Preview: Santa Clara vs Boavista,Primeira Liga,Gameweek 7

Soccer News 2024/09/29 08:41

Santa Clara continued their impressive run of results in the 2024-25 season with a 1-0 win over Estrela Amadora at the Estadio de Sao Miguel last Saturday.


With nothing separating the two sides in the first half, Brazilian striker Vinicius Lopes came to the rescue for the hosts, breaking the deadlock with a close-range strike in the 81st minute to give them a deserved victory.


Santa Clara, who won the Segunda Liga title last season to secure promotion to the top flight, have now won four of their six games so far, scoring 10 goals and keeping two clean sheets.


Os Acoreanos' two defeats this season have come against two of Portugal's 'big three', a 2-0 loss to Porto on 16 August and a 4-1 defeat to Benfica at the Estadio da Luz on 14 September.


Vasco Matos' men are fourth in the Primeira Liga table, level on 12 points with Vitoria de Guimaraes, and could leapfrog second-placed Porto with a win this weekend.


Boavista, on the other hand, struggled to find their feet last Monday as they were thrashed 3-0 by Benfica when the two sides met at the Estadio do Bessa.


Vangelis Pavlidis and Orkun Kokcu scored in a 20-minute spell to give Benfica a commanding lead at half-time, before substitute Arthur Cabral took advantage of some sloppy defending to put the icing on the cake in the 91st minute.


Cristiano Bacci's men have now gone five games without a win, losing three and drawing two since Miguel Reisinho's 77th-minute penalty earned them a 1-0 win at Casa Pia in August.


Boavista, who have five points from their opening 18 games, will be hoping to turn things around this weekend when they take on a side they have beaten in nine of their last 12, with six wins and three draws dating back to December 2008.


It is worth noting, however, that Os Axadrezados have struggled on the road, where they have won just one of their last 12 Primeira Liga games, losing eight and drawing three since mid-January.


Santa Clara will be without veteran defender Pedro Pacheco, who has been out since picking up an injury against Uniao Leiria in May.


Lopes has been a standout performer for Os Acoreanos this season and the 25-year-old, who has four goals to his name, should return to the starting line-up this weekend.


The back three of Frederico Venancio, Luis Rocha and Sidney Lima helped Santa Clara to their second clean sheet of the season last time out and should be able to work together again, while Pedro Ferreira and Adriano Firmino should retain their roles in the centre of the park.


Boavista will be without the services of goalkeepers Henrique Pires and Joao Goncalves due to injury, with 17-year-old Tome Sousa set to start between the sticks this weekend.


Reisinho has missed the last two games since picking up a shoulder injury against Estoril Praia in August, and the Portuguese midfielder is out of the running for the visitors.


Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; Venancio, Rocha, Lima; Calila, Ferreira, Firmino, Nunes; Lopes, Safira, Silva


Boavista possible starting lineup:

Sousa; Gomes, Dabo, Onyemaechi, Ferreira; Vukotic, Camara, Perez; Miguel, Bozenik, Agra


Prediction:Santa Clara 2-1 Boavista


Santa Clara VS Boavista stream and TV listing

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