Portimonense and Arouca get the ball rolling in round 20 of the Primeira Liga when they go head to head at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao on Saturday.
The Arouquenses head into the weekend off the back of a five-star performance against Vizela and will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce for the first time since August.
Match preview
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Portimonense avoided slipping into the relegation picture as they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Boavista when the sides squared off at the Estadio do Bessa last Sunday.
The Alvinegros turned in an attacking show of class as Helio Varela, Sylvester Jasper, Carlinhos and Luan Campos all found the back of the net to condemn Ricardo Paiva's men to their ninth league defeat of the season.
This was a first Primeira Liga away win in four months for Portimonense, who had lost each of the previous five games on their travels, conceding 15 goals and scoring just three since the start of October.
After picking up just one point from their final four games in 2023 and kicking off the new year with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Rio Ave, a run of two wins in their last three games has seen Paulo Sergio's side pull clear of the danger zone.
Portimonense have picked up six wins and three draws in their 19 Primeira Liga matches so far to sit 11th in the table, four points above 16th-placed Rio Ave in the relegation playoff spot, and they could move level with seventh-placed Farense with all three points this weekend.
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Over in the North, Arouca turned in a performance of the highest quality last Sunday when they hammered Vizela 5-0 at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca.
Cristo Gonzalez and Rafa Mujica combined to put the Vizelenses to the sword as they both scored two goals to inspire the home side to their biggest win of the season.
Prior to that, Daniel Sousa's men snapped their run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions on January 20 when they edged out Estoril Praia 2-1 courtesy of goals from Mujica and Tiago Esgaio.
Having stumbled into the new year, this upturn in form has seen Arouca rise into the top half of the Primeira Liga table as they sit in eighth-place, level on 22 points with Gil Vicente and Famalicao.
Next up for the Arouquenses is an opposing side who have failed to win any of the last five meetings between the two teams, losing three and picking up two draws since a 4-1 Taca da Liga victory in December 2015.
Team News
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January signing Tamble Monteiro continues his spell on the sidelines through a slight injury and the 23-year-old forward is out of contention for Portimonense.
Off the back of an impressive performance against Boavista, Carlinhos now has six goals and three assists in 18 league matches and we expect the 29-year-old to lead the hosts' attack once again, alongside Varela, Jasper and Hildeberto Pereira.
As for Arouca, Sousa will be unable to call upon the services of Brazilian defender Quaresma, who has been out of action since sustaining a severe knee injury last August.
Fellow countryman Vitinho has missed each of the Arouquenses' last six matches through an injury and the 24-year-old will also play no part in Friday's game.
Other names on the club's injury table include experienced midfielder Nino Galovic and January signing Yanis Hamache, who is currently recuperating from a muscle problem.
Following a superb team display against Vizela, Sousa has no major reason to tinker with his starting side, meaning that we could see the duo of Gonzalez and Mujica leading the attack while Tiago Esgaio, Rafael Fernandes, Francisco Montero and Weverson should retain their roles at the opposite end of the pitch.
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Nakamura; Moura, Pedrao, Relvas, Seck; Ventura, Dener; Varela, Carlinhos, Jasper; Pereira
Arouca possible starting lineup:
Arruabarrena; Esgaio, Fernandes, Montero, Weverson; Simao, Eboue, Jason, Sylla; Gonzalez, Mujica
We say: Portimonense 2-2 Arouca
Portimonense and Arouca head into the weekend off the back of huge wins and will be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling. This makes for a thrilling showdown at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao and we predict that both sides will cancel out each other's efforts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
