Winless Arouca and Nacional face off in Sunday's Primeira Liga match at Estadio Municipal de Arouca, both eager to record their first victory of the new season at the third time of asking.
The hosts have lost consecutive games to start 2024-25, while their newly promoted opponents were blown away by defending champions Sporting last weekend, failing to build on their league-opening draw.
Match preview
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Arouca have not enjoyed the best start to the new campaign, highlighted by losses to Vitoria Guimaraes (1-0) and Moreirense (3-1) in rounds one and two.
Further concerning for Gonzalo Garcia is the team's inability to find the back of the net in both losses, scoring one goal in 180 minutes of football heading into gameweek three.
Including last season's matches, Lobos have gone seven league fixtures without securing maximum points since a 2-1 success over Boavista in mid-April, underscoring the home side's continued decline.
Having lost their final two matches of the previous campaign — a 5-0 reverse at Benfica and a 3-1 defeat by Vitoria — consecutive losses to begin 2024-25 mean the home side could lose for a fifth top-flight match running.
While they hope to return to winning ways against the new boys on Sunday, a positive outcome is far from guaranteed despite their opponent still acclimating to the new surroundings.
Nacional may have been away for just three years, but the manner of their 6-1 home loss against Ruben Amorim's defending champions was a wake-up call for the promoted side.
Admittedly, Alvinegros will not play one of the 'Big Three' every week, but they must recover from last week's heavy loss in their ambition to avoid immediate relegation.
Last week's match in Funchal should have been a celebration, only for Sporting to flex their muscle with four second-half goals to add to two in the opening half.
Tiago Margarido could be forgiven for dreaming of a different outcome after Nigel Thomas levelled in the 36th minute to peg back the defending champions; however, Francisco Trincao netted just five minutes later to deflate the hosts.
Facing a winless, out-of-form Arouca this weekend presents a chance to respond to that heavy loss and claim this season's first win, but their hosts will be thinking the same heading into Sunday.
Team News
Matias Rocha, sent off after receiving two yellows in round one, returns from suspension and could be reinstated at centre-back for Sunday's fixture.
It was interesting that new signing Jose Fontan was dropped for last week's fixture, with Garcia opting for Nino Galovic and Sporting loanee Chico Lamba at centre-back in Rocha's absence, and it remains to be seen if the Spaniard returns to the squad this weekend.
Nacional are sweating over Bruno Costa and Thomas after they were forced off at the start of the second half against Sporting due to injuries.
Braga loanee Djibril Soumare has not played for the promoted side due to injury, and reports suggest the midfielder remains uncertain to feature this weekend.
Arouca possible starting lineup:
Mantl; Esgaio, Galovic, Rocha, Weverson; Simao, Fukul; Jason, Gozalbez, Sylla; Araujo
Nacional possible starting lineup:
Franca; Garcia, Ulisses, Vitor, Gomes; Esteves, Dias, Baeza; Macedo, Butzke, Appiah
We say: Arouca 1-1 Nacional
Nacional's recent return to the Primeira Liga after a three-year hiatus and Arouca's ongoing losses make it difficult to predict the outcome of Sunday's game. Thus, we will err on the side of caution and opt for a stalemate in the gameweek three meeting.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
