Portovs.Guimaraes

The Dragons arrive at this fixture reeling from a 3-2 defeat against Roma in the Europa League knockout playoffs, a result that sealed their elimination from the competition with a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.

Match preview

After salvaging a 1-1 draw at Estadio do Dragao in the first leg, Porto made a bright start to the return fixture in Italy, breaking the deadlock through Samu Aghehowa in the 27th minute, only for Paulo Dybala's quick-fire brace nine minutes later to flip the script.

Matters worsened early in the second half when Stephen Eustaquio received his marching orders in the 51st minute, reducing the visitors to ten men before Niccolo Pisilli's 83rd-minute strike put the tie beyond reach, with Devyne Rensch's own goal deep into stoppage time offering nothing more than a consolation.

That defeat snapped a six-match unbeaten streak across all competitions for Porto and marked the first loss under new boss Martin Anselmi, who had previously overseen two wins either side of three consecutive draws.

Anselmi's most recent triumph came last weekend when Portistas edged SC Farense 1-0 in the Primeira Liga, lifting them to 46 points, six behind leaders Sporting Lisbon, four adrift of second-placed Benfica and trailing Braga by one, after the Archbishops claimed victory in their matchweek 23 encounter on Friday.

With the opportunity to reclaim third place on Monday, Dragoes will be eager to extend their dominance over Vitoria, having won 14 of their last 15 meetings across all competitions, including a 3-0 success in September's reverse fixture.

The only blemish on that run, however, was a 2-1 defeat in their most recent league encounter at the Dragao, a result Porto will be determined to avoid repeating.

Home comforts have been a source of strength for the Dragons this season, as they remain the only unbeaten side on their turf in the top flight, though their 29 points from a possible 33 leave them second only to Benfica in that regard.

Meanwhile, Vitoria arrive at this clash off the back of a goalless encounter against Braga, marking a second successive such result after their stalemate at Famalicao.

The Conquerors have struggled to turn draws into victories in recent weeks, with a 2-0 win over AVS preceding their latest deadlocks standing as their only triumph in the last ten league outings, a stretch that also includes two defeats.

Vitoria have drawn 10 of their 22 matches — the most in the division alongside Famalicao — but with seven wins and five losses, they sit seventh with 31 points.

Five of those stalemates have come on the road, contributing to an underwhelming tally of 11 points from a possible 33, placing Luis Freire's side 10th in the away table.

Goals have been hard to come by for Vitoria on their travels, with just 10 scored from 11 matches, making their task even more daunting against a Porto side that boast the league's best home defensive record, having conceded only four at the Dragao.

Porto Primeira Liga form:

L

L

D

D

D

W

Porto form (all competitions):

W

D

D

D

W

L

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

D

D

L

W

D

D

Vitoria de Guimaraes form (all competitions):

L

D

L

W

D

D

Team News

Nehuen Perez and Joao Mario are both suspended due to an accumulation of bookings, paving the way for Ze Pedro and Pepe to fill in.

Rodrigo Mora, who has featured from the bench in recent matches, could reclaim a starting role at left wing-back, while Aghehowa is set to lead the attack again following his productive European outing as he seeks to end a five-match league drought.

For the visitors, Mikel Villanueva will sit this one out as he serves a suspension for reaching the yellow card threshold, with Filipe Relvas expected to deputise in his absence.

Injury-wise, long-term absentees Bruno Gaspar and Gustavo Silva remain unavailable as they continue their recovery from muscle problems.

Porto possible starting lineup:

Costa; Pedro, Djalo, Otavio; Pepe, Eustaquio, Varela, Moura; Viera, Aghehowa, Mora

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Varela; Maga, Borevkovic, Relvas, Mendes; Handel, Samu, Silva; Arcanjo, Ramires, Santos

We say: Porto 1-0 Vitoria de Guimaraes

Written by

Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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