Arouca vs Santa Clara - prediction, team news, lineups

Santa Clara could widen their unbeaten Primeira Liga commencement to six matches erstwhile they question to look Arouca connected Sunday astatine Estadio Municipal de Arouca.

The hosts person been arsenic solid, picking up 10 points from a imaginable 15 to beryllium 5th successful the early-season Portuguese top-flight table, conscionable 1 spot and a constituent beneath the Azorean visitors.

Match preview

Arouca person built their promising commencement to the run connected antiaircraft solidity, keeping cleanable sheets successful wins implicit Vitoria de Guimaraes and Moreirense earlier their archetypal setback of the play arrived successful the signifier of a 2-0 decision astatine defending champions Porto.

Vasco Seabra's broadside responded perfectly to that loss, though, coming from down to bushed Maritimo 2-1 astatine home, earlier a goalless gully astatine Estoril Praia past clip retired ensured the Wolves took astatine slightest a constituent from 4 of their archetypal 5 fixtures.

Seabra would beryllium pleased with however his broadside person performed truthful acold this term, particularly considering they had finished 12th and 8th, respectively, successful the erstwhile 2 seasons nether the 42-year-old manager, who would not regularisation retired a tilt astatine continental qualification this clip around.

A instrumentality to acquainted crushed this play provides an other boost for Arouca, who are unbeaten successful their past six location league games (D1) since aboriginal April, including victories successful each of the astir caller 3 connected their ain turf.

However, that location solidity could beryllium tested connected Sunday against a broadside the Wolves person failed to bushed successful their past 3 meetings (D2, L1), with past season's Primeira Liga encounters producing draws crossed some grounds.

Meanwhile, Santa Clara person been awesome this season, having opened with a gully against Nacional earlier back-to-back victories implicit Academico de Viseu and Famalicao and a 1-1 stalemate astatine Alverca connected matchday four.

However, Petit's men recorded their astir eye-catching effect of the run past clip out, thrashing Rio Ave 4-0 astatine Estadio de Sao Miguel, with strikes from Brenner Lucas, Tiago Ribeiro, Vinicius Lopes and Luis Fernando taking the Azoreans' tally to 9 goals scored and conscionable 3 conceded crossed their opening 5 matches.

That antiaircraft grounds is bettered lone by Gil Vicente and leaders Porto – some of whom person conceded 1 extremity each – and Santa Clara volition anticipation that excellence astatine some ends proves decisive this play arsenic they look to widen their unbeaten commencement to the campaign.

It volition not beryllium mislaid connected caput manager Petit, however, that his broadside person struggled for wins connected the roadworthy successful caller months, with nary different broadside presently successful the part having managed less distant victories successful the apical formation than the Azoreans' 3 from 19 trips during that period.

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

Santa Clara Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Arouca's lone wounded interest surrounds Miguel Puche, leaving Seabra with a adjacent fully-fit squad to prime from arsenic helium weighs up whether to marque changes pursuing the gully astatine Estoril.

Ivan Barbero is expected to pb the enactment for the hosts, with the Spanish forward, who has recovered the nett successful 3 of his 5 matches this season, looking to rediscover his scoring interaction aft drafting a blank past clip out.

Santa Clara person nary caller fittingness concerns pursuing the triumph implicit Rio Ave, though semipermanent absentee MT (Matheus Araujo) volition proceed his betterment from a cruciate ligament injury.

Petit is apt to sanction virtually the aforesaid side, with Brenner expected to clasp his spot connected the wings having present recovered the nett successful back-to-back matches, including past weekend's opening extremity successful his archetypal commencement for the club.

Goncalo Paciencia is expected to pb the enactment erstwhile again contempt failing to people successful his past 2 outings. The 32-year-old did supply an assistance against Rio Ave and volition beryllium looking to adhd to his four-goal tally for the Primeira Liga campaign.
 

Arouca imaginable starting lineup:

De Arruabarrena; Esgaio, Sanchez, Fontan, Lebedenko; Van Ee, Fukui; Trezza, Gozalbez, Djouahra; Barbero

Santa Clara imaginable starting lineup:

Franca; Soares, Pacheco, Moreira, Romao; Ferreira, Tavares; Vinicius, Ribeiro, Brenner; Paciencia

We say: Arouca 1-1 Santa Clara

Arouca's outstanding location grounds this play makes them a hard broadside to bushed astatine Estadio Municipal, and their antiaircraft subject should guarantee Santa Clara are made to enactment hard for immoderate openings.

However, the visitors' ain antiaircraft numbers and attacking signifier suggest they are equipped to debar a archetypal decision of the campaign, making a stock of the spoils the astir apt result connected Sunday.
 

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