The action continues in round 24 of the Primeira Liga as Portimonense and Vizela go head to head in a bottom-of-the-table clash at the Estadio do FC Vizela on Sunday.
Both sides find themselves in the relegation zone after what has been a forgettable campaign and we expect them to go all out in search of a morale-boosting result this weekend.
Match preview
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Portimonense suffered a fresh blow in their battle at the bottom end of the table as they were thrashed 4-0 by Benfica when the sides met at the Estadio da Luz last Sunday.
As Aguias turned in a fine attacking show of class in front of their home supporters as David Neres, Angel Di Maria and a brace from Rafa Silva helped them open up a two-point lead at the top of the Primeira Liga table.
Paulo Sergio's men have now failed to taste victory in four consecutive matches — picking up one point from the last 12 available — and have won just two of their last 12 league outings since the start of December.
This poor run has seen Portimonense's seven-year stint in the top flight come under threat as they now sit in the relegation playoff spot, level on 22 points with Estrela Amadora, Rio Ave and Estoril Praia.
The Alvinegros have struggled at both ends of the pitch this season as they hold the division's second-poorest defensive record, having conceded 49 goals, while they have scored just 24 goals in their 23 matches so far.
Like Sunday's hosts, Vizela continue to struggle for results at the wrong end of the table as they played out a somewhat disappointing 3-3 draw with Estoril Praia at the Estadio do FC Vizela last weekend.
After a first-half brace from Samuel Essende put Vizela in the driver's seat, Alejandro Marques, Vinicius Zanocelo and Rafik Guitane scored quick-fire goals late in the second half to turn the game on its head before Orest Lebedenko restored parity in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
The Vizelenses have now failed to win 12 of their last 13 league matches since the first week of November — losing seven and picking up five draws — with a 1-0 victory at Gil Vicente on February 13 being the exception.
With just 17 points from their 23 matches, Ruben de la Barrera's men are currently rooted to the bottom of the Primeira Liga standings, five points away from safety, with a little over a quarter of the season left to go.
Next up for Vizela is the challenge of a Portimonense side who are unbeaten in six of their last nine encounters, claiming four draws and two wins, including a 3-2 victory in September's reverse fixture.
Team News
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Rodrigo Martins was forced off injured in last weekend's game against Benfica and the Portuguese forward is a major doubt for Portimonense.
New signing Ivan Pavlic could be handed his debut this weekend, having failed to feature for the Alvinegros since completing a move from Estoril Praia on February 1.
Essende has been a bright spark for Vizela despite their poor campaign, and the French forward, who now has 13 league goals under his belt, should spearhead the attack once again.
The Frenchman has scored a whopping 56% of the Vizelenses' total number of goals in the league and he should be joined in the attack by Domingos Quina and 25-year-old Sava Petrov.
At the opposite end of the pitch, we expect an unchanged back three of Jota Goncalves, Anderson and Lebedenko, with goalkeeper Fabijan Buntic retaining his role between the sticks.
On the injury front, De la Barrera will be unable to call upon the services of Spanish midfielder Pedro Ortiz, who has been sidelined since coming off injured against Moreirense back in December.
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Nakamura; Alemao, Pedrao, Relvas; Moura, Carlinhos, Dener, Costa; Varela, Pereira; Jasper
Vizela possible starting lineup:
Buntic; Goncalves, Anderson, Lebedenko; Silva, Samu, Costa, Pereira; Quina, Essende, Petrov
We say: Portimonense 1-1 Vizela
Given the stakes of Sunday's result, we expect Portimonense and Vizela to take a cautious approach to this one as they look to avoid dropping more points. We predict that both sides will cancel out each other's efforts and settle for a share of the spoils.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
