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

O Maior das Ilhas, on the other hand, head into the midweek matchup on a run of two consecutive victories on home soil and will be looking to continue in the same vein.

Match preview

Maritimo turned in a defensive show of class two as they held firm to see out a narrow 1-0 victory over Estoril Praia when the sides squared off two Sundays ago.

In a game where Joao Afonso received his marching orders, Brazilian defender Rene Santos opened the scoring inside the opening three minutes before the hosts repelled the Canarinhos' attackers to seal their third win of the season.

This followed a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Vizela at the Estadio do FC Vizela on January 15 which saw their run of two successive league games without defeat come to an end.

With 13 wins from 17 matches, Jose Manuel Gomes's men are currently 17th in the Primeira Liga standings, just one point behind 16th-placed Santa Clara in the relegation playoff zone and five adrift of safety.

After a horrid first half of the season, Maior das Ilhas have turned their fortunes around in recent weeks and this has been owing to their solid display at home, where they are unbeaten in four consecutive league matches, claiming two wins and two draws since October's 2-1 loss against Casa Pia.

Elsewhere, Porto were crowned Taca da Liga champions for the first time when they secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa last Saturday.

In a heated contest which saw Paulinho pick up a red card, Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustaquio opened the scoring with a long-range strike to put the Dragoes on their way before Ivan Marcano made sure of the result with an 86th-minute effort.

Sergio Conceicao's side head into the weekend unbeaten in 17 consecutive matches across all competitions, including each of their last seven in the Primeira Liga, where they have picked up five wins and two draws since October's 1-0 defeat against Benfica.

Porto have now picked up 12 wins, three draws and lost two of their 17 league matches to collect 39 points and sit third in the Primeira Liga table, one point off second-placed Braga in the final automatic Champions League qualification spot.

With their second piece of silverware in the bag, next up for Porto is a journey to the Estadio do Maritimo, where they are unbeaten in each of their last seven visits, claiming three wins and four draws since a 2-1 defeat in the Taca da Liga semi-finals back in April 2015.

Maritimo Primeira Liga form:

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Maritimo 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

Maritimo will have to cope without 27-year-old midfielder Afonso, who is currently suspended after picking up a red card in the win over Estoril Praia last time out.

In his absence, Italian midfielder Stefano Beltrame will push for a place in the XI, teaming up with Bruno Xadas, Rene Soares and Leo Pereira at the centre of the park.

On the injury front, Gomes will be unable to call upon veteran defender Junior Zainadine, who has missed the last three matches through a muscle problem.

Another name on the club's injury list is Portuguese midfielder Diogo Mendes, who came off injured in the game against Sporting Lisbon on December 13.

Meanwhile, Porto will take to the pitch without 21-year-old goalkeeper Francisco Meixedo, who is currently recuperating from a ligament injury.

Brazilian forward Evanilson, who has six goals and three assists in 13 league appearances this season, remains out of contention for the visitors as he continues his return from a knee injury.

Maritimo possible starting lineup:

Makaridze; Winck, Mosquera, Santos, Brito; Xadas; Val, Beltrame, Pereira; Moreno, Liza

Porto possible starting lineup:

Costa; Mario, Pepe, Marcano, Wendell; Otavio, Eustaquio, Uribe, Galeno; Martinez, Taremi

We say: Maritimo 0-3 Porto

Off the back of an unprecedented Taca da Liga victory, Porto will head into Wednesday with sky-high confidence as they look to continue their rise to the top of the table. At the opposite end of the table is a Maritimo side who appear to have hit their stride after a disappointing first half of the season.

While we anticipate a thrilling contest at the Estadio do Maritimo, Porto possesses the firepower needed to get the job done and we predict they will come away with a comfortable victory in this one.

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