressures that it brings.

He'll have to deal with the physical presence of Mehdi Taremi and it promises to be one of the 22-year-old's toughest games of the campaign.

Therefore, let's add him to our red-card bet to form a Bet Builder which pays close to 11/26.50.

Read Mike Norman's Premier League mid-season review!