A key battle at the bottom end of the Primeira Liga table will take place at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota on Sunday, as Estoril Praia entertain Santa Clara.
With six league games to go, the visitors find themselves at the foot of Portugal's top flight, six points behind Maritimo in the relegation playoff place, while their hosts sit just one place and three points above that playoff spot following three straight defeats.
Match preview
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After finishing ninth on their return to the Primeira Liga last season, it has been a tougher campaign for Estoril Praia this time around, as they have found themselves in trouble since enduring a dismal run early in the new year.
The Canarinhos moved up to eighth spot with a victory over Casa Pia in mid-January, but they have since lost 12 of their last 14 top-flight matches, firstly suffering three straight defeats before beating Boavista on home turf in early February.
That was followed by two further losses, spelling the end for Nelson Verissimo's spell as manager, but new boss Ricardo Soares was unable to inspire a change in form, with the losing run stretched to six matches before they, at least, hugely boosted their survival chances with a 1-0 triumph over Gil Vicente earlier this month, thanks to Alejandro Marques's first-minute goal.
That took the Canarinhos onto 25 points from 26 league outings, but once again they have been unable to build on that victory and now head into the weekend on the back of three more consecutive defeats, firstly falling short against Braga and Portimonense, before most recently being beaten 1-0 away at leaders Benfica last Sunday as Nicolas Otamendi netted the decisive goal.
As a result of their poor form since the turn of the year, Estoril Praia do still find themselves involved in the fight to guarantee their safety, and with just a three-point lead over Maritimo in the relegation playoff place, they will be desperate to reverse their fortunes in the final run-in and move clear of the bottom three.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip knowing they need more than that if they are to avoid the drop, having experienced a particularly dismal campaign in Portugal's top flight this season.
Santa Clara dropped into the bottom three at the beginning of January and have not climbed out at any point since, having now gone 16 matches without a victory while only collecting three points along the way.
Following a draw with Boavista in early February, Os Acoreanos would endure a run of nine straight losses in the Primeira Liga, being rooted to the foot of the division as a result as they conceded 19 goals and only scored four along the way.
That culminated in a 2-1 defeat away at Porto, before Danildo Accioly were at least able to end the losing run with a 1-1 draw at home to Chaves last weekend, as their visitors went ahead in the 83rd minute through Issah Abbas, only for Bruno Jordao to level the scores four minutes from time.
Although Os Acoreanos will certainly be pleased to have ended that unenviable run, they will know that draws will not suffice if they are to overcome the odds and climb out of the bottom two, and now sitting six points off the relegation playoff spot and nine points off their visitors with just six games to go, Santa Clara know they will need a run of victories to even stand a small chance of preserving their top-flight status at this stage.
Team News
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Estoril Praia will remain without Lucas Africo due to an injury, while they will also be unable to call on midfielder James Lea Siliki, who will serve a one-game suspension after being shown his latest yellow card off the bench in the Benfica defeat.
Cassiano was given the nod to lead the line in that game, although with the Brazilian yet to score this term, Alejandro Marques will be pushing to come back in from the outset after his substitute appearance last time out.
It is winger Tiago Gouveia who has been their key man in attack so far this season, contributing five goals and five assists in the Primeira Liga, and he will return to the starting XI after being ineligible to face parent club Benfica, with Carlos Eduardo likely operating on the other flank.
Santa Clara are without Pierre Sagna, who will serve a suspension for an accumulation of bookings, while Tomas Domingos, Marco Pereira and Xavier Quintilla are sidelined by injuries.
Allano will return to contention, though, and he will likely start on the wing, while Gabriel Silva should play a starting role on the other flank, having netted a team-high tally of five league goals so far this season.
Kyosuke Tagawa will hope to come in and lead the line from the start, after Costinha and Matheus Babi were preferred last weekend, while Bruno Jordao will continue to play a key role in midfield, likely alongside Adriano Firmino.
Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:
Figueira; Santos, Alvaro, Vital, Joaozinho; Gamboa, Carvalho, J. Marques; Eduardo, A. Marques, Gouveia
Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Batista; Italo, Nogueira, Boateng; Nanu, Jordao, Firmino, Henrique; Silva, Tagawa, Allano
We say: Estoril Praia 2-0 Santa Clara
With two sides who are totally devoid of confidence squaring off, something is bound to give, and we see the hosts having too much for the Primeira Liga's struggling basement side on Sunday and scoring a victory to take a major step towards confirming their safety.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
