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: Vizela vs. Pacos de Ferreira - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 27 April 2023, 20:37
Pacos de Ferreira set out to end their three-match losing run and resume their late push from the danger zone when they take on Vizela at the Estadio do FC Vizela on Saturday.

With five games to go before the 2022-23 campaign draws to a close, Cesar Peixoto's men currently sit five points adrift of the relegation playoff spot.

Match preview

Vizela's quest for European football suffered a huge blow last Sunday when they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Arouca at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca.

Despite having the bulk of the ball possession and goalscoring opportunities, the Vizelenses were repeatedly denied by a spirited Ignacio de Arruabarrena in goal for Arouca as Morlaye Sylla's 12th-minute strike was enough to hand the hosts their 13th win of the season.

Prior to that, Manuel Tulipa's men saw their three-match winning streak come to an end against Boavista on April 17, when Yusupha Njie and Osama Rashid scored for either side to force a 1-1 draw at the Estadio do FC Vizela.

Vizela are currently eighth in the Primeira Liga standings, level on 39 points with ninth-placed Casa Pia and nine points adrift of the Conference League qualification places.

Having endured an underwhelming campaign, Pacos de Ferreira's 14-year stay in the top flight has come under threat as they find themselves in a scrabble at the bottom end of the table.

Peixoto's men dropped three more points in their race to beat the drop last Saturday when they were beaten 2-0 by title-chasing Porto at the Estadio Capital do Movel.

After Jordan Holsgrove picked up a first-half red card, Sergio Conceicao's side took full advantage of their numerical upper hand as Mehdi Taremi and Toni Martinez scored second-half goals to keep their title race alive.

Pacos de Ferreira have now lost three straight matches, falling to defeats against Famalicao, Maritimo and Porto, while picking up just two points from their last five five games since a 1-0 victory over Santa Clara on March 11.

With 17 points from 29 matches, the Pacenses are currently 17th in the league standings, one point above rock-bottom Santa Clara and five points adrift of Maritimo in the relegation playoff spot.

With games against top-five sides like Sporting Lisbon and Braga still to be played, Pacos de Ferreira will need maximum points this weekend as they look to keep their Primeira Liga fate in their hands.

Vizela Primeira Liga form:

L

W

W

W

D

L

Pacos de Ferreira Primeira Liga form:

W

D

D

L

L

L

Team News

We expect Tulipa to stick to his preferred back four of Igor Juliao, Bruno Wilson, Anderson and Kiki Afonso, with Fabijan Buntic starting between the sticks.

Raphael Guzzo has started each of Vizela's last eight matches and the former Benfica form should team up with Samu and 35-year-old Claudemir at the centre of the park.

With seven goals to his name, Milutin Osmajic is the Vizelenses' top scorer in the league this season and the Cadiz loanee should spearhead the attack, alongside Kiko Bondoso and former Los Angeles Galaxy forward Alex Mendez.

Pacos de Ferreira will take to the pitch without the services of Scottish midfielder Holsgrove, who will serve a one-match suspension following his red card in last weekend's defeat to Porto.

In his absence, 22-year-old Nigel Thomas should come into the fold, forming the midfield trio with Rui Pires and former Braga man Luiz Carlos.

Vizela possible starting lineup:

Buntic; Juliao, Wilson, Anderson, Afonso; Luiz, Samu, Guzzo; Mendez, Bondoso, Osmajic

Pacos de Ferreira possible starting lineup:

Vekic; Delgado, Ferigra, Lima, Antunes; Carlos, Pires; Uilton, Djalo, Gaitan; Guedes

We say: Vizela 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira

With just five games to go before the end of the 2022-23 campaign, Pacos de Ferreira are running out of time to salvage their season and will need a huge result this weekend. However, Vizela cannot afford any more slip-ups in their quest for European football and we fancy them claiming all three points in front of their home fans.

Previews by email

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England moved to the top of their 2024-25 UEFA Nations League group on Thursday evening courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Greece. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Didier Deschamps was left frustrated on Thursday as his France side failed to capitalise on their dominance against Israel, being held to a 0-0 draw, though they still progressed to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals after Italy beat Belgium in the other League A Group 2 fixture. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England have risen to the top of Group 2 of League B in the UEFA Nations League courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Greece in Athens on Thursday night. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sandro Tonali's first international goal was enough to send Italy through to the finals of the UEFA Nations League courtesy of a 1-0 win away in Belgium this evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea Women and Manchester City Women will go head-to-head in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at Stamford Bridge. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has asked Manchester City to sign two defenders in 2025, according to a report. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Al-Nassr centre-back Aymeric Laporte has said that he is open to making the move to Real Madrid. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco has said that his club are not planning to be active during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Moldova can boost their hopes of securing promotion from League D Group 2 in the UEFA Nations League when they face fellow European minnows Andorra at Estadi Nacional on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Montenegro welcome Iceland to Stadion Kraj Bistrice in Niksic for their penultimate League B Group 4 fixture in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women will be looking to secure derby bragging rights when they face off in Saturday's Women's Super League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nacho has ruled out the possibility of returning to Real Madrid amid suggestions that Los Blancos were considering making an attempt to re-sign him during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams with contrasting objectives in the National League are set to meet at the Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday, as promotion hopefuls Gateshead host relegation-threatened Aldershot Town. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim will reportedly take Manchester United training for the first time on Monday, with the club confident that his visa will have arrived in time for him to officially get on the grass next week. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has said that a back issue forced Lisandro Martinez to pull out of the squad for the national team's upcoming 2026 World Cup qualification matches with Paraguay and Peru. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has reportedly set his sights on an exit from the club next summer, and plans to take key man Alex Grimaldo with him. 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 West Ham United Women will attempt to claim back-to-back victories when they travel to the Broadfield Stadium for Saturday's Women's Super League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion Women. 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.