Embattled Porto welcome Santa Clara to Estadio do Dragao this Sunday for their 19th Primeira Liga match of the season, hoping to reverse their fortunes.
The Dragons head into the weekend on a four-match losing streak across all competitions, while the visitors have failed to win either of their last two games.
Match preview
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Caretaker boss Jose Tavares will be hoping to steady the ship and guide Porto to their first win of the new year, though his first attempt ended in disappointment with a 1-0 defeat to Olympiacos at the Dragao in the Europa League in midweek.
With just three days to prepare after stepping in to replace Vitor Bruno, who was sacked on January 20 following three consecutive losses, Tavares was unable to halt the slump as Ayoub El Kaabi's 79th-minute strike condemned his side to another setback.
Despite ending 2024 on a high with four straight wins, Porto's fortunes have taken a sharp downturn, starting with a 1-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon in the Taca da Liga, followed by two shock results in the Primeira Liga — a 2-0 loss to Nacional and a 3-1 reverse against Gil Vicente, which proved to be Bruno's final game in charge — before their latest disappointment under the new gaffer.
As a result of those setbacks in the league, Azuis e Brancos have dropped from second to third with 40 points, one behind Benfica and four adrift of leaders Sporting.
Amid Porto's struggles, Tavares can take solace in his team's impeccable record at the Dragao, with the Dragons winning all nine top-flight fixtures at the ground, making them the second-best home side in the division — a run he will look to extend as he seeks his first win in charge.
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Meanwhile, Santa Clara will be looking to capitalise on the hosts' recent woes as they chase their first ever away victory against them, having lost all 10 of their previous visits.
However, the Azoreans are also experiencing a rough patch, with just one win in their last six outings across all competitions, alongside one draw and four defeats, with the latest being a thrilling 3-2 league loss to Estoril Praia at Estadio de Sao Miguel last weekend.
After falling two goals behind, Santa Clara fought back to level the score through Vinicius Lopes (36') and Gabriel Silva in the 63rd minute, but Joao Carvalho's strike five minutes later dashed their hopes of salvaging a point.
Despite this setback, head coach Vasco Matos will take pride in his team's campaign so far, with the newly promoted side exceeding expectations, currently fifth with 31 points — already nine more than they managed in the entire 2022–23 season, when they finished bottom and were relegated to the second tier.
Team News
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Porto will be without Samu Aghehowa and Nico Gonzalez, after both were sent off in last weekend's loss to Vicente, paving the way for Denis Gul and Alan Varela to deputise.
Tavares may also make further changes following club president Andre Villas-Boas's announcement of disciplinary proceedings against Brazilian full-back Pepe.
Marko Grujic, Francisco Moura and Martim Fernandes will also be sidelined this weekend due to injuries.
As for the visitors, Matheus Pereira is suspended due to an accumulation of bookings, with Mateus Tavares expected to replace him.
Meanwhile, Gustavo Klismahn and Pedro Pereira are in contention to feature in midfield, while Lopes, Silva and Alisson Safira could start in attack for a second successive game.
Porto possible starting lineup:
Costa; Moura, Otavio, Perez, Mário; Jaime, Varela; Vieira, Namaso, Borges; Gul
Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Batista; Lima, Rocha, Venancio; Calila, Firmino, P Pereira, MT; Lopes, Safira, Silva
We say: Porto 2-1 Santa Clara
Despite Porto's recent struggles, their perfect home record in the top flight remains intact, providing a strong boost as they seek their first win of the year against Santa Clara, a side they have never failed to beat on their turf.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
