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

Moreno's side remain three points behind Casa Pia, who occupy the final European qualification position, while the Dragoes trail league leaders Benfica by five points, heading into the latest round of matches.

Match preview

Vitoria de Guimaraes have undergone an enterprising 2022-23 campaign as Os Vimaranenses pursue a first taste of European engagement since 2020.

Moreno's side sit in sixth position in the Primeira Liga standings but have recently experienced an untimely decline in form across the top flight of Portuguese football.

Vitoria were knocked out of the Taca de Portugal on January 11 after Braga breached their visitors' defence three times in the final 10 minutes of regular time.

Four days later, hoping for an upturn in their fortunes, Os Vimaranenses experienced no such luck as relegation-threatened Gil Vicente emerged as narrow 2-1 victors at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos.

Without three points in the previous eight head-to-head meetings, in which Porto have been victorious in the last seven matches, Vitoria will hope that Sergio Conceicao's side will have an off day at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on Saturday.

Porto make the expedition to Northern Portugal hot on the heels of current table-toppers Benfica in the utmost confidence of registering another three-point haul.

Conceicao's side have registered 36 points from a possible 48 on offer this season, with the Dragoes only losing one match on their 2022-23 Primeira Liga expeditions.

Porto progressed to the quarter-finals of the Taca de Portugal after a 4-0 victory over Arouca on January 11, down in part to a second-half hat-trick from Toni Martinez, followed four days later by another four-goal haul at the expense of this time Famalicao.

Unbeaten in their last six league matches dating back to October 29, Porto remain on course to be an ever-present in a UEFA-organised competition since the 1995-96 campaign.

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

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L

W

L

D

L

Vitoria de Guimaraes form (all competitions):

D

D

L

D

L

L

Porto Primeira Liga form:

D

W

W

W

D

W

Porto form (all competitions):

W

W

W

D

W

W

Team News

Vitoria de Guimaraes will be without Anderson Silva over the weekend on the back of his dismissal in midweek.

In the absence of the Brazilian, attacking midfielder Matheus Bueno could be restored to the Os Vimaranenses' starting XI after coming on in the second half against Gil Vicente.

On-loan Celtic forward Michael Johnston will expect to be recalled to Moreno's starting team sheet in the wake of coming off the substitutes' bench in their defeat to Braga.

After scoring the joint-highest number of goals - 40 - alongside Benfica in the Primeira Liga this season, Porto manager Sergio Conceicao is unlikely to want to tinker with his abundance of attacking options at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques.

With that in mind, Conceicao will again name Toni Martinez as the Dragoes' lone striker, with Galeno, Mehdi Taremi and Otavio supporting the Spanish forward in the final third.

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Varela; Fernandes, Bamba, Villanueva; Maga, Janvier, Andre, Sa; Silva, Johnston, Bueno

Porto possible starting lineup:

Costa; Mario, Cardoso, Marcano, Wendell; Grujic, Uribe; Otavio, Galeno, Taremi; Martinez

We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-3 Porto

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