Sporting Lisbon aims to return to winning form this weekend as they host Arouca at Estadio Jose Alvalade for the seventh round of the Primeira Liga. The Lisbon team fell further behind in their title chase after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Famalicao last weekend, while Arouca comes into this match following a 2-1 loss to Santa Clara. Sporting's hopes of reclaiming the championship suffered a setback in Vila Nova, where they conceded a late penalty to Luis Suarez and an own goal from Goncalo Inacio in stoppage time, despite facing a Famalicao side reduced to 10 men. Currently, the Lions sit third in the Primeira Liga standings with 14 points, trailing city rivals Benfica by two points and leaders Porto by four points, the latter having won the title last season. After finishing second last year, six points behind the top spot, Sporting aimed for a strong start this season. However, their progress has been stunted by a couple of draws that have kept them from turning advantageous situations into full points. The draw against Famalicao highlighted the Lions' struggle to maintain focus after taking the lead, echoing a similar warning from their opening match, which ended in a 2-2 draw against Estrela. Nevertheless, they had previously secured four consecutive league wins in between those results. Victories against Vitoria de Guimaraes, Alverca, Rio Ave, and Nacional, along with a Champions League win over Galatasaray, had built momentum until the setback in Vila Nova, which also marked the first game this season where Sporting failed to score at least twice. However, facing Arouca, against whom they have netted eight goals in their last two encounters—including a 6-0 victory in the same fixture last August—should instill confidence in Sporting, although they are aware that they dropped points in their previous two matches.