Both in a heated race to beat the drop, Santa Clara and Maritimo go head to head in a relegation six-pointer at the Estadio do Maritimo on Saturday.
The two sides are currently separated by just two points and one place at the wrong end of the Primeira Liga standings, making this contest a nicely poised and an exciting one.
Match preview
© Reuters
Maritimo were left empty handed once again as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Portimonense when the sides squared off at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao last Saturday.
Bruno Xadas opened the scoring to hand the visitors a 13-minute lead, and with victory within their grasp, Mauricio and Welinton Junior scored in the final six minutes of the game to turn the game on its head.
Maritimo, who have not been relegated from the top flight since the 1982–83 campaign, had shown promise at the start of the year when they picked up two wins from their first three matches — with both victories coming at the Estadio do Maritimo.
However, O Maior das Ilhas' four-decade spell in the Primeira Liga remains under threat as they currently sit 17th in the league table with 13 points from 21 matches, two points and one place off Saturday's visitors in the relegation playoff spot.
Jose Manuel Gomes's men are on a run of four consecutive league defeats since their 1-0 win over Estoril Praia on January 22 and this has been owing to their struggles in defence, where they currently hold the league's worst record with 39 goals conceded already.
© Reuters
Less than a year on from an impressive seventh-placed finish in the 2021-22 campaign, Santa Clara find themselves languishing at the wrong end of the league table and in a race to beat the drop.
Jorge Simao's men failed to pick up their first since November last time out as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Famalicao when the sides squared off at the Estadio de Sao Miguel
Santa Clara have now failed to win any of their last 12 matches across all competitions, losing nine and claiming three draws since a 3-1 home victory over Estoril Praia on November 14.
While Os Acoreanos will be looking to stop the rot, they have struggled to grind out results on the road, where they currently hold the league's second-worst record with just one win and five points from 10 matches.
Next up for Santa Clara is the challenge of a Maritimo side against whom they are unbeaten in four of the last five Primeira Liga meetings between the sides, claiming three wins and one draw since September 2020.
Team News
© Reuters
Maritimo will be without the services of Portuguese midfielder Diogo Mendes, who came off with an ankle problem in December's games against Sporting Lisbon.
Gomes will also be unable to call upon 21-year-old midfielder Rafael Brito, who has missed each of the last five matches after sustaining an injury in January.
Twenty-two-year-old forward Percy Liza sustained an injury in the game against Porto on February 1 and is also out of contention for O Maior das Ilhas.
Santa Clara will take to the pitch without centre-back Ygor Nogueira, who will serve the first of his three-game suspension after picking up a straight red against Famalicao last weekend.
In his absence, Eduardo Ferreira could come into the fold, forming the back four with Nanu, Italo and Xavi Quintilla, while Gabriel Batista should start in goal for the 10th consecutive game.
On the injury front, Os Acoreanos remain without the duo of Tomas Domingos and Marco Pereira, who are currently recuperating from muscle and hamstring injuries respectively.
Maritimo possible starting lineup:
Makaridze; Winck, Mosquera, Junior, Costa; Vaal, Xadas, Soares; Vidigal, Moreno, Riascos
Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Batista; Nanu, Ferreira, Italo, Quintilla; Almeida, Firmino, Misao; Rildo, Tagawa, Silva
We say: Maritimo 2-1 Santa Clara
With just two points separating the sides in the league table, Saturday's game should be a real cracker and Maritimo and Santa Clara continue their race to beat the drop. Given that Gomes's side will have the extra support of the home fans, we are backing them to do just enough to secure a slender victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
