Preview: Porto vs. Portimonense - prediction, team news, lineups

Having lost each of the last 10 meetings between the sides since December 2018, the Alvinegros will head into the weekend desperate to get one over the hosts and pick up a morale-boosting result.

Match preview

Porto's dreams of securing back-to-back league titles continue to slip away as they were held to a goalless draw by Braga at the Estadio Braga Municipal just before the international break.

Despite being in the ascendancy for most of the game, the Dragoes were guilty of a wasteful display in front of goal as they repeatedly failed to beat Matheus Lima in the Braga goal before settling for a share of the spoils.

Prior to that, Sergio Conceicao's men were dumped out of the Champions League as they were held to a goalless draw by Inter Milan in the second leg of their last-16 clash on Match 14, having suffered a 1-0 first-leg loss in Italy.

Porto now return to the Estadio do Dragao, where they have won six of their last seven Primeira Liga matches, with a 2-1 loss against Gil Vicente on February 26 being the exception.

With 58 points from 25 outings, the 30-time Portuguese champions are currently second in the league table, just two points above third-placed Braga outside the automatic Champions League qualification spot and 10 points off first-placed Benfica.

Portimonense, on the other hand, failed to find their feet last time out as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Vizela when the sides squared off at the Estadio Municipal de Portimao.

In a game where Pedro Sa received an early bath, Portuguese midfielder Raphael Guzzo came up clutch for the Vizelenses as he netted a dramatic 94th-minute winner to see off the hosts.

Paulo Sergio's men have now lost each of their last four matches, conceding five goals and failing to find the back of the net since a 2-1 home victory over relegation-threatened Maritimo on February 18.

Portimonense's underwhelming campaign could be pinned to their struggles in attack, where they currently hold the division's third-worst record with just 18 goals scored while failing to find the target in 13 of their 25 matches so far.

The Portimao outfit have picked up eight wins, two draws and lost 15 of their 25 matches so far to collect 26 points and sit 14th in the Primeira Liga table, 10 points above the relegation zone.

While Portimonense will be looking to snap their 10-game losing streak against Porto, they have struggled to grind out results on the road, where they are currently on a seven-game losing streak, stretching back to November's 2-1 win at Gil Vicente.

Porto Primeira Liga form:

W

W

L

W

W

D

Porto form (all competitions):

L

L

W

W

D

D

Portimonense Primeira Liga form:

L

W

L

L

L

L

Team News

Porto will have to cope without the experience of veteran defender Pepe, who has missed the last two matches after coming off injured following the game against Estoril Praia on March 10.

He is joined on the Dragoes' injury table by 21-year-old goalkeeper Francisco Meixedo, who has been sidelined since picking up a ligament injury last November.

Conceicao will also be unable to call upon the Portuguese duo of Joao Marcelo and Joao Mario, who have been ruled out through muscle and knee injuries respectively.

Twenty-nine-year-old Sa will play no part in this weekend's clash after the Portimonense captain picked up a straight red inside the opening 20 minutes against Vizela last time out.

In his absence, former Porto man Paulo Estrela should come into the XI to partner Lucas Ventura and 27-year-old Moustapha Seck at the centre of the park.

Porto possible starting lineup:

Costa; Conceicao, Marcano, Wendell; Grujic, Uribe, Pepe, Otavio; Taremi, Martinez

Portimonense possible starting lineup:

Nakamura; Moufi, Park, Pedrao, Relvas; Estrela, Ventura, Seck, Junior, Mauricio, Gonzalez

We say: Porto 3-0 Portimonense

Porto have suffered a drop-off in form and will head into the weekend in search of a pick-me-up. The Dragoes take on a floundering Portimonense side who have lost their four outings and we predict they will claim a comfortable home victory in this one.

Previews by email