Sporting started the current season as the Portuguese champions. The team for some time was very convincing both on the European stage and in the national league, not losing points at all. However, in November it lost to Arsenal in a crushing style after which the confidence of the "green and white" shook. The Lisbon club is now a very serious contender for any Champions League participant, but has a precarious position in the overall standings. The Lions' current 23rd place could lead them to relegation, should they lose points against Bologna and should Manchester City and Stuttgart win in the parallel encounters with Brugge and PSG respectively. Only a victory in the decisive round will allow Sporting to feel confident and get the right to participate in the Champions League knockout rounds. In turn, for Bologna, the upcoming match can only bring additional prize money and improved mood. The club does not even have a mathematical chance to enter the top-24. No one in the Champions League has scored less than the Italian team. Three times, as well as the representative of Serie A, distinguished themselves Young Boys, closing the standings. Bookmakers have identified the home team as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 1.43 on their victory.

Sporting recently lost the League Cup to Benfica, in the final confrontation worse realised a penalty. At the same time, the Lisbon team is convincingly leading in the Primera Liga, ahead of the same "eagles" on six points after nineteen rounds. In the last round of the Champions League, Sporting could solve all questions on the continuation of the fight in the play-offs, but faced the principled position of Leipzig, which in the home walls had to gain the first points at the general stage after six consecutive defeats.

Bologna shone in the last Serie A draw. The current championship, the team is doing worse, but is a contender for European Cup positions. Now Bologna is in sixth position in Italy's main league, but has played one more match than Fiorentina and Milan, who are lagging behind. In the Champions League, the Italian club beat only Borussia Dortmund, having "sacked" its head coach in the last round. However, in Lisbon will be a different level of confrontation. Sporting is much stronger than the visiting team.