The action continues in round 19 of the Primeira Liga as Boavista and Portimonense go head to head at the Estadio do Bessa on Sunday afternoon.
While both sides are currently separated by two points in the table, Os Axadrezados will be looking over their shoulders as they sit just two points above Rio Ave in the relegation playoff spot.
Match preview
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Boavista were sent crashing back down to earth last Saturday as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against title-chasing Benfica when the sides squared off at the Estadio da Luz.
With nothing to separate the sides heading into the final half-hour, veteran forward Angel Di Maria struck in the 61st minute to put As Aguias in front before Marcos Leonardo doubled the lead with a 94th-minute effort.
This followed a thrilling 4-1 victory over Vizela at the Estadio do FC Vizela on January 14 which saw their run of 10 consecutive games without a win in all competitions come to an end.
A major reason behind Boavista's poor form has been their defensive vulnerability as they have failed to keep a clean sheet this season and have shipped 33 league goals so far — only Estoril Praia (34), Portimonense (38) and Chaves (44) have conceded more.
For all their recent struggles, Ricardo Paiva's men currently sit in the top half of the Primeira Liga standings as they occupy ninth place and could move into eighth with all three points this weekend.
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Over in the South, Portimonense failed to pull clear of the danger zone as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Gil Vicente when the sides squared off at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao last Sunday.
Brazilian forward Murilo Souza continued his fine form in front of goal as he opened the scoring in the 42nd minute before Juventus loanee Felix Correia hit the target to make sure of the result with nine minutes left to play.
Prior to that, Portimonense snapped their run of six consecutive games without a win on January 12, when they edged out Farense 1-0 on home turf, courtesy of a second-half penalty from Carlinhos.
Paulo Sergio's men have picked up 18 points from 18 matches to sit 14th in the Primeira Liga standings, level on points with 13th-placed Estrela Amadora and just two points above Rio Ave in the relegation playoff spot.
While Portimonense will be looking to find their feet this weekend and pull clear of the drop zone, they have lost each of their last five away games in the league, conceding 15 goals and scoring three since September's 3-2 victory at Vizela.
Next up for the Alvinegros is the challenge of going up against an opposing side who have won each of their most recent three encounters and are unbeaten in their last eight, claiming six wins and two draws since a 2-1 loss in July 2020.
Team News
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Boavista remain without the Nigerian duo of defender Chidozie Awaziem and Bruno Onyemaechi, who are currently away at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
On the injury front, Os Axadrezados will take to the pitch without veteran goalkeeper Cesar Dutra, who continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ACL injury in February 2023.
Having missed the last two matches through a thigh problem, Portuguese defender Pedro Malheiro is also a major doubt for Sunday's tie, while fellow countryman Augusto Dabo has been sidelined through a severe injury.
Portimonense will have to cope without January arrival Tamble Monteiro as the 23-year-old forward is currently recuperating from a slight injury.
Midana Cassama was forced off injured midway through the second half against Gil Vicente last time out and the 21-year-old forward is also a major doubt for the Alvinegros.
Boavista possible starting lineup:
Goncalves; Dos Santos, Sasso, Abascal, Agra; Perez, Makouta; Lourenco, Reisinho, Morais; Bozenik
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Nakamura; Formiga, Alcobia, Relvas, Costa; Ventura, Dener; Varela, Carlinhos, Jasper; Carrillo
We say: Boavista 2-1 Portimonense
While both teams have struggled for results in recent weeks, history is on Boavista's side as they are unbeaten in their last eight games against Portimonense. Sergio's men have lost each of their last five league games on the road and we see them struggling once again.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
