Pacos de Ferreira open their arms to welcome title contenders Braga to the Estadio da Mata Real on Saturday evening.
Pepa's side are languishing at the foot of the standings after recording only one victory this season. In contrast, Os Arcebispos sit only four points behind leaders Benfica in the pursuit of lifting their maiden Portuguese Primeira Liga title.
Match preview
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Pepa's side are on a crash course to ply their trade in the second tier of Portuguese football next season for the first time since 2019 in the wake of only one victory this season.
On the topic of Pacos' first taste of three points in the 2022-23 Primeira Liga season, which came in the last round of matches, it was Nigel Thomas's name that the travelling Pacenses supporters were singing after their win over Rio Ave on Saturday.
Previous to registering their maiden victory of the current campaign, the northern-based outfit suffered a 3-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon to conclude 2022, followed by a 1-1 draw with Chaves on January 8.
Pacos worryingly possess the lowest away win percentage record across the top tier of Portuguese football - 13% - having picked up only four points from a possible 24.
Winless at home to the dismay of an increasingly-frustrated Pacenses fanbase, Pepa's side will hope to bring an end to that unwanted narrative but will need to do so having scored the fewest goals - nine - across the current campaign.
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In contrast to Pacos de Ferreira, Braga have been in sensational form across all competitions this season.
Artur Jorge's side continued their stellar run of form on January 11 as Os Arcebispos progressed to the last eight of the Taca de Portugal following a 3-2 comeback victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes at the Estadio Municipal de Braga.
Three days later, Braga complemented that end-to-end win with a 1-0 victory over Boavista.
Braga sit in second position in the standings after recording the second-most league victories - 12 - with only current leaders Benfica able to showcase more three-point hauls in the current campaign.
Jorge's side have only suffered the unpleasant taste of defeat on three occasions this season and will be boosted further by a staggering 88% win rate on their 2022-23 Primeira Liga expeditions.
Team News
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Despite conceding the second-most goals in the Primeira Liga - 30 - with only relegation rivals Maritimo conceding more, Pacos de Ferreira manager Pepa could stick with the same back four that kept the club's first league clean sheet of the season on Saturday.
If the boss does keep faith with those four players, Juan Delgado, Nuno Lima, Maracas and Pacenses captain Vitorino Antunes will again line up as goalkeeper Jose Marafona's last line of defence at the Estadio dos Arcos.
At the opposite end of the field, recent goalscoring hero Nigel Thomas, Matchoi Djalo and Ze Uilton will line up as the attacking supporting act to lone striker Alexandre Guedes.
After hitting the back of the net 37 times across only 16 matches, Braga manager Artur Jorge is likely to take little time to name a familiar-looking front two on his starting team sheet.
With that in mind, Vitinha and Abel Ruiz will again lead the line for Os Arcebispos at the Estadio da Mata Real.
Pacos de Ferreira possible starting lineup:
Marafona; Delgado, Lima, Maracas, Antunes; Holsgrove, Carlos; Djalo, Thomas, Uilton, Guedes
Braga possible starting lineup:
Lima; Gomez, Niakate, Oliveira, Sequeira, Medeiros, Racic, Al-Musrati, Horta; Oliveira, Ruiz
We say: Pacos de Ferreira 1-3 Braga
In the presence of UEFA-designated tournaments since 2004-05, we predict that Braga will continue their aspirations of not only once gracing both domestic and continental engagements but keep their dream of winning their first-ever Primeira Liga title alive.
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