Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Estrela Amadoravs.Guimaraes

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 October 2024, 21:39
Fresh off the back of reaching the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal, Estrela Amadora and Vitoria de Guimaraes go head to head at the Estadio Jose Gomes on Sunday.

Having lost both home and away meetings between the two teams last season, the Tricolores will head into the weekend looking to get one over the visitors and secure consecutive home wins for the first time since October 2023.

Match preview

Estrela Amadora were made to work their socks off in their opening game of the Taca de Portugal as they picked up a 3-1 victory over third-tier side Anadia at the Estadio Municipal Engenheiro Silvio Henriques Cerveira last Saturday.

After falling behind to Yan Maranhao's 25th-minute opener, the visitors forced their way into the game courtesy of a 92nd-minute own goal from Pedro Gaio to take the game to extra time, where Rodrigo Pinho and Andre Luiz hit the target to turn the game on its head.

Head coach Jose Faria will hope his side's resilient cup display can serve as a springboard for a fine run of form as they turn their focus to the Primeira Liga, where they were sent crashing back down to earth just before the international break when they fell to a 3-0 defeat against Gil Vicente.

Prior to the defeat, Estrela picked up their first win of the new league campaign on September 28, when they edged out Moreirense 2-1 on home turf courtesy of first-half goals from Leonel Bucca and Kikas.

The Tricolores have managed just one win from their eight games to start the new Primeira Liga campaign while losing five and claiming two draws to collect five points and sit 16th in the table, just one point above rock-bottom Farense.

On the other hand, Vitoria de Guimaraes made it two wins from two in the new Conference League campaign when they edged out Swedish outfit Djurgarden 2-1 when the two sides squared off on Thursday.

Following a relatively uneventful first half at the Tele2 Arena, Manuel Silva and substitute Nuno Santos scored on either side of Daniel Stensson's 62nd-minute equaliser to hand the visitors all three points.

This followed a 3-1 victory over Pacos de Ferreira in the third round of the Taca de Portugal o five days earlier, when Bruno Gaspar, Samu and Joao Mendes all hit the target at the Capital do Movel Municipal Stadium to send Os Vimaranenses through to the fourth round.

After two positive cup results, Vitoria de Guimaraes now turn their attention to the Primeira Liga, where they have failed to win their last three outings, losing once and claiming two draws since picking up consecutive wins against Famalicao and Braga in September.

Despite their recent drop-off in form in the league, head coach Rui Borges will be delighted with the start to the campaign as they are unbeaten in six of their opening eight games, claiming four wins and two draws while scoring nine goals and conceding eight so far.

With 14 points from the first 24 available, Vitoria de Guimaraes are currently sixth in the Primeira Liga standings but could move into third-place with all three points this weekend.

Estrela Amadora Primeira Liga form:

L

L

D

L

W

L

Estrela Amadora form (all competitions):

L

D

L

W

L

W

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

L

W

W

L

D

D

Vitoria de Guimaraes form (all competitions):

L

D

W

D

W

W

Team News

Estrela Amadora will take to the pitch without Issiar Drame, who is set to sit out his second consecutive game after picking up a muscle problem against Gil Vicente on October 5.

Portuguese defender Ferro played the entire 120 minutes against Anadia last time out having recently returned from the sidelines and the 27-year-old could feature this weekend.

As for Vitoria de Guimaraes, they will have to cope without Gustavo Silva, who has missed the last two games since picking up an injury against Boavista on October 6.

Jorge Fernandes has been out of action since coming off injured against AVS in the second gameweek back in August and the 27-year-old will play no part in this weekend's matchup.

Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:

Brigido; Travassos, Gabriel, Cissokho, Nilton; Bucca, Jesus, Cordeiro, Mamede; Cabral, Kikas

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Varela; Gaspar, Borevkovic, Villanueva, Mendes; Silva, Handel, Samu; Cesar, Oliveira, Silva

We say: Estrela Amadora 1-3 Vitoria de Guimaraes

Off the back of two consecutive cup victories, Vitoria de Guimaraes will return to league action with renewed confidence as they look to end their three-game winless run.

While Estrela appear to have hit their stride of late, they have struggled to impose themselves on home turf this season and we see them struggling this weekend.

Previews by email

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together at the top of League C Group 1 with two games to play, Sweden and Slovakia will battle it out to take the outright lead when they meet on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal will reportedly allow out-of-favour defender Jakub Kiwior to leave the club on loan in January. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wales travel to the Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri to face Turkey in their penultimate League B Group 4 fixture in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Pablo Torre has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the club in January, after seeing his game time reduced recently. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to narrow their gap to the top two in the League One table with a third consecutive victory, Barnsley will visit the Abbey Stadium to take on Cambridge United on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alexander Isak has delivered a fresh update on his future at Newcastle United, amid reported interest from a number of clubs including Arsenal. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Roma have confirmed the appointment of 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri as their new first-team manager until the end of the season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has revealed that he was "desperate" to join Chelsea in 2022. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal could rival Manchester City and Liverpool for the signature of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly weighing up whether to make a move for in-form PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As exquisite as Pedro Neto's equaliser was, the Portuguese's 20-yard leveller for Chelsea in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal was arguably more to do with the Gunners' uncharacteristic defensive failings. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly made a decision over whether they will pursue a move for Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Estevao Willian has revealed that he will continue with his education even after completing a big-money transfer to Chelsea. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly going to give Real Sociedad "a long and hard winter" in their pursuit of midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Embroiled in a fight against relegation to the UEFA Nations League's lowest level, Azerbaijan and Estonia will clash in Qabala on Saturday afternoon. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England captain Harry Kane has reportedly emerged as a late doubt for Thursday's UEFA Nations League meeting with Greece due to a knock. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is expected to be given the all-clear for Saturday's all-important UEFA Nations League clash with Hungary in Amsterdam. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together on five points in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, the Netherlands and Hungary meet on Saturday in a winner-takes-all clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both vying for promotion to the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Albania and League B Group 1 leaders Czech Republic will lock horns on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco has insisted that his club are not currently looking to bring in a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, with the striker in excellent form for the Catalan giants this season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will be eyeing a debut for the Germany national team in Saturday's UEFA Nations League clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina in League A Group 3. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco is confident that the club will be able to sign Pedri to a new long-term contract. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Needing just a point to all but guarantee a first-placed finish in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, Germany welcome Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Christian Eriksen has revealed that he is 'yet to hear anything' from Manchester United over his future. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As closely contested League B Group 1 nears its conclusion, promotion - and relegation - rivals Georgia and Ukraine will meet in Batumi on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly considering making a move for Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Thursday, 3.00pm) Amid a three-way battle for promotion from League B Group 3, Austria aim to improve their prospects with a win on Thursday, when they meet Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Athletico Paranaense can temporarily climb out of the Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone with a victory over Atletico Mineiro on Saturday at Arena de Baixada.