Two heavyweights clash in what promises to be a memorable European tie as Swiss side Young Boys take on Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
It is the first-ever meeting between Young Boys and Sporting when they face off in the Europa League knockout round play-offs.
The hosts of the first leg are seeking redemption after finishing third in their Champions League group behind Manchester City and RB Leipzig. With only four points from their six games, Young Boys will be looking to put together a decent run in the second-tier competition.
However, they meet a solid Sporting side who have only lost once in the Europa League this season.
Young Boys started their league season with two wins and as many draws in the first four games as they set out to defend the league crown which they won in 2023. Raphaël Wicky’s men also had a brilliant start in Europe with a 3-0 aggregate win over Maccabi Haifa in UCL qualifying.
The group stage began with a 3-1 defeat against Leipzig, and even though they bounced back from that by beating Lugano 4-1, the first league defeat followed at St. Gallen. Young Boys then went on a four-match unbeaten run, including a 2-2 draw against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.
Although Man City expectedly put a dent in their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 with back-to-back spankings, the Swiss champions took control of their destiny with a 2-0 defeat of Red Star. The UCL campaign ended with another loss in Leipzig but they had already done enough to secure an Europa League playoff spot.
Young Boys ended 2023 with a 3-1 victory over Stade-Lausanne, keeping them five points clear at the top of the Swiss Super League. They will return from their winter break recharged and ready to go with five league games before they face Sporting.
The Portuguese would represent a considerable challenge that they must overcome to continue their Europa League journey.
Sporting has one of the most eye-catching teams in Europe with a young manager who is sought-after across the continent. They hope to do better than their quarter-final finish in last season’s competition and must avoid a slip-up against Young Boys.
The Lions started the season in great form with five unbeaten games after a summer of impressive recruitment to the squad. Sporting’s Europa League campaign began with a 2-1 win against Sturm Graz after a brilliant second-half turnaround.
Although they kept winning in the Portuguese league, Ruben Amorim’s side lost to Atalanta and drew Rakow Czestochowa in Europe. Sporting finally ended the group stage unbeaten as they beat Sturm Graz 3-0 on Matchday 6.
The Green and Whites thereafter produced arguably the most important result of their league campaign with a 2-0 defeat of Porto as they asserted their supremacy in Portugal. Sporting have been on a winning run since then, which bodes well for their confidence in the resumption of European football.
Amorim’s side is currently one point clear at the top of the Primeira Liga standings and they will look to maintain that position as the season enters its crucial stage.
The Portuguese men are currently on an upward trajectory and are thus favourites against Young Boys. Nevertheless, they must be ready to take their chances to see a good result in the first leg.
Match tickets
This game is scheduled for Thursday, February 15, 2024 with kick-off set for 5:45 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on each club’s website and via UEFA channels.
The Wankdorf Stadium promises to put on a show as the home crowd looks to roar their team to a famous victory. There is expected to be a capacity crowd in the 32,000-capacity arena, so this is set to be a unique atmosphere.
The search for match tickets is a sure scramble because almost everyone in the city would be keen to get their hands on a copy. Hence, supporters looking to make the journey can find Young Boys vs Sporting away tickets on a ticket resale site.
Team news
Kastriot Imeri, Malik Deme and Cedric Itten are out injured for the Young Boys, while Meschack Elia, Aly Camara, Miguel Chaiwa, Saidy Janko and Ebrima Colley are with their national teams. There is a high possibility that they will all be available when the Europa League resumes.
For Sporting, Sebastian Coates and Ivan Fresneda are down with minor injuries and should fully recover before this match.
The likes of Ousmane Diomande, Geny Catamo and Hidemasa Morita are currently away on international duty and thus unavailable at the time of writing.
Line-ups
Jean Pierre Nsame is a dangerous man for the Swiss side who will be hoping he brings his prolific league form into the second tier of European club football.
Young Boys: Racioppi; Janko, Amenda, Lustenberger, Garcia; Colley, Niasse, Lauper, Ugrinić; Elia, Nsame
Pedro Goncalves and Viktor Gyokeres are the shining lights in a blossoming attack for Sporting and the Swedish striker in particular has been lauded for his goalscoring. The Lions will do well to feed the striker who can decide this tie.
Sporting must deal with the pressure that comes with an away knockout tie but they will still be keen to get forward and impose their attacking game on the opponents.
Sporting: Adan; St. Juste, Diomande, Inacio; Esgaio, Hjulmand, Morita, Reis; Trincão, Goncalves, Gyokeres
Prediction
Sporting may be favourites for the overall tie but this away leg must be treated with caution as Young Boys will be keen to impress in front of their fans. The Swiss may, however find themselves defending for large spells, which is a bad omen considering their defensive record on the continent this season.
Expect some goals and an exciting battle between two teams desperate to impress at this stage.
Young Boys 1-3 Sporting
