Vitoria de Guimaraes will be eager to return to winning ways when they welcome Santa Clara for round 28 of the Primeira Liga.
The hosts arrive on the back of a 2-2 draw at Moreirense, which left them sixth on 42 points, while the visitors, who sit just above them, extended their advantage to four points after a successful matchday 27 outing.
Match preview
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Vitoria will feel frustrated after failing to see off Moreirense last weekend, having fought back from a goal down to take the lead, only to concede a late equaliser with 10 minutes remaining.
Although the result stretched Os Conquistadores’s unbeaten run in the league to eight matches, it also halted their three-game winning streak, rekindling memories of their earlier struggles.
What has held Vitoria back from climbing higher in the standings is their inability to turn draws into wins, as they now hold the division’s highest tally of stalemates with 12.
Five of those have come at home, but with three victories in their last four league outings at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques, Luis Freire‘s men are well-positioned to claim maximum points and close the gap on the visitors.
However, anything less than a win would mean Vitoria can no longer reach last season’s 63-point tally, which secured a fifth-placed finish and a Conference League berth.
A major positive for the hosts is their defensive solidity at home, with clean sheets in each of their last four league games in front of their fans, a trait they will look to rely on this weekend.
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This spells trouble for Santa Clara, who have struggled for goals in this fixture, failing to find the net in six of their eight top-flight trips to Vitoria.
Recent form also suggests the Azoreans are not particularly prolific, having managed to strike just once in four of their last six matches while drawing blanks in the other two, though their defensive resolve has been impressive, conceding only twice in that run.
Vasco Matos‘s men appear to have turned a corner with back-to-back 1-0 victories over Gil Vicente and Nacional, following a four-game winless spell.
As a result, Santa Clara have collected 46 points from 14 wins, four draws and nine defeats, and while they remain a distant 10 points behind fourth place, finishing fifth would be a remarkable feat for a side recently promoted and never previously ending a top-flight campaign that high.
Team News
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Joao Teixeira Mendes returns from suspension and could reclaim his spot at right-back in place of Hevertton Santos, while Miguel Maga is likely to retain his role on the opposite flank after an assured display last time out.
Telmo Arcanjo, fresh from his brace against Moreirense, will carry confidence into this fixture as he aims to build on his four league goals.
Joao Costa has found his rhythm after netting the winner for a second successive match and is expected to spearhead Santa Clara’s attack once again.
MT anchored the defence against Nacional and should continue in that role, while Matheus Pereira is likely to feature as a left wing-back.
Ricardinho started ahead of Vinicius Lopes last time out, but a recall for the latter would not be surprising given his importance this season, with eight goals making him the visitors’ top scorer in the league.
Pedro Pacheco and Wendel Silva remain sidelined as they continue their recoveries and will play no part on Saturday.
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Varela; Maga, Villanueva, Borevkovic, J.T Mendes; Handel, J. Mendes, Samu; Santos, Oliveira, Arcanjo
Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Batista; MT, Lima, Rocha; Soares, Ferreira, Firmino, Pereira; Silva, Costa, Lopes
We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-0 Santa Clara
This fixture has all the makings of a tight contest, with both sides showing defensive resilience in recent weeks, but Vitoria’s strong home record in this encounter gives them the edge, and a single goal could well settle the contest.
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