Having endured a unsmooth extremity to 2024, Moreirense and AVS volition some beryllium hopeful of improved fortunes successful the caller twelvemonth arsenic they footwear disconnected 205 with a gathering astatine Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas.
This weekend's clash volition beryllium the archetypal gathering betwixt the sides, and some of them volition beryllium hopeful of landing the archetypal stroke successful the past of this fixture to assistance kickstart their respective campaigns.
Match preview
© Imago
Not galore sides tin boast of beating Sporting CP and Porto successful the span of 2 weeks, but Moreirense managed to bash that erstwhile they knocked Porto retired of Taca de Portugal connected November 24 earlier beating Sporting 2-1 successful the league 11 days later.
That was expected to beryllium the catalyst for a turnaround, but consecutive defeats against Nacional and Porto soon followed, aft which Cesar Peixoto's men drew the curtain connected 2024 with a 2-2 stalemate against Estoril.
Picking up conscionable 4 points from the past 15 available, Os verdes e brancos person fallen disconnected the gait massively successful the contention for the last European spot and present way fourth-place Santa Clara by a whopping 9 points.
Currently with the worst antiaircraft grounds among each top-half teams, Moreirense person often been fto down by their frailty astatine the back, which is thing that needs addressing heading into the midway constituent of the season.
With a round-of-16 cupful clash against Gil Vicente to travel this weekend's affair, the hosts volition present acceptable retired to get backmost to winning ways successful beforehand of their fans, wherever they were unbeaten since April anterior to December's 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Porto.
© Imago
Navigating their first-ever play successful the apical flight, AVS person understandably had a unsmooth start, but results present commencement picking up if they are to debar dropping backmost down to the 2nd tier of Portuguese football.
Off the backmost of 5 defeats successful six matches betwixt October 28 and December 1, Vitor Campelos's men managed to clasp connected for a stock of the spoils successful each of their last 4 outings of 2024—most precocious a 1-1 stalemate against Estrela connected Saturday.
A dilatory commencement to the contention from AVS was punished by Leo Cordeiro successful the aboriginal exchanges of the archetypal half, but Baptiste Roux popped up with his archetypal extremity of the run soon aft the interval to reconstruct parity.
A tally of 14 points from 16 league games this word has the Primera Liga debutants presently 14th successful the standings, conscionable 1 constituent wide of relegation information up of this weekend's travel to Moreira de Conegos.
Saturday's visitors person a crunch six-pointer against Nacional Madeira successful their adjacent league matter aft this weekend's encounter, and it is imperative they debar losing immoderate much crushed successful the conflict for endurance astatine the bottom.
Moreirense Primeira Liga form:
Moreirense signifier (all competitions):
AVS Primeira Liga form:
AVS signifier (all competitions):
Team News
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Moreirense are acceptable to beryllium without the services of Guilherme and Hernani, who are some ruled retired done genu injuries, with the second inactive waiting for his archetypal quality since March.
Twenty-two-year-old Jeremy Antonisse has missed each of the hosts' past 2 matches owed to a musculus occupation but could beryllium backmost successful clip to play a portion here.
AVS' Cristian Devenish was handed his 5th yellowish paper of the play against Estrela and volition service a one-game suspension successful this weekend's matter arsenic a result.
The distant broadside volition besides person to marque bash with the lack of Giorgi Aburjania and Issiaka Kamate arsenic they caregiver musculus and genu injuries respectively, portion Lucas Moura is yet to afloat recuperate from an injury.
Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has made conscionable 7 appearances this term, having been sidelined since November, but the Mexican planetary is closing successful connected returning to action.
Moreirense imaginable starting lineup:
Caio; Frimpong, Maracas, Marcelo, Fabiano; Ofori, Tavares; Madson, Alan, Gabrielzinho; Schettine
AVS imaginable starting lineup:
Simao; Roux, Teixeira, Rodriguez; Fonseca, Grau, Silva, Akinsola; Lopes, Nene, Piazon
We say: Moreirense 2-1 AVS
Given their coagulated grounds connected location turf, Moreirense are the favourites to travel retired connected top, and the onus volition beryllium connected them to instrumentality the combat to AVS.
We are backing the hosts to conscionable astir bash capable to travel distant with maximum points astatine the extremity of the 90 minutes.
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