Sporting Lagos FC - Akwa United FC predictions and free betting tips [28/02/2024]

Today, in the context of the Nigerian Premier League (NPFL), Sporting Lagos and Akwa United will face off.

Sporting Lagos

Sporting Lagos, in the current season of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), is teetering on the brink of relegation in 14th place, with 24 points after 21 rounds. This places them on par with teams like Niger Tornadoes, Bayelsa United, and Gombe, each of which also has 24 points. In their last five matches, Sporting Lagos has achieved 2 victories and 1 draw, with both wins secured at home against mid-table teams by a score of 1:0. The team's level of goals conceded, 22 in 21 rounds, aligns with the league's average.

Detailing their recent games: Sporting Lagos lost away to Gombe by a score of 2:0 on 25 February. On 18 February, they claimed a home victory against Bendel 1:0 and also bested Rivers United with the same score on 14 February. The team succumbed to Bendel by 3:1 on 20 January and drew 2:2 with Shooting Stars on 15 January. These outcomes exhibit Sporting's competitive edge against middle-tier teams, especially in home matches.

Akwa United

Akwa, in this season of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), finds itself in the relegation zone in 19th place, holding 21 points after 21 rounds. The team is fighting for survival, displaying results typical for the league's mid-table teams in terms of goals conceded - a total of 21 goals. However, Akwa faces challenges in attack, having scored only 16 goals, one of the worst records in the league.

In their last five matches, Akwa secured two victories, both at home: on 16 January, the team defeated Abia Warriors 3:1, and on 21 January, they overcame Enugu 1:0. Nonetheless, subsequent games were less successful: Akwa lost to Rivers United 2:1 on 7 January, fell to Enugu 0:1 on 18 February, and to Bayelsa United 0:1 on 25 February. These results underscore the team's inconsistency and its capability to win crucial home matches despite the overall challenging situation in the league standings.

Head-to-Head

In the sole head-to-head encounter of the first round, the teams drew 0:0.

Match prediction for Sporting Lagos - Akwa United

All factors point towards a potential victory for the hosts. Sporting Lagos shows strong results in home matches, a traditional trait for many teams in the league, while Akwa faces significant difficulties in away games, having suffered 8 consecutive losses outside their home with only 1 goal scored in these encounters.

Considering the current form of both teams and their recent outcomes, as well as Sporting's traditionally strong home play against a team struggling to find its game on the road, my bet is on Sporting Lagos. Reinforcing this with Akwa's extremely low goal tally in away matches, it's expected that Sporting will leverage their home advantage to win this crucial encounter for both teams in the fight for survival in the NPFL.