Unbeaten in each of their most recent six outings, Gil Vicente square off against Vizela at the Estadio do FC Vizela in round 22 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Sunday.
The hosts, on the other hand, will head into the game desperate to get one over the Gilistas having failed to win any of the last five meetings between the sides since 2016.
Match preview
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Vizela were denied a third win on the bounce last Sunday when they failed to protect their lead twice before settling for a thrilling 2-2 draw with Boavista at the Estadio do Bessa.
Portuguese midfielder Samu, who replaced the injured Raphael Guzzo in the 26th minute, turned in a performance of the highest quality as he scored in either half to put the visitors ahead, but Yanis Hamache and Petar Musa were on deck to restore parity on each occasion.
Prior to that, the Vizelenses claimed a 3-2 win over Tondela on January 22 to end their three-game losing streak before seeing off a resilient Vitoria de Guimaraes side by the same scoreline eight days later.
After a slow start to the season, where they managed just one win from their opening 12 games, Vizela's turnaround has seen them rise to 11th place in the Primeira Liga standings after picking up 23 points from 21 games.
This has been owing to their new-found form at the attacking end of the pitch as they have scored eight goals in their last three games; however, Vizela continue to struggle at the opposite end of the pitch where they have shipped 36 goals this season.
While Alvaro Pacheco's men will look to quickly return to winning ways, standing in their way is an opposing side who they have failed to defeat in each of the last five meetings between the sides, losing three and claiming two draws since a 1-0 win back in 2016.
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Meanwhile, Gil Vicente put on a resilient performance last time out when they came from behind twice to salvage a 2-2 draw with Santa Clara at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos.
In a game where the Azoreans finished with nine men, Samuel Lino converted his 35th-minute penalty to level matters after Crysan broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, and after Talocha scored an own goal to put the visitors ahead, Ruben Fernandes struck with five minutes left in the game to restore parity for the second time.
Manager Ricardo Soares will be impressed with his side's string of results as they head into Sunday's game unbeaten in each of their most recent six outings, claiming four wins and two draws in that time, while losing just once in their last 10.
With 34 points from 21 games, Gil Vicente are currently fifth in the league standings, four points off fourth-placed Braga and four above Vitoria de Guimaraes just outside the Conference League qualification places.
Their fine campaign so far has been owing to their impressive display away from home, where they have lost just once and boast the division's fourth-best record with 19 points from 10 games.
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Team News
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Vizela remain without the services of Ivanildo Fernandes after the Portuguese defender picked up a groin injury in November's game against Braga.
Guzzo was hooked off just 26 minutes into the game against Boavista last time out after sustaining an injury and the 27-year-old is a major doubt for this weekend's encounter.
His replacement Samu put on a clinic after coming off the bench as he grabbed a brace and we expect the Portuguese midfielder to be rewarded with a place in the XI.
Gil Vicente, on the other hand, will have to make do without the services of Brazilian midfielder Joao Afonso, who has been out of action since last April through a severe injury.
Fellow countryman Murilo de Souza is also out of contention for the Gilistas after suffering an Achilles' injury in the game against Boavista on January 15.
Following his strike against Santa Clara last time out, Lino boasts three goals in his last four outings and we expect the 22-year-old to lead the attack once again.
Vizela possible starting lineup:
Silva; Juliao, Anderson, Aidara, Ofori; Claudemir, Samu, Mendez; Cassiano, Bondoso, Moreira!-- TN -->
Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:
Andrew; Carlos, Cunha, Fernandes, Talocha; Carvalho, Aburjania, Fujimoto; Leautey, Navarro, Lino
We say: Vizela 1-1 Gil Vicente
Vizela and Gil Vicente head into Sunday's game in fine form and will both be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling and strengthen their position in the top half of the table. They have both hit their stride at the attacking end of the pitch in recent weeks and we expect a thrilling contest with plenty of goalmouth action. We predict the spoils will be shared in this one, with both sides settling for a point apiece.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Gil Vicente win with a probability of 51.31%. A draw had a probability of 25.4% and a win for Vizela had a probability of 23.28%.
The most likely scoreline for a Gil Vicente win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.51%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (9.78%) and 1-2 (9.41%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.04%), while for a Vizela win it was 1-0 (7.71%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 12.5% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Gil Vicente in this match.
