If ever there was a time to put on my footballing glasses, this is it. PSV Eindhoven and Sporting are set to have a good old chinwag on the pitch. Not much separates these two, and here's why.
Guarding the goal for Sporting is Franco Israel. His rating is better than a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow at 7.10, and his ability to swat those footballs away like flies (2 saves) might be of some concern for the PSV boys.
On the other side, we've got Joël Drommel with a 6.70 rating and 3 saves under his belt. If I were a betting man, I'd say we're due for an interesting match.
Zeno Debast and Viktor Gyökeres are the top men from Sporting. Their accurate pass rates could give a statistician a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
PSV's not entirely without a few aces up their sleeves. Olivier Boscagli and Johan Bakayoko are worth keeping an eye on. No goals yet, but their accurate pass rates could be the unsung heroes of the pitch.
A questionable turn is Pedro Gonçalves' injury on the Sporting side. The whispers are he's stellar on the field when playing. On the PSV side, Joey Veerman is a doubtful case. Will his influence be missed? I can't say for sure, but sports is full of surprises.
So far, Sporting's been singing in the rain with a tournament record of 1 win. PSV, on the other hand, seems to have started on the wrong foot with a loss. Considering their recent results, PSV's been a bit of a yoyo, but there's always a chance for redemption.
Wrapping it up, I'm edging a shade towards Sporting, considering their victory over Lille and their overall tournament performance. But trust me, folks, I've been wrong before - once in '89 and a rather embarrassing incident in '92 involving a pudding toss and a circus bear.
Albert’s Prediction: Sporting by 1