Sporting CP forward Luis Suárez can set a new personal scoring streak record since arriving at the Lisbon club if he finds the net against Arouca at Alvalade on Saturday.
The Colombian attacker enters the fixture on a run of five consecutive scoring games for the Portuguese team, having produced six goals in seven appearances across all competitions this season.
Suárez has maintained an impressive record of scoring in every match where he has been named in the starting line-up by head coach Rui Borges. He began the campaign on the substitute bench during a 2-2 draw against Estrela da Amadora and a 3-2 victory over Vitória de Guimarães before reclaiming his place in the team.
After regaining his starting spot, Suárez launched his five-match scoring run in a 3-1 victory against Alverca. He followed that with a two-goal performance in a 4-0 win over Rio Ave, before scoring single goals in a 2-0 victory against Nacional, a 3-1 win over Turkish side Galatasaray, and a 1-1 draw with Famalicão.
Saturday's opponent, Arouca, has been Suárez's most frequent victim since his move to Portugal. The club has conceded four goals to the Colombian forward, more than any other team, with Suárez scoring twice in both matches he played against them last season.
Previous Scoring Runs
The current five-game run matches Suárez's previous best scoring streaks for Sporting. During the previous season, the striker completed two separate five-match scoring streaks.
The first of those runs started in February with a 1-1 draw against Porto at the Estádio do Dragão and concluded following a draw against Sporting de Braga.
His second five-game scoring streak of last season ended with a goal in the Taça de Portugal final, although Sporting ultimately lost the match 2-1 to Torreense after extra time.
Turnaround With Sporting Supporters
The current scoring form represents a dramatic turnaround for Suárez, who experienced a difficult start to the season and was booed by Sporting supporters at Alvalade.
The tension with the fanbase originated when Suárez acknowledged that he had agreed to be an electoral asset for a candidate in the presidential election at Turkish club Fenerbahçe. His late return to Portugal following his participation in the World Cup further strained relations with the club.
With striker Fotis Ioannidis scoring in Sporting's first two matches of the season, Suárez was initially left on the bench and was noticeably unhappy with his situation. However, his run of six goals in five starts has successfully repaired his relationship with the Sporting supporters.
