Two sides separated by just one point in the Primeira Liga standings go head to head on Sunday as SC Farense play host to Estoril Praia at the Estadio de Sao Luis.
Having suffered a 4-0 thrashing back in December's reverse fixture, the hosts will head into the weekend looking to get one over the Canarinhos and pick up consecutive wins for the first time since November.
Match preview
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Farense returned to winning ways in style as they thrashed Estrela Amadora 3-0 when the sides squared off at the Estadio Jose Gomes last Monday.
In a one-sided affair, Bruno Duarte's 44th-minute penalty set the visitors on their way before Mohamed Belloumi and Marco Matias scored second-half goals to cap off an impressive team performance.
Prior to that, Farense suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Benfica on April 22 and had failed to win any of their previous six away matches, picking up just two points from a possible 18 in that time.
Jose Mota's side have now won nine of their 31 Primeira Liga matches so far while losing 15 and claiming seven draws to collect 34 points and sit 10th in the league table, one point and one place above Sunday's visitors.
Estoril Praia, on the other hand, picked up three huge points in their battle at the wrong end of the table as they secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Famalicao when the sides met last Sunday.
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Despite being on the back foot for most of the game, Rodrigo Gomes's 34th-minute effort saw Estoril secure all three points at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota as the Vila Nova suffered their 11th league defeat of the season.
Vasco Seabra's men found themselves in the relegation conversation after managing just one win in their opening 10 league matches to start the year, but a run of three wins in their last four outings has seen the surge from the doldrums.
Estoril have now gone unbeaten in five of their last six matches — claiming three wins and two draws — to surge from the doldrums after a run of just one win in their first 10 league matches to start the year saw them fall into the relegation picture.
However, the Canarinhos will be nervously looking over their shoulders as they sit five points above the relegation zone with three games to go, particularly with two of their final three outings coming on the road, where they have struggled to impose themselves.
Estoril head into the weekend without a win in any of their last nine away matches, losing four and picking up five draws, and currently hold the division's worst away record, having picked up just eight points from 15 matches.
Team News
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Farense will take to the pitch without the services of Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Felipe, who continues his spell on the sidelines through a tendon injury.
Off the back of a superb attacking display against Estrela, Mota could name an unchanged XI this weekend, with Duarte, Belloumi and Matias leading the attack once again.
At the defensive end of the pitch, we expect a back four of Pastor, Goncalo Silva, Igor Rossi, and 25-year-old Talys shielding Ricardo Velho between the sticks.
Meanwhile, Jordan Holsgrove has been sidelined since sustaining a thigh injury in the 2-1 loss to Braga on January 27 and the Scottish midfielder is out of contention for Estoril.
He is joined in the Canarinhos injury table by defender Erick Cabaco, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury last September.
SC Farense possible starting lineup:
Velho, Pastor, Silva, Rossi, Talys; Falcao, Barbosa, Isidoro; Matias, Duarte, Belloumi
Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:
Carne; Alvaro, Basso, Vital; Gomes, Fernandes, Zanocelo, Pina; Marques, Cassiano, Garcia
We say: SC Farense 2-1 Estoril Praia
Having both won their last outings, Farense and Estoril will head into the weekend with confidence as they look for a strong end to the season. However, the Canarinhos' form on the road is currently nothing to write home about and we see them struggling in this one.
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Joshua Ojele
