Preview: Chaves vs. Arouca - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts find themselves four points adrift of the relegation playoff place and automatic safety with 11 league games remaining, while their visitors sit seventh having won five of their last six matches.

Match preview

Chaves return to action on Friday with the aim of ramping up their fight for Primeira Liga survival this season, having started to narrow the gap to safety with a pair of pleasing results in recent weeks.

Following a seventh-placed finish on their return to the Portuguese top flight last season, the Flavienses have endured a much tougher campaign this time around, currently sitting 17th in the 18-team division with just 18 points on the board from their 23 outings thus far.

A nine-match winless streak between early December and early February, culminating in a 1-0 loss away at Moreirense, left that tally on just 14 points from 21 matches, but Moreno's side were then able to make a crucial return to winning ways at home to Boavista, prevailing in a 2-1 victory thanks to Hector Hernandez's decisive goal 19 minutes from time, despite playing the final half-hour with 10 men following Carraca's red card.

A trip to fellow strugglers Estrela Amadora then followed last weekend, with their hosts sat four points better off ahead of the meeting, and while they were unable to narrow that gap, Moreno's men did leave with a share of the spoils from a 1-1 draw, having gone ahead early through Hernandez before Ronaldo Tavares levelled the scores on the stroke of half time.

Such a result means Chaves remain four points adrift of the relegation playoff place and automatic safety heading into the final run-in, but with a cluster of four sides all on 22 points and confidence to take from their recent improvement, they will know they stand a chance of moving out of the bottom two in the coming weeks if they are able to build a run of results.

That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors travel aiming to continue a fine run of form which has seen them climb into the top half of the Primeira Liga table in recent months.

Following a historic fifth-placed finish last time around, Arouca endured a similarly poor start to the top-flight campaign to that of their hosts, picking up just one win and six points from their first 11 outings until the beginning of December and sinking towards the bottom end of the division as a result.

They have since turned their fortunes round in eye-catching fashion under the guidance of Daniel Sousa, however, picking up 25 points from their last 12 attempts including eight victories alongside just three defeats, firstly rounding off 2023 with a four-match unbeaten streak.

The New Year did then start with back-to-back defeats, but the Arouquenses have again won five of their last six outings, beginning with consecutive victories over Estoril Praia, Vizela, Portimonense and Porto, before bouncing back from a 1-0 loss away at Casa Pia by beating Famalicao 3-2 on home turf last Friday, with Morlaye Sylla and Cristo Gonzalez initially putting them 2-1 up before Rafa Mujica restored the lead with the decisive goal around the hour mark.

Now full of confidence as one of the league's form teams over the last three months, Arouca have quickly climbed through the pack and up to seventh spot in the Primeira Liga, and now trailing sixth-placed Moreirense by seven points, they will bid to again make it back-to-back triumphs and apply further pressure heading into the final 10 games of a quickly improving season.

Chaves Primeira Liga form:

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D

D

L

W

D

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

W

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W

L

W

Team News

Chaves head into Friday's meeting without midfielder Guima, who will serve a suspension after being shown a fifth yellow card of the season last time out, while Pedro Pinho remains confined to the treatment room.

They will welcome Carraca back to action, though, after he served his suspension in their draw with Estrela Amadora, and he could return from the outset in a right wing-back role in their 3-5-2 shape.

Star man Hector Hernandez will continue to spearhead the attack, having notched up 12 Primeira Liga goals so far this term including three in their last four outings, while Leandro Sanca and Joao Correia will both fight to displace Jo and join Hernandez up top.

Arouca continue to deal with several injury issues ahead of their trip to Chaves, with defender Quaresma, midfielder Eboue Kouassi and forward Vitinho remaining sidelined.

Daniel Sousa may opt to name an unchanged starting XI from their 3-2 win over Famalicao last time out, with Rafa Mujica again bound to lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 setup having hit his 14th league goal of the season in that win.

He will have support from the dangerous trio of Jason, Cristo Gonzalez and Morlaye Sylla, with Gonzalez having notched up 10 top-flight goals of his own this term, while David Simao and Pedro Santos will continue to partner up at the base of the midfield.

Chaves possible starting lineup:

Souza; Rodrigues, Vitoria, Pius; Carraca, Essugo, Guzzo, Nwakali, Cruz; Jo, Hernandez

Arouca possible starting lineup:

De Arruabarrena; Esgaio, Bambu, Montero, Weverson; Simao, Santos; Jason, Gonzalez, Sylla; Mujica

We say: Chaves 1-2 Arouca

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