Fresh off the back of ending their five-game winless run, Casa Pia journey to the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques to take on Vitoria de Guimaraes in round 23 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday.
Os Vimaranenses head into the weekend unbeaten in each of their last four matches across all competitions and will be looking to move into the Europa Conference League qualification spot.
Match preview
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Vitoria de Guimaraes dropped two points from winning position for the second consecutive game as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Portimonense when the sides met at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao last Saturday.
Brazilian forward Andre Silva continued his fine form in front of goal as he netted his 10th league goal of the season in the 20th minute to put the visitors in front but defender Guga restored parity with a 79th-minute header.
Prior to that, Alvaro Pacheco's men were held to a 2-2 draw by Benfica on February 11, when Arthur Cabral scored a 90th-minute equaliser to spare As Aguias' blushes and keep them level on points with Sporting Lisbon at the top of the table.
With last weekend's result, Vitoria de Guimaraes have failed to win four of their most recent five games on the road, losing once and picking up three draws since the middle of December.
However, Os Vimaranenses now return home, where they are unbeaten in eight consecutive matches — claiming seven wins and one draw — a run which has seen them reach the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Gil Vicente on February 8.
Vitoria de Guimaraes have picked up 41 points from 22 Primeira Liga games to sit fifth in the league table, two points behind fourth-placed Braga in the Europa Conference League qualification spot.
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After kicking off the year with a resounding 4-1 victory at Moreirense, a run of one draw and four losses, including an 8-0 mauling at the hands of Benfica on January 29, has put Casa Pia's top-flight status under threat.
However, Goncalo Santos's men head into this weekend's clash off the back of picking up three huge points in their battle for survival as they scraped a 1-0 victory over Arouca at the Estadio Pina Manique last Sunday.
Brazilian forward Clayton came up clutch for the home side as he netted his seventh goal of the season in the 74th minute to hand them a much-needed win and end the Arouquenses' run of four consecutive victories.
Casa Pia have now picked up six wins, five draws and lost 11 of their 22 Primeira Liga matches so far to collect 23 points and sit 12th in the league table, two points above the relegation playoff spot.
Os Gansos' struggles this season has been owing to their lack of firepower at the attacking end of the pitch as they have scored just 20 goals in the league — the joint-lowest tally in the division alongside last-placed Vizela.
Team News
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Guimaraes remain without veteran defender Mikel Villanueva, who continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury against Benfica back in September.
He is joined on Os Vimaranenses' injury table by Cape Verde midfielder Telmo Arcanjo, who has been out of action since last May through a cruciate ligament tear.
First-choice goalkeeper Bruno Varela is set to sit out his fourth consecutive game due to a hamstring injury, meaning that Charles da Silva should start between the sticks once again.
With his opener against Portimonense last time out, Andre Silva now has six goals in his last seven matches and the Brazilian forward will certainly be one to keep an eye out for.
Having recently replaced Pedro Moreire as Casa Pia's head coach, newly-appointed Santos got his stint off to a winning start against Arouca last weekend and the 37-year-old could name a similar side on Saturday.
However, Santos will be without the services of Portuguese forward Kiki Silva, who continues his long road to full fitness after suffering an Achilles tendon injury last March.
Midfielder Kevin Martin Kryard is yet to feature for Os Gansos since joining from Norwegian outfit Haugesund and the 23-year-old is ruled out of Saturday's tie.
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Marcelo; Fernandes, Silva, Ribeiro; Gaspar; Tiago Silva, Andre, Mangas; Mendes, Andre Silva, Santos
Casa Pia possible starting lineup:
Batista; Varela, Tchamba, Zolotic; Geraldes, Mukendi, Neto, Lelo; Lameiras, Clayton, Moreira
We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 2-0 Casa Pia
Buoyed by their victory over Arouca, Casa Pia will head into the weekend with renewed confidence as they look to pull clear of the danger zone. However, they take on a well-drilled Vitoria de Guimaraes side who must avoid any more slip-ups in their quest for European football. Casa Pia have struggled to impose themselves on the road and we are tipping Guimaraes to return to winning ways in front of their home supporters.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
