Two sides separated by six points in the mid-table square off in round 29 of Portuguese Primeira Liga as Moreirense play host to Rio Ave at the Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas on Sunday.
Both sides head into the fixture in contrasting form, with Os verdes e brancos unbeaten in each of their last five outings while the visitors are on a run of five consecutive defeats since the first week of March.
Match preview
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Moreirense picked up three huge points in their push for a top-half finish as they held on to see out a 1-0 victory over Gil Vicente when the two sides squared off at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos last Sunday.
Following a goalless first half, Godfried Frimpong broke the deadlock three minutes after the break to open his account for the season as the visitors turned in a solid performance at the back to hold on to their narrow lead.
Moreirense had failed to taste victory in any of their previous 10 games on the road, losing eight and claiming two draws, a run which saw them crash out of the Taca da Liga courtesy of a 2-0 defeat against Porto on October 31.
With the result over Gil Vicente, Cristiano Bacci's men have won two of their most recent three outings — with a 2-2 stalemate against Vitoria de Guimaraes on March 30 being the exception — having managed just one point from the eight matches preceding this run.
This upturn in form has rekindled Os verdes e brancos hopes of a top-half finish as they now sit 10th in the Primeira Liga standings with 35 points from 28 games, four points behind ninth-placed Estoril Praia.
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Rio Ave, on the other hand, failed to stop the rot as they suffered a somewhat disappointing 2-0 defeat against Boavista when the two sides met at the Estadio dos Arcos on Monday.
Nottingham Forest loanee Jonathan Panzo inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 17th minute to put Boavista in the driver's seat before Ilija Vukotic struck in the 74th minute to make sure of the result.
Since scraping a 2-1 victory over Braga on March 2, Rio Ave have now lost five back-to-back matches across all competitions, including a 2-0 defeat against Sporting Lisbon in the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal on April 3.
This poor run of form has seen Petit's men drop into 13th-place in the league standings, level on 29 points with Arouca and Nacional, and six points above 16th-placed AVS in the relegation playoff spot.
While Rio Ave have struggled to get going of late, recent results against Moreirense will give them plenty of optimism heading into this weekend's clash as they are unbeaten in eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, claiming five wins and three draws since May 2019.
Team News
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Moreirense will take to the pitch without several players down the spine of the team as Denis Pinto and the Brazilian duo of Alanzinho and Maracas have all been ruled out through suspension.
On the injury front, Os verdes e brancos remain without the duo of Hernani Infande and 23-year-old midfielder Guilherme Liberato, who continue their lengthy spell on the sidelines through knee problems.
Like the home side, Rio Ave will have to cope without the services of 26-year-old forward Clayton, who is suspended after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Boavista last time out.
Argentine defender Francisco Petrasso has missed each of the last 10 matches since coming off with a muscle injury against Porto on February 3 and the 23-year-old is also out of contention for the visitors.
Moreirense possible starting lineup:
Kewin; Morer, Michel, Marcelo, Frimpong; Martins, Ramos, Ofori; Antonisse, Schettine, Teguia
Rio Ave possible starting lineup:
Miszta; Vrousai, Ntoi, Panzo, Richards; Aguilera, Neto, Tiknaz; Luiz, Zoabi, Morais
We say: Moreirense 1-0 Rio Ave
The last five meetings between Moreirense and Rio Ave have produced a combined 14 goals and another thrilling matchup is on the cards this weekend as both sides go all out in search of maximum points.
Petit's men have lost each of their most recent games on the road and we predict that Moreirense will continue from where they dropped off against Gil Vicente last time out.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
