Rui Borges says Sporting CP's clash with Porto is important but not decisive, and he expects his side to still be at the top of their game despite having to play extra time in the Taca de Portugal in midweek.

Sporting booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition with a 3-2 win over AVS, but needed a 117th-minute winner from Geny Catamo in order to make it through to the next round.

It was Sporting's sixth consecutive win in all competitions, putting them in a good place for their Classico clash with Porto in the Primeira Liga.

Sporting have ground to make up on their rivals, sitting four points adrift of the leaders heading into Monday's game, but Borges expects a high-octane clash at Estadio Do Dragao.

"The players will be more tired, but that won't be an excuse for our performance in the Classico," Borges said.

"We will arrive in top form to play a game with a different intensity. I believe it will be an important game, but not a decisive one.

"The pressure and motivation of playing a Classico will outweigh the 30 extra minutes.

"I don't look backwards, only forward. We will do everything to win that game, but it's not decisive because there are many games left.

"We finished eight points ahead of second place in 2024-2025 and dropped nine points. All the games will be very difficult. For me, it's not a decisive game, but it's an important game."

Porto, meanwhile, sit top of the table hoping to extend their lead at the top to seven points, having missed the chance last time out.

Their 2-1 defeat to Casa Pia on Monday was their first in the Primeira Liga this season, ending a run of 11 consecutive wins in the competition.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Porto – Alberto Costa

Alberto Costa provided an assist last time out against Casa Pia and could provide an assist in consecutive matches for the first time since between August and September 2025.

That was a run of three that involved a match against Sporting, in which he assisted Luuk de Jong to put Porto 1-0 up.

Sporting CP – Pote

Only four players have been directly involved in at least 15 goals in the Primeira Liga this season, and two of those four play for Sporting – Luis Suarez (18 goals, four assists) and Pote (10 goals, five assists).

However, Pote is yet to score or assist in a league game at the Estadio do Dragao, despite making four appearances at the stadium, which is the most he has appeared at a single away venue without being involved in a goal.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Porto are unbeaten in their last nine home matches against Sporting in the Primeira Liga (W5 D4) but have won just one of their last five, with four of those ending in a draw.

But Porto are unbeaten in their last 12 home matches in the Primeira Liga, winning 11 of those (D1), keeping seven clean sheets in their nine games at home under Francesco Farioli.

Overall, the Dragoes lost their most recent league fixture (1-2), ending a sequence of 22 games without defeat (W21 D1).

Sporting, meanwhile, have lost just one of their last 41 games in the Primeira Liga (W30 D10), but this defeat came in the reverse fixture against Porto – a 1-2 defeat back in August.

The Leoes have alternated between wins and draws in their last away matches in the league (W3 D2), winning their most recent match on the road (2-1 v Arouca).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Porto – 37%

Draw – 26.3%

Sporting CP – 36.7%