Struggling Famalicao will welcome Estrela Amadora to Estadio Municipal on Saturday afternoon for matchday 19 of the Primera Liga, hoping to turn their fortunes around.
Vila Nova head into this fixture following a humbling 4-0 defeat to Benfica, a result that extended their winless run in the top flight to eight matches and nine across all competitions.
Match preview
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Famalicao's last victory came on November 3, when they edged past AVS 3-2 on the road, but since then they have recorded just four draws and suffered five defeats.
Azuis e Brancos hoped a managerial change would spark a revival, appointing Hugo Oliveira on December 10 after the dismissal of Armando Evangelista, but the change has done little to steady the ship.
Since Oliveira's appointment, their struggles have persisted, with the manager overseeing the last five of those winless games — all in the top flight — starting with a draw against Braga, followed by consecutive 2-1 home defeats to SC Farense and Santa Clara, a 1-1 stalemate with Casa Pia, and Famalicao's most recent loss to Benfica.
These results leave Fama 11th in the standings with 20 points from 18 games, only five points clear of the relegation playoff spot, and they will be eager to pull further away from danger with a victory this weekend.
While Oliveira seeks his first win in charge, Famalicao will also aim to secure their maiden home victory over Saturday's visitors, having played out a goalless draw in their only previous meeting at Municipal de Famalicao.
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Meanwhile, Estrela's 1-0 loss to Braga at Estadio Jose Gomes saw them suffer consecutive defeats in the top flight, extending their winless run to three.
In a match seemingly destined for a draw, the Tricolours would have thought they had at least a point in the bag after surviving a dramatic sequence of attempts from their opponents, including double goal-line clearances in the 90th minute, only to concede to an Amine El Ouazzani header from a corner three minutes later, marking the Star's second consecutive defeat at home.
Nonetheless, Estrela's current 14th position in the standings, having managed 16 points from 18 matches, is attributed to their decent record at Jose Gomes, where they have picked up 14 of their total tally in the top flight.
The Stars sit bottom of the away rankings, having failed to win any of their eight trips with just two draws to show for it, making this weekend's encounter a daunting task.
Team News
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Famalicao have just one injury absentee to contend with for this match in the form of shot-stopper Ivan Zlobin, who is dealing with a kidney problem, meaning Lazar Carevic will start between the sticks for a fifth consecutive game.
Manager Oliveira is expected to stick to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring the club's top scorer in the Primera Liga this season, Oscar Aranda, with five goals, leading the line for a third consecutive outing.
For the visitors, Leonel Bucca is the only absentee this weekend, having crossed the yellow card threshold following his booking in the previous match.
Paulo Moreira could be shifted to the attack, filling in for the suspended player as he takes his place on the flanks, alongside Rodrigo Pinho and Alan Ruiz in a three-man frontline.
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Carevic; Pinheiro, Mihaj, De Haas, Soares; Youssouf, Topic; Sorriso, Sa, Dias; Aranda
Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:
Brigido; Gabriel, Drame, Lima; Varela, Cabral, Keliano, Veiga; Ruiz, Pinho, Moreira
We say: Famalicao 1-1 Estrela Amadora
Both sides head into this encounter off the back of poor form, with Famalicao still searching for their rhythm despite a managerial change and Estrela winless in their last three outings.
While the visitors have struggled on the road, Fama's home record under Olivera has been far from impressive, making a draw the most likely outcome between these two out-of-sorts teams.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
