Bringing the curtain down on another top-flight campaign, Famalicao will welcome top-half chasers Casa Pia to Estadio Municipal 22 de Junho on Friday night in the Primeira Liga.
Famalicenses will be aiming to record three straight victories at the end of the term, whilst Os Gansos are looking to halt a run of back-to-back defeats.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following a worrying run of four games in the Primeira Liga without victory to round off a hectic April schedule, Famalicao have started the month of May in exceptional fashion, recording back-to-back wins over Portuguese giants Benfica and most recently Chaves on the road.
For the second game running, Famalicenses managed to keep a clean sheet courtesy of the goalkeeping heroics of Luiz Junior and some excellent defending, with 19-year-old Gustavo Sa breaching the net of Chaves' Rodrigo Moura in the first period to ensure that all the points were collected by Famalicao.
Heading into the final weekend of Primeira Liga fixtures this season, Armando Evangelista's troops sit eighth in the top-flight standings, with seventh-placed Arouca four points ahead and ninth-placed Farense five points behind, meaning that Friday's hosts will finish eighth for a third straight term.
For a team that was languishing in the lower regions of the second division as recently as 2018, Famalicao's establishment as a top-half club in the Primeira Liga is a real achievement - one which many sides fighting against relegation are envious of right now.
© Reuters
Casa Pia's hopes of making a late dash for a top-half finish are slowing dying owing to their poor start to May, when they have suffered back-to-back defeats, losing a seven-goal thriller at Braga before narrowly being bested by sixth-placed Moreirense last time out.
Despite having the lion's share of possession and creating the most clear-cut chances, Os Gansos were unable to find a way past Caio Secco in the Moreirense net, and in the closing stages of the first half they were made to pay, with Goncalo Franco netting the winning goal for the visitors.
After earning just the single victory from their last six Primeira Liga fixtures, Casa Pia's ambitions of finishing inside the top nine will require some serious assistance from elsewhere on the final weekend, with Goncalo Santos's troops currently in 12th, two points and three places behind Farense in ninth.
That being said, Os Gansos will be confident of sorting their side of the deal out on Friday night due to their impressive away form, with Casa Pia collecting 21 of their 35 Primeira Liga results on the road this season, leaving them eighth in the away table.
Team News
© Reuters
After keeping a clean sheet at the home of bottom side Chaves last time out, Famalicao should continue with a centre-back pairing of Enea Mihaj and Riccieli.
Providing the assist for Sa's strike versus the Primeira Liga strugglers, Panama's Luis Rodriguez should keep his spot on the flanks alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Chiquinho.
Since returning from a red card suspension earlier in the term, Zaydou Youssouf has been a key force in the engine room for the hosts and will partner Serbian Mirko Topic once again.
After firing a blank last time out versus Moreirense, Casa Pia could make some alterations at the top end of the pitch, with the likes of Felippe Cardoso and Andre Lacximicant pushing for starts.
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Junior; Aguirregabiria, Riccieli, Mihaj, Moura; Youssouf, Topic, Rodriguez, Sa, Chiquinho; Araujo
Casa Pia possible starting lineup:
Paes; Geraldes, Nunes, Zolotic, Lelo; Neto, Beni, Soma, Pablo, Lameiras; Moreira
We say: Famalicao 1-2 Casa Pia
Heading into this match knowing eighth place will be their final position, there could be a drop in performance levels from Famalicao on Friday night.
Casa Pia still harbour faint hopes of finishing in the top nine, and we reckon that Os Gansos will earn a victory to give themselves a chance of escaping the bottom half.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
