Portimonense will be aiming to end their nine-game winless run when they go head to head with Vizela in round 24 of the Primeira Liga at the Estadio do FC Vizela on Sunday.
This will be the second meeting between the sides this season after the spoils were shared in an uneventful goalless draw back in September's reverse fixture.
Match preview
Vizela continued to struggle for form in the Primeira Liga as they failed to protect their lead before falling to a 2-1 defeat against Pacos de Ferreira at the Estadio Capital do Movel last Saturday.
In a game where Cassiano and Samu both received their marching orders, after Bruno Wilson put the visitors in the 24th minute, Nuno Santos scored on the stroke of half time to restore parity before Portuguese youngster Matchoi Djalo completed the comeback shortly after the hour mark.
While this was a second consecutive win for the Pacenses, Alvaro Pacheco's men have now lost each of their last two outings, while they have failed to taste victory in each of their most recent three since a 3-2 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes on January 30.
With 23 points from 23 games, Vizela are currently 12th in the Primeira Liga standings, level on points with 13th-placed Famalicao and three above Tondela in the relegation playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Portimonense were involved in a share of the spoils for the third game running last time out when they came from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw at Santa Clara.
In a cagey affair at the Estadio de Sao Miguel, Lincoln netted on the stroke of half time to put Os Acoreanos ahead before Fahd Moufi restored parity with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.
The Alvinegros have now failed to win any of their last nine games across all competitions, picking up four draws and losing five, including a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Mafra on January 13 which saw them crash out of the Taca de Portugal.
This poor run of results has been owing to their struggles at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 straight games, while shipping 18 in that time.
Their performance on home turf this season has also been a major cause of concern for manager Paulo Sergio as his side ranks bottom but one in the home record standings with just two wins and 10 points from 12 games.
For all their recent struggles, Portimonense are currently eighth in the league table level on points with ninth-placed Maritimo and 12 adrift of Gil Vicente in the final Conference League qualification spot.
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Team News
Vizela will take to the pitch without the services of 27-year-old midfielder Raphael Guzzo, who sustained an injury against Boavista three Sundays ago.
Ivanildo Fernandes is also out of contention for Pacheco's side after the Portuguese defender picked up a groin injury last November.
The Vizelenses will also have to make do with the absence of the attacking duo of Cassiano and Samu, who both received their marching orders in the game against Pacos de Ferreira last weekend.
Meanwhile, Portimonense will be without the services of Ricardo Matos, who signed for the club in the January transfer window, after the 21-year-old came off injured just 15 minutes into the game against Santa Clara last time out.
He is joined on the Alvinegros' injury table by Moroccan full-back Achraf Lazaar, who has been out of action since last September through a Fibula injury.
Twenty-eight-year-old midfielder Pedro Sa is also set to sit out his fifth consecutive game after suffering a muscle problem in the game against Gil Vicente on January 23.
Vizela possible starting lineup:
Silva; Kouao, Anderson, Aidara, Ofori; Claudemir, Paulo, Mendez; Zohi, Bondoso, Schettine
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Samuel; Moufi, Pedrao, Rocha, Gomes; Fernandes, Rocha, Ewerton; Nakajima, Angulo, Oliveira
We say: Vizela 1-1 Portimonense
Looking at past results between the sides, we can expect a cagey affair at the Estadio do FC Vizela on Sunday. We predict Vitoria de Guimaraes will frustrate the efforts of the hosts and hold out for a fourth draw on the trot.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Vizela win with a probability of 36.23%. A win for Portimonense had a probability of 36.09% and a draw had a probability of 27.7%.
The most likely scoreline for a Vizela win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.9%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (7.85%) and 2-0 (6.55%). The likeliest Portimonense win was 0-1 (10.88%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.06%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 13.1% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted a 1-1 draw for this match.
