Santa Clara will look to halt their winless streak when they host Arouca at Estadio de Sao Miguel on Saturday, aiming to reignite their push for a top-five finish in the Primeira Liga.
A poor spell has seen the Azoreans slip to sixth in the standings, where they currently sit with 47 points from 14 victories, five draws and 11 defeats.
Match preview
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For a side that only returned to the top flight at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, sitting in that position is already a commendable achievement, though their recent stumble has cast a shadow over what could have been their best finish in the competition.
Despite surpassing the points tally they recorded in the 2020-21 season, when the Azoreans ended up sixth – their highest in the division – a return of just one point from their last three games has allowed Vitoria de Guimaraes to snatch fifth place, now leading by a single point.
Santa Clara have only managed two victories in their last nine matches, while their most recent outing – a 1-1 draw at Rio Ave – merely served to bring an end to back-to-back defeats.
Vasco Matos's men have struggled in front of goal in recent times, drawing blanks in five of those nine outings, with Sidney Lima's late header in Vila do Conde only their fourth goal across that stretch.
The Azorean outfit now face a daunting test against a side they have failed to beat in their last four meetings across all competitions, drawing blanks in the most recent two, including a 1-0 reverse in this season's earlier encounter.
Two of those losses have come in successive games at Sao Miguel, and given their indifferent recent form at the ground, confidence may not be at its peak heading into this weekend's fixture.
The hosts have been beaten in four of their last eight matches in front of their fans, managing just two victories, and currently sit sixth in the home table, having collected 26 points from a possible 45.
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Meanwhile, Arouca snapped a four-game winless run with a 1-0 success over Estrela Amadora last weekend, recording just their second triumph in nine league outings.
That result leaves the Wolves in 12th place on 33 points from eight wins, five draws and 13 losses, nine points above the relegation playoff spot with four matches remaining – a win on Saturday could well secure their top-flight status for another season.
Vasco Seabra's side are without a victory in their last two matches on the road, but a battling draw in their latest trip to a difficult Benfica side may offer encouragement heading into this one.
Arouca have found the net in each of their last nine away games in the league, scoring at least twice in five of those, though they will now face the fourth-best home defence in the division, with Santa having conceded only 13 goals in front of their fans.
Team News
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Luis Rocha returns from suspension and is expected to bolster options at the heart of defence, with a strong possibility of starting.
Vinicius Lopes is likely to keep his place ahead of Ricardinho, as manager Matos may once again lean towards a more direct and explosive presence on the flank.
However, Pedro Pacheco remains sidelined due to a knee injury and continues his recovery process away from the squad.
For the visitors, Nino Galovic, David Simao, Matias Rocha and Tiago Esgaio are all unavailable through injury, while Jose Fontan, Pedro Santos and Jason serve suspensions.
Boris Popovic is expected to return to the starting line-up and will likely partner Chico Lamba at the back in Fontan's absence.
After three consecutive appearances off the bench, Mamadou Loum could be handed a starting role in the midfield to cover for Santos, who misses out after accumulating one too many bookings.
Dylan Nandin came off the bench to net the winner against Estrela, and it would not be surprising if he were handed a start to lead the line this time out.
Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Batista; Rocha, Lima, MT; Pereira, Firmino, Ferreira, Soares; Ricardinho, Costa, Silva
Arouca possible starting lineup:
Mantl; Weverson, Lamba, Popovic, Pinto; Fukui, Loum; Sylla, Mansilla, Trezza; Nandín
We say: Santa Clara 1-1 Arouca
Arouca are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Santa Clara, winning the last four, and their run of just one loss in six matches on the road could see that dominance continue.
That said, a share of the spoils may be more likely, especially as Seabra's side have only managed four wins from 15 away fixtures in the top flight this season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
