On their return to action following the recent international break, Arouca and Casa Pia will both aim to continue positive starts to the Primeira Liga campaign on Sunday, when they square off at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca.
After the opening four games of the season, the hosts find themselves eighth in the Primeira Liga table with an unbeaten record, while their visitors are only one point worse off at this early stage.
Match preview
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After winning promotion to the Primeira Liga in the 2020-21 season and then securing survival in the following year, Arouca enjoyed a memorable campaign last time around, finishing fifth in Portugal's top flight with 54 points and earning a place in Europa Conference League qualifying as a result.
Following the departure of former manager Armando Evangelista and the subsequent appointment of Daniel Ramos, they set out for another strong season around the top half of the division this time around and have enjoyed a positive start thus far, with the Arouquenses carrying an unbeaten record into the international break after their opening four outings.
That run began with a victory in an eventful meeting with Estoril Praia in their curtain-raiser, having fallen behind on three separate occasions only to draw level through Rafa Mujica, Cristo Gonzalez and a Volnei Feltes own goal, before Pedro Santos netted the winner deep into injury time, although they would then drop out of European qualifying in the following trip to Brann, as a 3-1 away defeat saw them fall just short on aggregate.
Then with their focus fully on their league pursuits, Ramos's men then played out consecutive draws with Vizela and Portimonense, salvaging a share of the spoils through Morlaye Sylla in the 84th minute against the latter before most recently facing a tough trip to Portuguese giants Porto and taking a creditable point from another 1-1 draw, albeit ending in disappointing fashion as they went ahead through Gonzalez six minutes from time, only for Evanilson to draw their hosts level 19 minutes into injury time.
While they will be disappointed by the manner of that draw, the Arouquenses can certainly be pleased with the result, which extended their unbeaten start to the Primeira Liga campaign, and now on the back of the break, they will aim to return to action with a home victory on Sunday to make it nine points from five outings.
They meet a Casa Pia side who also enjoyed a winning start to the Primeira Liga campaign, after their 10th-placed finish on promotion last time around, as Sunday's visitors followed up a pair of Taca da Liga victories with a 3-0 beating of Farense away from home on the opening day, thanks to goals from Clayton, Pablo Roberto and Saviour Godwin.
Os Gansos then faced a difficult test at home to Sporting Lisbon in the second round of games and fell just short, despite a valiant effort, eventually falling to a 2-1 defeat as Clayton drew them level on the hour mark after Paulinho's early opener, only for the latter to add a second immediately and ensure the title-chasers took all three points.
A trip to league leaders Boavista followed, and Clayton was again on the scoresheet to put Filipe Martins's side ahead in the first half as they eventually took a creditable point from a 1-1 draw, before most recently hosting Rio Ave before the international break in their search for a second league win of the term.
Os Gansos would again go ahead in that outing, courtesy of Roberto's 13th-minute opener, but after Joca drew the visitors level early in the second half, Martins's men were only to come away with a somewhat disappointing share of the spoils.
Having gone into the break with five points on the board after a mixed set of results, in their bid for another safe mid-table finish in the top flight, Casa Pia are also aiming to return with a victory after the break on Sunday and leapfrog their hosts in the process.
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Team News
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Arouca will likely field an unchanged starting XI from their impressive performance and result away at Porto before the international break, with Rafael Fernandes, Nino Galovic and Francisco Montero all bound to keep their places in the middle of a back five.
In front of them, David Simao is a key man in midfield for the Arouquenses, and he is bound to star in the engine room, likely alongside Morlaye Sylla, although Eboue Kouassi and Pedro Santos are also fighting for starting berths.
Rafa Mujica will continue to lead the line, having already scored four goals in all competitions so far this season, while Cristo Gonzalez is another danger man from the right wing with three Primeira Liga goals to his name in just four appearances since joining from Udinese over the summer.
Casa Pia should again line up in a 3-4-3 shape on Sunday, with star man Clayton again set to lead the line having netted five goals so far this season including three in the Primeira Liga.
He will be flanked by Yuki Soma and Saviour Godwin, while Pablo Roberto also offers plenty of quality and threat from midfield, with two league goals of his own since joining from Vila Nova over the summer.
At the back, Filipe Martins should deploy an unchanged defensive trio of Fernando Varela, Vasco Fernandes and Nermin Zolotic, in front of Ricardo Batista between the sticks.
Arouca possible starting lineup:
De Arruabarrena; Milovanov, Fernandes, Galovic, Montero, Esgaio; Simao, Sylla; Gonzalez, Mujica, Jason
Casa Pia possible starting lineup:
Batista; Varela, Fernandes, Zolotic; Larrazabal, Roberto, Neto, Lelo; Soma, Clayton, Godwin
We say: Arouca 2-1 Casa Pia
Armed with confidence from their positive start, which culminated in the impressive draw against Porto, and on the back of a break from competitive action, we back Arouca to take all three points on Sunday with home advantage on their side.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
