Porto indispensable proceed to capitalise connected the mediocre signifier of league-leaders Sporting Lisbon erstwhile they question to play Nacional connected Friday astatine Estadio da Madeira successful their 17th Primeira Liga crippled of the season.
The location squad are 3rd past successful 16th spot with 13 points and mislaid 2-1 against Rio Ave connected December 29, portion Porto are successful 2nd spot with 40 points but are level connected points with Sporting aft their 4-0 triumph against Boavista connected December 28.
Match preview
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The hosts and Rio Ave some produced 3 large chances successful their clash past Sunday but Rio Ave created 2.05 xG, considerably much than Nacional's fig of 0.63 xG.
The decision means that Nacional inhabit the league's relegation playoff spot and are lone 1 constituent up of the 2 automatic relegation spots astatine the bottommost of the division, but they are level connected points, extremity difference, goals scored and goals conceded with 15th-placed Farense.
Manager Tiago Margarido volition beryllium acrophobic that his team's instrumentality of 11 goals scored successful the apical formation lone betters the numbers posted by 2 clubs, though his side's grounds of 23 goals conceded is the league's associated ninth champion tally.
The Nationalists are successful mediocre signifier having mislaid four, drawn 2 and won conscionable 2 of their 8 astir caller outings, and person successful information been defeated successful 9 of their past 14 games.
Margarido's broadside person astatine slightest proven hard to bushed astatine home, with the nine winning 3 and drafting 1 of their 7 matches astatine Estadio da Madeira, and it should beryllium noted that 2 of their 3 defeats person travel against giants Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.
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Opponents Porto thoroughly outclassed Boavista connected Saturday fixed they produced 7 large chances portion preventing Boavista from creating a azygous 1 themselves.
Head manager Vitor Bruno volition beryllium delighted that his broadside person truthful acold managed to instrumentality vantage of the information Sporting person dropped 8 points successful their past 5 league matches, with his squad picking up 13 points successful that time.
The Dragons person been outstanding astatine some ends of the pitch, with the rubric hopefuls scoring 40 goals and conceding conscionable 9 times successful the league, and these are the apical flight's 2nd champion violative and associated champion antiaircraft records.
While the visitors person lone failed to triumph 3 of their past 7 distant matches successful the league, they person mislaid three, drawn 2 and triumphed successful conscionable 1 of their six astir caller games connected the roadworthy successful each competitions.
Porto's grounds against Friday's hosts is awesome considering they person emerged victorious successful 18 of their 22 clashes, with Nacional's past triumph coming successful March 2014.
Nacional Primeira Liga form:
Porto Primeira Liga form:
Porto signifier (all competitions):
Team News
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The location squad could beryllium forced to commencement Rui Encarnacao successful extremity owed to Lucas Franca's wounded past clip out.
Encarnacao whitethorn beryllium protected by a backmost 4 consisting of Gustavo Garcia, Ulisses, Leo Santos and Jose Gomes.
Djibril Soumare and Luis Esteves are probable candidates to commencement unneurotic astatine the basal of midfield, portion attacking midfielder Bruno Costa is apt to enactment striker Isaac.
Porto volition beryllium without midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who is suspended, arsenic good arsenic Marko Grujic owed to injury.
Vasco Sousa and Stephen Eustaquio could diagnostic successful a treble pivot down attacking midfielder Rodrigo Mora.
Left-backs Francisco Moura and Wendell person some been ruled out, truthful expect Wenderson Galeno to play successful a backmost 4 alongside Martim Fernandes, Nehuen Perez and Otavio.
Nacional imaginable starting lineup:
Encarnacao; Garcia, Ulisses, Santos, Gomes; Soumare, Esteves; Aurelio, Costa, Dudu; Isaac
Porto imaginable starting lineup:
Costa; Fernandes, Perez, Otavio, Galeno; Sousa, Eustaquio; Vieira, Mora, Pepe; Aghehowa
We say: Nacional 0-2 Porto
Porto person been rampant successful the league this play and it is hard to spot however Nacional clasp retired against the visitors' beardown attack.
However, the hosts person astatine slightest been competitory astatine location this term, and they could astatine times frustrate their opponents, though Porto should undoubtedly travel into the clash arsenic favourites.
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