The Primeira Liga returns this weekend and SC Farense will look to keep their positive run going when they face Vitoria de Guimaraes at Estadio de Sao Luis on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts have managed 15 points in their first 11 matches, leaving them in eighth place, while the visitors have recorded 19 points this term and are two spots above their opponents in the league standings.
Match preview
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Following promotion last season, Farense have adapted to life back in the top flight very well and will be looking to build on the platform they have laid heading into the busy period of the campaign.
The Lions of Faro went into the international break on a high following back-to-back league victories over Arouca and, most recently, a 3-1 win over Boavista on the road.
Elves Balde, Fabricio Isidoro and Rafael Barbosa all got on the scoresheet in the last match to help their side to their fourth win of the season, while they drew four and lost three of their remaining seven.
With that, Jose Mota's side are now just four points behind the top five sides and have lost only one of their last five home games, which was against Sporting Lisbon back at the end of September, when they played the vast majority of the match with 10 men.
The last two encounters between these sides ended in 2-2 draws, but they have not managed to beat this opponent in their last six attempts, which sees them head into the match as the marginal underdogs.
Meanwhile, Vitoria headed into the international break following a 1-0 loss to Moreirense and a 2-1 defeat against Porto, which pushed them out of the top five places in the league.
Against the Dragons, Os Vimaranenses took an early lead thanks to a 17th-minute strike by Andre Silva, but they were pegged back before the interval, and Porto clinched the points on the hour mark with a winning goal from Francisco Conceicao.
However, Moreno's side did return from the international break in fine style, outplaying lower league side Vilaverdense to secure their place in the next round of the Taca de Portugal with a solid 4-1 victory at home last week.
The visitors have been the superior side in this encounter over the years and will know that they cannot afford any more dropped points if they intend to make a run at the European qualification spots this season.
Team News
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Farense have no injury concerns coming into this match, and following their good performances before the international break, it would not be surprising if Mota opted to field an unchanged side to the one that beat Boavista.
Mattheus Oliveira has been the creative spark in the Farense midfield and will need to pull the strings again in this one for Mohamed Belloumi, Balde and Barbosa, who should form the three-man front line.
Moreno, on the other hand, is still without Telmo Arcanjo, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament tear, while Mikel Villanueva has been flagged as a doubt with a foot injury.
Tomas Ribeiro, Toni Borevkovic, and Jorge Fernandes are expected to make up the back three, with Miguel Maga and Ricardo Mangas operating as the wing-backs.
SC Farense possible starting lineup:
Velho; Pastor, Silva, Muscat, Talocha; Falcao, Goncalves; Balde, Mattheus, Belloumi; Duarte
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Varela; Fernandes, Borevkovic, Ribeiro; Maga, Handel, Silva, Mendes, Mangas; J. Silva, A. Silva
We say: SC Farense 1-2 Vitoria de Guimaraes
Farense have been steadily improving this season and seem well on their way to re-establishing themselves as a top-flight contender. However, beating a side in the top six is never an easy task, especially after a three-week break.
Vitoria got a full 90 minutes under their belts last week, which could be a big factor here, as they are likely to be a little more match-sharp than their opponents.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Devesh Jaganath
