Resurgent Estoril Praia will hope to continue their impressive run when they welcome stalemate merchants Vitoria de Guimaraes for their 19th Primera Liga encounter of the campaign.
The Canaries are currently enjoying their best spell of the season, having recorded consecutive victories in their last two matches to extend their unbeaten streak to three, while the visitors have drawn each of their last five games in the top flight.
Match preview
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After managing just three wins in their previous 16 Primera Liga outings, Estoril secured back-to-back victories for the first time in the campaign, defeating Estrela Amadora 4-2 at Estadio Jose Gomes before earning another impressive triumph with a 3-2 result on their trip to Santa Clara.
Estorilistas' recent successes have been marked by bright starts, taking early leads in both games, and while the first seemed straightforward, having raced into a three-goal advantage before conceding twice and eventually sealing the victory with a late strike, the contest against the Azoreans proved more challenging.
Following a familiar pattern, Ian Cathro's men opened the scoring within two minutes through Joao Carvalho, before Yanis Begraoui extended their cushion in the 30th minute, but their control soon slipped as Vinicius Lopes pulled one back six minutes later and Gabriel Silva restored parity in the 63rd minute, sparking a dramatic comeback.
That joy was short-lived for the hosts as Carvalho struck again five minutes later to complete his brace and secure a hard-fought victory for Estoril, lifting them to 10th in the standings with 21 points from five wins, six draws and seven losses.
Looking to make it three consecutive wins, the hosts face a stern test against a Luis Freire side that have gone five games in the top flight without defeat.
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While Vitoria have been difficult to beat in recent weeks, they have struggled to turn draws into victories, sharing the spoils in each of those matches to extend their winless run to six games after suffering a 1-0 loss to Benfica before that.
Their latest stalemate was a disappointing 2-2 result against relegation-threatened Arouca at Estadio D Afonso Henriques, where they squandered a two-goal lead.
Vitoria's recent struggles can largely be attributed to their defensive frailties, with 13 goals conceded across six winless top-flight games, and while their attack has been productive with 12 in that same period, it has not translated into as many points as they might have hoped, leaving them on 26 in seventh place.
Despite an eight-point gap to fourth-placed Braga, Os Vimaranenses still harbour hopes of securing a fourth consecutive European qualification; however, a drastic turnaround in results will be required, starting with Sunday's trip to Estoril.
Os Conquistadores will take confidence from their dominance in this fixture, having won each of the last seven encounters against the hosts.
Team News
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Barring any late fitness concerns, Estoril head into the weekend with a fully fit squad and no suspension issues, giving Cathro the luxury of a full-strength selection.
The Scottish manager has rotated his attacking options in recent matches, though productive outings against Santa Clara put Begraoui and Carvalho in contention for another start, with competition in upfront now lessened following Helder Costa's move to Yunnan Yukun.
The visitors were active in the transfer market in midweek, parting ways with on-loan winger Kaio Cesar, who completed a permanent move to Al-Hilal on Tuesday.
Manuel Jorge Silva also departed for Benfica that same day before Vitoria added Vando Felix on a free transfer from Torreense two days later, though this weekend's match may come too soon for the new arrival.
On the downside, Bruno Gaspar, Gustavo Silva, and Nelson Oliveira remain unavailable due to injuries, dealing a further setback to the team's selection options.
Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:
Robles; Boma, Alvaro, Bacher; Pina, Xeka, Holsgrove, Garcia; Marques, Begraoui, Carvalho
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Varela; Carlos, Borevkovic, Rivas, Maga; Samu, T Silva, Handel; Cesar, Michel, Santos
We say: Estoril Praia 1-1 Vitoria de Guimaraes
While Vitoria have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning the last seven encounters, their current struggles to turn draws into victories could shift this one toward a more balanced outcome.
Estoril's recent form suggests they will put up a strong challenge, but with both teams having their strengths and weaknesses, a stalemate feels like the most likely result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
