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

The hosts are currently in seventh place in the league standings after 11 matches, while the visitors are third and just three points behind the Lisbon-based clubs at the top.

Match preview

Famalicao have made another solid start to a Primeira Liga campaign, but they will need to start turning a few more draws into three points if they intend to trouble the sides in the European places.

The hosts have recorded four wins, four draws and three losses in their 11 league games this season and went into the international break with just one win in their last five matches, which came against Gil Vicente.

During that time, Joao Pedro Sousa saw his side drop points frustratingly against the likes of bottom-half opponents Estrela and Vizela.

Unlike the other teams in the league, though, Famalicao did not have much of a break as they were involved in Taca de Portugal matches over the last two weeks and claimed a 5-0 win over Camacha before bowing out of the competition to Benfica last weekend.

Indeed, while they will be disappointed to have seen their cup run come to an end, the hosts would have benefited from the match time they gained and should have no issues with their match sharpness in this one.

However, they will be facing a Porto side that have also got two matches under their belt since the break and also have a chance to take the lead in the league standings, with Benfica and Sporting only playing on Sunday.

The Dragons come into this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat in the Champions League against Barcelona, where they took an early lead through Pepe Aquino but were unable to hang on as Blaugrana claimed the points with a second-half strike from Joao Felix.

That result leaves them level with Shakhtar Donetsk in Group H and sets up an intriguing final week in the group stages when they will take on the Ukrainian Champions at Estadio do Dragao in a couple of weeks.

Porto's last league match ended in a 2-1 win over Vitoria Guimaraes and was their eighth victory of the league campaign, while their only losses came against Benfica and a shocking 1-0 home loss to 13th-placed Estoril last month.

Nevertheless, Sergio Conceicao will be confident heading into this encounter, which his side have dominated in recent seasons with six straight wins, including a 4-2 victory at this venue back in May this year.

Famalicao Primeira Liga form:

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Famalicao form (all competitions):

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Porto Primeira Liga form:

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Porto form (all competitions):

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Team News

Sousa will have to make do without the services of his regular centre-back Otavio, who was shown a straight red against Benfica and will serve the first of his three-match ban in this one.

Justin De Haas is the most likely to step into defence in Otavio's absence and will partner Riccieli, Nathan and Francisco Moura in the back four.

Conceicao, on the other hand, has several injury concerns, with Ivan Marcano (cruciate ligament tear) and Gabriel Veron (torn thigh muscle) both set for lengthy absences.

At 40 years and 254 days, Pepe became the first player aged 40+ to score a UEFA Champions League goal when he netted Porto's second against Antwerp at the start of November.

Wendell (muscle) and backup goalkeeper Samuel Portugal (groin) are also on the casualty list but are expected to return to action in the next few weeks.

Famalicao possible starting lineup:

Junior; Nathan, Riccieli, De Haas, Moura; Youssouf, Topic; Rodriguez, Sa, Chiquinho; Araujo

Porto possible starting lineup:

Costa; Mario, Pepe, Carmo, Sanusi; Conceicao, Eustaquio, Varela, Franco; Pepe, Evanilson

We say: Famalicao 1-2 Porto

Porto have an excellent record against this opponent and also have the added incentive of moving into pole position in the league standings overnight if they can claim all three points in this one. The hosts will certainly not be a pushover, but we feel the Dragons will outscore them by the final whistle.

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