Arouca vs Santa Clara - prediction, team news, lineups

Arouca invited Santa Clara to the Estadio Municipal de Arouca connected Saturday day with the hosts looking to stay supra the visitors successful the Primeira Liga standings.

Both teams are not successful information of relegation and caput into this crippled looking for a comfy mid-table finish, but the hosts are 3 points and 2 spots supra the visitors. 

Match preview

Arouca caput into this clash sitting 11th successful the standings with 35 points from 31 matches, though they person been inconsistent successful caller weeks, with 2 losses and a triumph successful their past 3 matches. 

While their presumption suggests comparative safety, their caller inconsistency has prevented them from pushing into the apical half, with a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Braga and a 2-1 decision astatine Alverca past clip retired sandwiching 1-0 triumph against Estrela.

However, successful that aforesaid period, Arouca person shown signs of greater stableness astatine home, winning 4 of their past 5 matches astatine the Estadio Municipal with their lone decision successful that play coming against title-chasing Benfica.

Vasco Seabra’s are susceptible of finishing the run powerfully successful beforehand of their supporters and they volition anticipation that helps them amended past season’s 12th-placed decorativeness by the extremity of the run with 2 location games and 1 distant near successful their past 3 league matches.

With nary accidental of reaching the European places, the superior nonsubjective for the hosts is to unafraid a top-half finish, and a triumph present would amended their chances of achieving that; and encouragingly they are unbeaten successful their past 3 location games against the visitors, picking up a gully and 2 wins.

Santa Clara volition anticipation they tin halt that tally connected Saturday, and Petit’s broadside volition anticipation a two-match unbeaten streak successful this fixture (1W, 1D) – though some games were arsenic hosts – volition springiness them the required assurance to execute this. 

The Azoreans get present successful 13th spot with 32 points, and a triumph volition spot them borderline person to the apical half, though they cannot attain their show erstwhile they finished fifth, their champion decorativeness successful the apical flight.

Their wide run has been marked by inconsistency, with 8 wins, 8 draws and 15 defeats truthful far, and fractional of those triumphs were recorded aft Petit took implicit the managerial relation successful aboriginal February aft Vasco Matos’ sacking.

The squad from Azores Islands, who had a five-match unbeaten tally nether Petit implicit a period ago, are present unbeaten successful their past 2 matches, pursuing up a goalless gully astatine Casa Pia with an awesome 2-1 location triumph implicit apical broadside Braga past clip out.

Santa Clara’s large weakness person been their distant signifier and that could beryllium what stops them from making it 3 matches without defeat, with the visitors picking up conscionable 2 distant wins successful the league from 15 attempts.

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

Santa Clara Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Arouca are expected to person a comparatively settled squad for this fixture, though determination are insignificant concerns implicit squad extent owed to isolated wounded issues.

Uruguayan striker Dylan Nandin, who has missed 4 consecutive games since sustaining an wounded successful the triumph implicit Moreirense, is simply a uncertainty for this 1 arsenic helium nears afloat fitness, portion Portuguese goalkeeper Joao Valido is ruled out.

Santa Clara besides person a fewer uncertainties wrong their squad, with immoderate players dealing with fittingness issues and availability concerns.

Pedro Ferreira sustained an aboriginal wounded successful the triumph implicit Braga and mightiness not diagnostic here, portion Matheus Araujo remains sidelined with a genu injury. 

Arouca imaginable starting lineup:

Arruabarrena; Esgaio, Rocha, Fontan, Kuipers; Fukui, Van Ee; Gozalbez, Lee, Djouahra; Barbero

Santa Clara imaginable starting lineup:

Batista; Calila, Lima, Venancio, Romao; Serginho, Santos, Klismahn, Araujo, Silva; Paciencia

We say: Arouca 2-1 Santa Clara

With some sides not successful information of the drop, this crippled could consciousness a spot much relaxed, though Arouca’s signifier and Santa Clara’s mediocre distant signifier could find the effect here, which is wherefore we are titling towards the hosts for this one.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.