Casa Pia and Boavista kick off their 2024-25 Portuguese Primeira Liga campaign when they go head to head at the Estadio Pina Manique on Saturday.
Having failed to win any of the last five meetings between the two teams since August 2019, Os Axadrezados will head into the weekend looking to get one over the hosts and begin the season as they mean to go on.
Match preview
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Casa Pia wrapped up their preparations for the new Primeira Liga campaign last Saturday when they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of fellow Portuguese outfit Mafra on home turf.
Friday Etim and Miguel Fale found the back of the net to hand the Segunda Division side a narrow victory, with Nuno Moreira getting on the scoresheet for Os Gansos.
This capped off a disappointing pre-season campaign for Casa Pia, who failed to win four of their five friendly matches — losing twice and claiming two draws — with a 4-1 victory over Dezembro on July 12 being the exception.
Joao Pereira's men come into the season off the back of a decent 2023-24 campaign as they picked up 10 wins and eight draws from their 34 Primeira Liga matches to collect 38 points and finish ninth in the standings.
Improving their home form will be a priority for Casa Pia, who picked up just three wins from their 17 games at the Estadio Pina Manique last season and finished with the division's joint second-fewest number of points at home (14).
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Meanwhile, Boavista escaped the drop by the skin of their teeth last season when they finished 15th in the standings, only above Portimonense in the relegation playoff spot on goal difference.
Cristiano Bacci's men managed just seven wins from their 34 Primeira Liga matches while losing 16 and claiming 11 draws to collect 32 points, 12 fewer than their tally from the 2022-23 campaign where they finished ninth in the table.
Boavista's struggles last season was in no small part down to their defensive vulnerability as they kept the fewest number of clean sheets in the league (3) and conceded 62 goals — only the bottom three sides allowed more.
Os Axadrezados head into Saturday's league opener off the back of an unconvincing pre-season campaign, where they failed to win four of their six warm-up games, claiming one draw and losing three, including a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Penarol on August 3.
While Boavista will look to put the result against Penarol behind them and begin the season on a positive note, they go up against a Casa Pia side whom they have failed to get the better of in any of their previous five meetings, losing twice and picking up three draws since August 2019.
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Team News
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Casa Pia have brought in several new faces as they look to bolster their squad, with the likes of Samuel Obeng, Joao Goulart and Spanish forward Max Svensson all signing for the Lisbon outfit.
Veteran defender Jose Fonte has joined from Braga while Patrick Sequeira, who was in goal for Costa Rica in their three Copa America group-stage games has completed a move from UD Ibiza.
On the injury front, Casa Pia will be unable to name 22-year-old midfielder Rafael Brito, who continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a severe muscle problem in March.
Meanwhile, Boavista have lost several key players down the spine of the team as Chidozie Awaziem recently signed for MLS side FC Cincinnati while the duo of Gaius Makouta and Pedro Malheiro have moved to Turkey.
Os Axadrezados have snapped up Ibrahim Alhassan Abdullahi, who made 25 appearances for Beerschot in the Belgian Challenger Pro League last season, and the Nigerian midfielder could be handed his debut this weekend.
Casa Pia possible starting lineup:
Sequeira; Tchamba, Fonte, Lelo, Zolotic; Dias, Moreira, Segovia; Silva, Lameiras, Mendes
Boavista possible starting lineup:
Gonclaves; Gomes, Abascal, Oyedimachi, Dabo; Camara, Reisinho, Vukotic, Perez; Agra, Bozenik
We say: Casa Pia 2-1 Boavista
The previous six meetings between Casa Pia and Boavista have produced a combined six goals and we anticipate another cagey affair this weekend. Os Axadrezados have won just one away game in the league since September 2023 and we see them struggling at the Estadio Pina Manique.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
