Nacional will be seeking to pick up their first away win of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga campaign when they go head to head with Famalicao at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao on Sunday.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since May 2021, when the Vila Nova cruised to a 3-0 home victory courtesy of strikes from Ivo Rodriguez, Ivan Jaime and Fernando Valenzuela.
Match preview
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Famalicao failed to return to winning ways as they played only a goalless draw with Moreirense at the Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas last Saturday.
In a cagey affair between the two teams, the biggest chance of the game fell to Luis Asue in the 54th minute but the Moreirense striker failed to keep his close-range header on target as both sides ultimately settled for a share of the spoils.
Having picked up three straight victories to start the season, Famalicao have now gone three games without a win, losing 2-1 against Vitoria de Guimaraes on September 1 before playing out back-to-back draws against Gil Vicente and Moreirense.
Despite their recent struggles, head coach Armando Evangelista will take pride in his side's start to the season as they sit sixth in the Primeira Liga table, level on 11 points with seventh-placed Braga, and could move into third place with all three points this weekend.
Nacional, on the other hand, continue to struggle for results in the big leagues as they suffered a 3-0 defeat against Braga when the two teams squared off at the Estadio da Madeira last Friday.
Having repelled Braga for most of the game, the home side fell apart in the final 13 minutes as Sikou Niakate, Bruma and Amine El Ouazzani scored quick-fire goals to fire Os Arcebispos to a deserved victory.
Following their promotion from the Segunda Liga via the playoffs last season, Tiago Margarido's men have now failed to win six of their seven games in the top flight, losing five and claiming one draw so far.
The Alvinegros' only win came against Farense on September 1, when Daniel Penha and 20-year-old Isaac scored in either half at the Estadio da Madeira to condemn the Leoes de Faro to a fourth defeat on the trot.
Nacional have picked up four points from their first 18 available to sit 16th in the table and their slow start has been owing to their struggles at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have conceded 12 goals already — only rock-bottom Farense have shipped more (13).
Team News
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Famalicao have been defensively resolute this season, and having kept their fourth clean sheet of the season last Saturday, we expect Evangelista to name an unchanged back four of Lucas Calegari, Justin De Haas, Enea Mihaj and Rodrigo Pinheiro, with Ivan Zlobin starting between the sticks.
Mirko Topic and Zaydou Youssouf have started all six games this season and should form the two-man midfield anchor, while Rochinha, Gustavo Sa, Sorriso and Oscar Aranda should handle business in the final third.
As for Nacional, Margarido will be unable to call upon the duo of Malian midfielder Djibril Soumare, who continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury in May.
The Alvinegros will also have to cope without the services of Brazilian defender Ulisses, who will serve the second of his three-game suspension after picking up a straight red card against Estoril Praia on September 15.
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Zlobin; Calegari, De Haas, Mihaj, Pinheiro; Topic, Youssouf; Rochinha, Sa, Sorriso; Aranda
Nacional possible starting lineup:
Franca; Garcia, Santos; Ze Vitor, Gomes; Esteves, Dias, Penha; Appiah, Reis, Baeza
We say: Famalicao 2-0 Nacional
While Famalicao have suffered a slight drop-off in recent weeks, they will be backing themselves against a floundering Nacional side who have struggled to impose themselves in the top flight. Evangelista's men head into the weekend as the more in-form side and we are backing them to secure all three points in front of their home supporters.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
