The 31st round of the I Liga could crown the new national champion. With a seven-point advantage and sitting at the top of the league table, Sporting is getting closer to confirming a title that seems more than certain and may even have the opportunity to celebrate at FC Porto's home ground, the Estádio do Dragão, on Sunday, although they will need the invaluable help of... Sp. Braga, who will visit the Estádio da Luz the day before. However, this is an unlikely scenario, at least according to history

Confused? Let's take it step by step. For Sporting to be crowned champion three rounds before the end, they need to beat FC Porto and Benfica must have lost on Saturday, when they host Sp. Braga. The math is easy enough in theory, but in practice, it is much more difficult. 

Looking at the historical record, we have to go back to April 30, 2016, to find the last time Sporting won at the Estádio do Dragão. In other words, almost eight years later, Rúben Amorim's team will have to end a long drought that could, after all, kick off the party that is already being prepared in Alvalade. 

Looking at the overall record of matches between FC Porto and Sporting, with the Dragons as the home team, the Lions have only won 18 of the 116 Clássicos, which gives them a low percentage of 16%. 

Sp. Braga have only won four times at the Luz 

However, a Sporting victory may not be enough to start the title party early if Benfica manage to win or draw against Sp. Braga 24 hours earlier. The Eagles only need one point to confirm second place in the league, but their current form is not the best, partly due to the protests from the fans, which were very evident during the trip to Faro. 

Even so, the scenario of a Sp. Braga victory at the Luz seems highly unlikely, if we only take into account the historical record of matches between the Eagles and the Minhotos in Lisbon. 

Of the 77 duels played at the Luz, Sp. Braga have only managed to leave the home of the Encarnados with a victory in their pocket four times, and in 2020, they managed to do it... twice. Before that, they had only won in December 2014 and... October 1954!

Elections shake up the Dragão 

No less important is the current situation at FC Porto, who, on the eve of the Clássico, will find out the winner of a three-way election race, but perhaps the least predictable in the last many years of Pinto da Costa's reign. 

The current president is running on List A, but André Villas-Boas (List B) appears to be the main challenger, gathering the support of some FC Porto fans and other well-known figures in the Porto universe, such as Jorge Costa. Nuno Lobo, candidate for List C, is also in the running. 

Leia Também: Pinto da Costa estranha lista de Villas-Boas: "Um é sócio do Sporting..." (Portuguese version)