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

Preview: Estoril Praia vs. Vitoria de Guimaraes - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 29 February 2024, 22:59
Estoril Praia and Vitoria de Guimaraes will both be looking to snap their three-match winless run when they go head to head at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota in round 24 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday.

Having won the last four meetings between the sides, Os Vimaranenses set out to complete a second consecutive league double over the hosts and move within two points of the Conference League qualification spot.

Match preview

Estoril Praia were left with a bitter taste of "what could have been" last Sunday when they were held to a 3-3 draw by Vizela in an action-packed showdown at the Estadio do FC Vizela.

After Samuel Essende scored a first-half brace to hand Vizela a commanding lead, Alejandro Marques, Vinicius Zanocelo and Rafik Guitane scored quick-fire goals after the 82nd-minute mark to put the visitors ahead in dramatic fashion, but Orest Lebedenko struck in the 95th minute to force a share of the spoils.

Since Estoril Praia suffered a penalty-shootout defeat against Braga in the Taca da Liga final on January 27, they have failed to win four of their five Primeira Liga outings and are currently on a run of just one point from the last nine available in the league.

This drop-off in form has seen Estoril's three-year spell in the top flight come under threat as they sit 13th in the league table, level on 22 points with Rio Ave, Estrela Amadora and 16th-placed Portimonense in the relegation playoff spot.

Next up for Vasco Seabra's side is the stern challenge of taking on a Vitoria de Guimaraes side who have won each of their last four meetings and are unbeaten in their last six encounters, claiming five wins and one draw since a 3-0 loss in August 2017.

While Estoril will be looking to end this seven-year run and steer clear of the danger zone, results at home offer little optimism as they have lost four of their last five matches at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota, with a 1-0 victory over Estrela on February 4 being the exception.

On the other hand, Vitoria de Guimaraes' quest for European football suffered a fresh blow last Saturday when they fell to a somewhat disappointing 2-0 defeat against Casa Pia at the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques.

Despite seeing a bulk of the ball possession and taking a total of 29 shots in the game, the hosts failed to breach Casa Pia's resolute defence as Clayton and Pablo scored first-half goals to hand Os Gansos all three points.

Prior to that, Vitoria de Guimaraes were on a four-game unbeaten run across all competitions, picking up two draws and two wins, including a comfortable 3-1 victory in the Taca de Portugal quarter-finals on February 8.

However, last weekend's result means Alvaro Pacheco's men have now failed to taste victory in three consecutive league matches, claiming two points from a possible nine, and have won just one of their last five since late January.

This drop-off in form has threatened to derail Os Vimaranenses' push for a place in Europe as they now sit fifth in the league table, five points off fourth-placed Braga in the Conference League qualification spot.

However, Vitoria de Guimaraes head into the weekend on a decent run of results on their travels — claiming four wins and four draws in their 10 away matches across all competitions — and will be backing themselves to extend their

Estoril Praia Primeira Liga form:

L

D

W

L

L

D

Estoril Praia form (all competitions):

L

D

W

L

L

D

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

W

L

W

D

D

L

Vitoria de Guimaraes form (all competitions):

L

W

W

D

D

L

Team News

Scottish midfielder Jordan Holsgrove was forced off with a muscle injury in the 2-1 loss against Braga on January 27 and the 24-year-old is set to sit out his sixth consecutive game.

He is joined in the Canarinhos injury table by experienced defender Erick Cabaco, who has been sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury last September.

Portuguese defender Pedro Alvaro has missed each of the last five matches through a muscle problem and the former Benfica man is also out of contention for Saturday's clash.

With his strike against Vizela, Alejandro Marques now has four goal involvements in Estoril's last three matches and the Venezuelan forward should lead the attack once again, alongside Joao Marques and Guitane, who has five league goals under his belt.

As for Vitoria de Guimaraes, first-choice goalkeeper Bruno Varela is ruled out through a muscle injury, meaning Charles da Silva should retain his role between the sticks this weekend.

Venezuelan defender Mikel Villanueva continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury against Benfica back in September and will play no part in Saturday's game.

Os Vimaranenses will also take to the pitch without the services of Cape Verde midfielder Telmo Arcanjo, who has been sidelined since May 2023 through a cruciate ligament tear.

Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:

Figueira; Basso, Volnei, Mangala; Tavares, Fernandes, Zanocelo, Araujo; Guitane, A Marques, J Marques

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Charles; Borevkovic, Fernandes, Ribeiro; Gaspar, Handel, T Silva, Santos, Mangas; A Silva, J Silva

We say: Estoril Praia 1-3 Vitoria de Guimaraes

Looking at past results between Estoril and Vitoria de Guimaraes, we anticipate a thrilling contest at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota this weekend. While we expect both sides to go all out in search of maximum points, we are backing Pacheco's men to extend their dominance over the hosts and claim the desired result.

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.