Estrela Amadora and Casa Pia set out in search of their first win of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga campaign when they square off at the Estadio Jose Gomes on Saturday.
Having lost both home and away meetings between the two teams last season, Os Gansos will head into the weekend desperate to get one over the hosts and end their run of five back-to-back defeats in all competitions.
Match preview
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Estrela Amadora failed to get up and running in the new Portuguese top-flight campaign as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Benfica when the sides squared off last Saturday.
In a one-sided affair at the Estadio da Luz, Orkun Kokcu struck in the 19th minute to put Benfica in front before the hosts turned in a solid defensive performance to see out their lead and secure their second league victory.
Prior to that, Estrela kicked off the season with an impressive 1-1 draw against Braga at the Estadio Braga Municipal on August 11, eight days before crashing back down to earth in a 3-0 home loss at the hands of Famalicao.
With last weekend's defeat, Filipe Martins's men have now failed to win 11 of their last 12 Primeira Liga matches, a run which saw them finish 14th in the table last season, just one point above the relegation playoff spot.
Estrela's only win in that time came in the final game of 2023-24 campaign when Kikas's first-half strike inspired them to a much-needed 1-0 victory over Gil Vicente on May 18 — a result which saw them guarantee their top-flight status.
The Tricolores will be backing themselves to find their feet this weekend as they take on an opposing side whom they defeated in their two meetings last season, claiming a 1-0 victory at the Estadio Pina Manique on October 8, before securing a 3-1 home win in March's return fixture.
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Elsewhere, Casa Pia were left empty handed yet again as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against newly-promoted Santa Clara at the Estadio Municipal de Rio Maior last Saturday.
In a game where Gaizka Larrazabal received his marching orders, Gabriel Silva opened the scoring 12 minutes after the half-time break to hand Santa Clara the lead before Ricardinho put the result beyond doubt with a 95th-minute strike.
Os Gansos have now lost each of their three Primeira Liga matches this season, suffering defeats against Boavista, Benfica and Santa Clara while conceding six goals and failing to find the back of the net so far.
This poor run of results has been in keeping with their struggles in pre-season, where Casa Pia failed to win four of their five warm-up games, losing twice and claiming two draws.
Head coach Joao Pereira will be backing his side to put their underwhelming start behind them this weekend as they look to build on their performance from last season, where they picked up 38 points from 34 matches to finish ninth in the table.
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Team News
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Barring any late fitness issues, Estrela will head into the weekend with a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns, giving Martins the luxury of a full-strength squad at his disposal.
That said, we expect to see an unchanged staying XI on Saturday, with Danilo Veiga, Miguel Lopes, Ferro and Nilton Varela forming the back four shielding 33-year-old Bruno Brigido between the sticks.
Leo Cordeiro has started all three games this season and should retain his role at the centre of the park while Rodrigo Pinho and former Manchester United man Nani should spearhead the attack once again
Casa Pia, on the other hand, will have to cope without Spanish full-back Larrazabal, who is currently suspended after picking up a red card against Santa Clara last weekend.
In his absence, 33-year-old Andres Geraldes will push for a starting role, forming the back four with Duplexe Tchamba, Joao Goulart and former Braga man Jose Fonte.
Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:
Brigido; Veiga, Lopes, Ferro, Varela; Cordeiro, Bucca, Luiz, Henrique; Pinho, Nani
Casa Pia possible starting lineup:
Sequeira; Geraldes, Tchamba, Fonte, Goulart; Sousa, Mukendi, Lelo, Segovia; Moreira, Gyabaa
We say: Estrela Amadora 2-1 Casa Pia
Estrela and Casa Pia have endured a slow start to the new campaign and will head into the weekend in search of a pick-me-up. While both sides are evenly matched on paper, the Tricolores' home advantage gives them a slight edge and we fancy them to make it three consecutive victories over Casa Pia.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
