Two sides battling for survival will lock horns on Friday evening as Boavista welcome Estrela Amadora to Estadio do Bessa for round 22 of the Primeira Liga in what promises to be a tense relegation scrap.
Both teams are enduring extended winless runs, with Os Axadrezados rooted to the foot of the table on 12 points, while the visitors sit 16th with 17 points to their name.
Match preview
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Enduring a season to forget, Boavista are on course for an even worse finish than last term, when they scraped above the relegation playoff spot on goal difference after collecting 32 points to secure 15th place.
Cristiano Bacci's men had shown early promise with an opening-day victory at Casa Pia, but that remains one of only two league wins this campaign, with their second coming against Vitoria de Guimaraes in early November.
Those two triumphs bookended a dire run of eight winless games, comprising five defeats and three draws, yet what followed has been even bleaker, as Os Panteras have now gone 11 matches without victory, losing the last seven, with a 2-1 reverse at Estoril Praia their latest setback in a season riddled with struggles.
At risk of seeing their decade-long stay in the top flight come to an end, Boavista know that any hopes of survival hinge on a significant upturn in results, starting with Friday's fixture.
However, their form at the Bessa offers little encouragement, as Boavisteiros remain the only side yet to register a home win, having collected just three points from a possible 30 — the worst record in the division.
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On the other hand, Estrela's struggles have primarily come on their travels, propping up the away standings as one of only two teams yet to claim victory on the road after managing a meagre three points from 10 matches.
The Tricolours are currently enduring a wretched spell, with last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Casa Pia extending their winless streak to six games, comprising two draws and four losses – a frustrating reminder of the difficulties they faced earlier in the campaign.
Estrela endured a six-game winless start to the season under Filipe Martins, leading to his departure before Jose Faria took over and sparked a brief resurgence, guiding the Amadora-based outfit to four wins in his first nine matches.
However, the Star now find themselves slipping back into familiar struggles under the current boss and will be eager to halt this decline, taking encouragement from their sole success in this fixture – a 3-1 triumph at Estadio Jose Gomes in the 2023-24 campaign, which marked the first-ever meeting between the sides.
Since then, the two teams have played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture of that season before sharing the spoils once more in a 2-2 stalemate earlier this term in September.
Team News
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Veteran defender Rodrigo Abascal remains unavailable for Friday's clash as he serves the final game of his three-match suspension following a straight red against Braga on January 26, while Ibrahima Camara joins him on the sidelines after picking up a yellow against Estoril, taking him over the booking limit.
Boavista's injury woes persist, with Joao Goncalves and 20-year-old Morales Pires still sidelined with knee injuries, while Marco Ribeiro remains a doubt, having missed recent outings due to fitness concerns.
Meanwhile, Julio Dabo is set to sit out a fourth straight game since limping off against Casa Pia on January 20.
Estrela, on the other hand, emerged from their defeat to Casa Pia unscathed, though they remain without long-term absentee Tiago Mamede, while Alan Ruiz is set to miss his third consecutive match.
Should Rodrigo Pinho make the lineup, he will be looking to make a greater impact, having scored just once in his 12 starts this season while also failing to find the net in his last four.
Boavista possible starting lineup:
Cesar; Silva, Gomes, Marques, Miguel; Vikotic, Perez, Reisinho, Agra; Bozenik, Namora
Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:
Costa; Lima, Ferro, Drame; Travassos, Varela, Keliano, Idrissi; Bucca, Banza; Pinho
We say: Boavista 1-1 Estrela Amadora
This clash sees the league's weakest home side go up against the poorest travellers, with both teams' struggles rooted in their lack of cutting edge in the final third — Boavista have found the net just four times at the Bessa, while Estrela have managed only three away goals.
With neither side showing the firepower to spark attacking fluency, we predict a low-scoring stalemate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
