AVS will have one final chance to avoid the drop from the Primeira Liga this weekend, when they play host to Moreirense at Estadio Clube Desportivo das Aves on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts head into the season finale in the sole relegation playoff spot with 27 points, while the visitors are clear of the scramble at the bottom and set for a mid-table finish to the campaign.
Match preview
© Imago
AVS are right in the thick of the relegation scrap in the Primeira Liga, and with their top-flight status on the line, results not only in their own game but elsewhere in the league on the final day will determine whether they can survive the drop in their top-flight debut season.
The side from Vila das Aves made one last roll of the dice in their bid for survival by sacking Rui Ferreira and appointing Jose Mota with just two games remaining, and the experienced former Leixoes boss made an immediate impact, pulling off a massive 1-0 win away to Estrela in his first game in charge last week.
That crucial victory lifted AVS out of the bottom two and three points clear of Boavista at the foot of the table, but their safety is far from guaranteed - if they lose this match and As Panteras win their final game, Boavista will leapfrog them due to a superior head-to-head record.
On the flip side, a win here combined with a defeat for Estrela would see AVS secure their top-flight status, as they hold a better head-to-head record against Farense, the first team below the dotted line and level with them on 27 points heading into the season finale.
Mota now has the chance to become an instant hero at Estadio Clube Desportivo das Aves if he can guide AVS to a victory this weekend, but it will not come easy, as his side have not won at home since the end of January against Gil Vicente and have managed just three home wins all season.
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Meanwhile, after a stunning return to the top flight last season, where they equaled their best-ever finish with a remarkable sixth place, Moreirense have been unable to replicate that success this time around and will have to settle for a spot in the bottom half of the table, having collected just 37 points from 33 games.
Following a tough run of form that saw them win just one of 12 matches early this year, the club decided to part ways with Cesar Peixoto in mid-February, turning to Cristiano Bacci, who arrived from Boavista, in a bid to steady the ship and finish the season on a more positive note.
However, despite a promising start to his tenure, going unbeaten in his first three games (W1 D2), the Italian tactician has struggled to make a significant impact since taking the reins, managing just two wins, along with five draws and three defeats, in his first 10 games in charge.
Last week, Os Verdes e Brancos squandered a 2-0 lead, conceding twice in the space of four minutes against Estoril to settle for a 2-2 draw, marking the third consecutive game in which they failed to secure victory after leading in the match.
With that result, the visitors are now winless in their last five games (W0 D2 L3), including back-to-back 3-1 away defeats in their last two outings, and they have managed just one victory in their last 11 league matches on the road, dating back to the end of October.
Team News
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AVS have just one known absentee for this match in the form of Dynamo Kyiv loanee Gerson Rodrigues, who has only made five appearances since arriving in January and has missed the last seven matches with a muscle injury.
Ze Luis was left out for the defeat to Boavista but was recalled to the starting 11 last week, where he scored the crucial winner against Estrela - a performance that should have secured his place in attack for this match.
The visitors, meanwhile, are set to be without at least three key players for the final match of the season due to injury, including Guilherme Liberato (cruciate ligament), Hernani (knee), and Lawrence Ofori (muscle).
Ismael has missed the last two games for the visitors with an unspecified injury and is listed as a doubt, while Yan Maranhao is expected to return to the starting lineup this week after scoring in two of his last three matches.
AVS possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Devenish, Roux, Kiki; Fonseca, Grau, Assuncao, Piazon; Akinsola, Luis, Mercado
Moreirense possible starting lineup:
Secco; Pinto, Michel, Marcelo, Frimpong; Benny, Rodrigues; Jorquera, Alanzinho, Teguia; Maranhao
We say: AVS 1-1 Moreirense
AVS know they have to go all out for a win in this decisive clash, and they will be buoyed by the momentum gained from last week's vital victory in Jose Mota's first game in charge, which breathed new life into their survival hopes.
However, Moreirense are certainly no pushovers and will be eager to avoid ending the season on a losing note. The reverse fixture between these two sides ended in a draw, and we feel there will be nothing to separate them once again at the final whistle in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
