Betking_NG_Remo Stars v Sporting Lagos.jpg

This weekend will feature the much anticipated first Southwest Derby of the season as Sporting Lagos travels to Ikenne to face Remo Stars, and the hosts will be fuelled by a strong desire for revenge. In July, these two teams crossed paths twice during a friendly tournament, and Sporting Lagos emerged victorious on both occasions. These defeats were stinging for Remo Stars, considering that Sporting Lagos, as newly promoted, were perceived as overwhelming underdogs. 

These two teams are forever intertwined because of their significant contributions to the transformation of Nigerian football. In recent seasons, Remo Stars have made huge investments in both their infrastructure and personnel, resulting in impressive 3rd and 2nd place finishes in the last two seasons, respectively. Head Coach Daniel Ogunmodede has displayed great confidence in the team's prospects for the current season, stating that they have no excuse for not winning the league, a rare instance of a manager placing such pressure on himself. 

As for Sporting Lagos, their unique approach to football, emphasizing fan engagement and actively involving the younger generation, has propelled them to the forefront of Nigerian football discussions over the past six months. Together, Remo Stars and Sporting Lagos have become the poster children for the modernization of club football in Nigeria. 

Both teams have made impressive starts to the season. Sporting Lagos, in what is their first season in the topflight, remains undefeated after three games and boasts three clean sheets, a commendable way to kick off their inaugural season in the league. 

As for Remo Stars, they have been quite entertaining, with four goals scored and four goals conceded. What truly stands out, however, is their notable achievement of securing the league's first away win of the season, which came against Bayelsa United last weekend. This remarkable victory led to three of their players being named in the Team of the Week: Nduka Junior (Defender), Adams Olamilekan (Midfielder), and Sikiru Alimi (Striker). Also, Daniel Ogunmodede was named Manager of the Week. 

This match will also mark the return of Sporting Lagos' Junior Lokosa to his former club. Given the intense rivalry between the two teams, it's safe to assume that his reception won't be a warm one. The former NPFL Golden Boot winner spent last season at Remo Stars, contributing to their second-place finish in the league table before signing a short-term contract with Sporting Lagos in July. Although Junior Lokosa has yet to find the back of the net this season, he has provided an assist. In a rather poetic twist, he will aim to open his scoring account for Sporting Lagos on his old stomping ground. 

 

**Head-To-Head Record** 

Given that this marks Sporting Lagos' inaugural season in the Nigerian Professional Football League's top tier, this will be the first competitive encounter between the two clubs. However, these teams crossed paths twice during the Naija Super 8 friendly tournament held in July. In both instances, Sporting Lagos emerged victorious – first, during the group stage and then, five days later, in the finals, clinching victory in a penalty shootout. Given the guaranteed goals this fixture has given us in the past, one of our betting tips today is for our online sports betting community to wager on both teams to score. 




Sporting Lagos 2 - 1 Remo Stars (11th July, 2023) 

Sporting Lagos 1 (4) - 1 (2) Remo Stars (16th July, 2023)  





**Form Guide** 

**Remo Stars:** In a league where away wins are as rare as a hen’s teeth, Remo Stars are coming off the first away win of the season by any team in the league. In a highly competitive match at the Samson Siasia Sports Stadium, they triumphed over Bayelsa United with a score of 2-1, propelling themselves to the 4th position in the league standings. Ahead of this game, BetKing has the best odds on Remo Stars getting a second consecutive win among all betting sites. W-L-W 

**Sporting Lagos:** Sporting Lagos, along with Bendel Insurance, stands as one of the only two teams in the NPFL that remain undefeated this season. They began the season with a victory, securing a 2-0 win against Gombe United, with goals from Rivio Ayemwenre and Clement Naantaum. Subsequently, they continued with two consecutive goalless draws, first against Akwa United and then at home against Doma United. W-D-D 






**Potential Line-Ups** 

**Remo Stars: Starting XI:** Bankole / Nduka - Yinusa - Joseph - Ismail / Fatokun - Adams - Akanni / Adedayo - Anakwe – Mawuena (4-3-3) 

**Sporting Lagos: Starting XI:** Nwoke / Salawudeen - Egeonu - Balogun - Ndedi / Ufere - Ayemwenre - Odibo - Chisom / Naibe – Lokosa (4-4-2) 

 
 
 
 

**Key Players** 

**Remo Stars - Kayode Bankole:** The Remo Stars’ goalie is arguably the best in the country. This exceptional shot stopper, who was honoured with the LBA NPFL Goalkeeper of the Season award for the last campaign, is now aiming to achieve a remarkable feat: becoming the first goalkeeper to lead the clean sheets chart for the third consecutive time. Notably, he became the club's first-choice goalkeeper at the tender age of 19, and in recent days, his name has been prominently featured in the media as a potential solution to the Super Eagles' goalkeeper issues ahead of the AFCON. If Sporting Lagos hopes to secure a result in this match, they'll need to devise a strategy to outmanoeuvre Bankole. 


**Sporting Lagos - Christian Nwoke:** Since his transfer from FC One Rocket last year, Christian Nwoke has proven to be a sensation for Sporting Lagos. So far this season, the shot stopper has kept clean sheets in all 3 NPFL games, and his remarkable triple-save during the goalless draw against Doma United at home has garnered widespread acclaim from the footballing community, with many advocating for his inclusion in the Super Eagles. With Kayode Bankole also receiving similar calls, it's reasonable to view this game as an unofficial audition by both goalkeepers for the Super Eagles' head coach, José Peseiro. 

 

**Key Stats** 

● Remo Stars haven’t lost a home game in the NPFL since the 2nd of February, 2022 when they lost to Akwa United during the 2021/22 season.  

● Remo Stars have scored at least one goal in 15 of their last 17 NPFL games. This includes the 5 games played in last season’s Super Six              tournament where they scored 8 goals in 5 games.  

● Sporting Lagos is one of two teams, alongside Bendel Insurance, yet to concede a goal and suffer defeat this season in the NPFL.  

● 9 of Remo Stars’ last 14 NPFL games has seen both sides score.  

● Though he is yet to keep a clean sheet this season, Kayode Bankole has kept 27 clean sheets in the last two seasons (53 games) - the most        by any goalkeeper in that stretch.  


**Betting Tips:** 

● Over 1.5 goals 

● Sporting Lagos to win/draw 

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Betting Tips

Betting Preview: Remo Stars vs. Sporting Lagos

● Over 1.5 goals

● Sporting Lagos to win/draw