Week 19 in Portugal is dominated by two clashes pairing teams in the top five positions in the standings: Braga vs. FC Porto and Benfica vs. Vitoria Guimaraes.
Porto travel to Braga on Sunday trying to extent their remarkable record in the league that has seen them earn 53 out of a possible 57 points. But the Arsenalistas won the corresponding fixture last season, have been steadily improving and will expect to get something from the match.
A couple of hours earlier, down in Lisbon, a resurgent Benfica host 4th-placed Vitoria Guimaraes. The Eagles have won 12 straight games, scoring goals a-plenty in the process. There is no love lost between the two coaches, and Vitoria’s Manuel Machado will make absolutely sure his side are fired up for this one.
Moving further south, a Sporting in complete disarray, on and off the pitch, face a tough task in the Algarve as they take on Olhanense, who are still unbeaten at home in the league.
At the bottom of the table two crucial games between Naval and Academica and Rio Ave and Portimonense could go a long way to deciding who will be relegated at season’s end.
Leiria appear to be in freefall. Selling their two most influential players in the January transfer window – striker Carlao and midfielder Silas – has had a disastrous effect, with just one goal and one draw in four matches in 2011, despite playing three of them at home.
Nacional, with their eyes firmly fixed on a European birth, will surely take advantage of their opponents’ malaise.
Sporting travel to the Algarve with the club in turmoil. Disharmony at boardroom level was brought to light by a controversial interview given by Director of Football Costinha on Monday, who was summarily sacked two days later.
The decision apparently angered the players. With coach Paulo Sergio increasingly looking like he is occupying his post only on a temporary basis, and on the back of another poor performance and result last week, drawing at home against relegation-haunted Naval, many will be expecting more woe for the Lisbon club.
In contrast Olhanense, sitting comfortably in mid-table, can go into the match with no pressure on them. A formidable home record – unbeaten in eight matches – will give Dauto Faquira’s charges further confidence they can at least match the draw they obtained in the away fixture against Sporting earlier in the season.
A veritable relegation six-pointer if ever there was one. Portimonense’s decision to bring in a new coach in the winter break has not had the desired effect, with Carlos Azenha unable to arrest an alarming slide. The Algarve club have not won any of their last 14 matches.
Rio Ave are also struggling badly, having lost their last six games straight, and the Vila do Conde team are just four points above the relegation zone, a gap that will be cut to one point in the event of defeat on Sunday. Nerves will be jangling so don’t expect a classic.
Paços’ sensational run of form since the turn of the year has got the northern team dreaming of making Europe. Although lying 10th in the standings, Rui Vitoria’s side are just four points behind 5th place, the final Europa League qualification spot. And a seven-match unbeaten run suggests it is far from impossible.
Despite a run of inconsistent results, Maritimo, like Paços, are a team with plenty of talented players in the attacking third of the pitch, so it should be an entertaining match at the Mata Real.
Naval are a transformed team under Carlos Mozer. The Brazilian took the brave decision during the winter break to accept the invitation to coach a side that looked doomed to relegation.
Since he took his place on the bench Naval have lost just one of six games to give themselves real hope they can avoid the drop. Those hopes will be further boosted with victory on Sunday, and Mozer will be reasonably confident against an Academica team that have won just one of their last 10 games in the league.
It’s 2nd versus 4th at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday, and the long history of mutual antagonism between the Benfica and Vitoria Guimaraes coaches, Jorge Jesus and Manuel Machado respectively, adds another ingredient to an exciting looking match.
Benfica go into the game strong favourites thanks to their magnificent 12-match winning run, during which the Argentine trio of Saviola, Salvio and Gaitan have been especially impressive.
But Machado’s teams are always a difficult to play against and just one defeat in their last seven games suggests Benfica will not have it all their own way.
The game of the weekend takes place at the quarry as Braga take on runaway leaders FC Porto. The Arsenalistas won the corresponding fixture last season, and a recent upturn in results, together with some shaky displays from the Dragons will give Braga boss Domingos Paciencia hope that they can again surprise their powerful local rivals.
But Porto’s record of 17 wins and 2 draws in 19 Liga games shows the magnitude of the task facing Braga.
Both teams will be depleted through injuries to key players. Porto will again be missing Colombian striker Falcao, while Braga have to make do without Ukra, Elderson, Paulo Cesar and Lima.
With growing contestation surrounding Vitoria coach Manuel Fernandes, the Sadinos can ill afford another poor result at Beira-Mar. With at least one of the two sides immediately below them guaranteed to pick up points, another loss and Vitoria will find themselves well and truly in the midst of a relegation battle.
Beira-Mar continue to surprise many with a comfortable league campaign that sees them safely ensconced in mid-table, and with little pressure on the Aveiro team, don’t bet against a home win.
A couple of hours earlier, down in Lisbon, a resurgent Benfica host 4th-placed Vitoria Guimaraes. The Eagles have won 12 straight games, scoring goals a-plenty in the process. There is no love lost between the two coaches, and Vitoria’s Manuel Machado will make absolutely sure his side are fired up for this one.
Moving further south, a Sporting in complete disarray, on and off the pitch, face a tough task in the Algarve as they take on Olhanense, who are still unbeaten at home in the league.
At the bottom of the table two crucial games between Naval and Academica and Rio Ave and Portimonense could go a long way to deciding who will be relegated at season’s end.
Leiria appear to be in freefall. Selling their two most influential players in the January transfer window – striker Carlao and midfielder Silas – has had a disastrous effect, with just one goal and one draw in four matches in 2011, despite playing three of them at home.
Nacional, with their eyes firmly fixed on a European birth, will surely take advantage of their opponents’ malaise.
Sporting travel to the Algarve with the club in turmoil. Disharmony at boardroom level was brought to light by a controversial interview given by Director of Football Costinha on Monday, who was summarily sacked two days later.
The decision apparently angered the players. With coach Paulo Sergio increasingly looking like he is occupying his post only on a temporary basis, and on the back of another poor performance and result last week, drawing at home against relegation-haunted Naval, many will be expecting more woe for the Lisbon club.
In contrast Olhanense, sitting comfortably in mid-table, can go into the match with no pressure on them. A formidable home record – unbeaten in eight matches – will give Dauto Faquira’s charges further confidence they can at least match the draw they obtained in the away fixture against Sporting earlier in the season.
A veritable relegation six-pointer if ever there was one. Portimonense’s decision to bring in a new coach in the winter break has not had the desired effect, with Carlos Azenha unable to arrest an alarming slide. The Algarve club have not won any of their last 14 matches.
Rio Ave are also struggling badly, having lost their last six games straight, and the Vila do Conde team are just four points above the relegation zone, a gap that will be cut to one point in the event of defeat on Sunday. Nerves will be jangling so don’t expect a classic.
Paços’ sensational run of form since the turn of the year has got the northern team dreaming of making Europe. Although lying 10th in the standings, Rui Vitoria’s side are just four points behind 5th place, the final Europa League qualification spot. And a seven-match unbeaten run suggests it is far from impossible.
Despite a run of inconsistent results, Maritimo, like Paços, are a team with plenty of talented players in the attacking third of the pitch, so it should be an entertaining match at the Mata Real.
Naval are a transformed team under Carlos Mozer. The Brazilian took the brave decision during the winter break to accept the invitation to coach a side that looked doomed to relegation.
Since he took his place on the bench Naval have lost just one of six games to give themselves real hope they can avoid the drop. Those hopes will be further boosted with victory on Sunday, and Mozer will be reasonably confident against an Academica team that have won just one of their last 10 games in the league.
It’s 2nd versus 4th at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday, and the long history of mutual antagonism between the Benfica and Vitoria Guimaraes coaches, Jorge Jesus and Manuel Machado respectively, adds another ingredient to an exciting looking match.
Benfica go into the game strong favourites thanks to their magnificent 12-match winning run, during which the Argentine trio of Saviola, Salvio and Gaitan have been especially impressive.
But Machado’s teams are always a difficult to play against and just one defeat in their last seven games suggests Benfica will not have it all their own way.
The game of the weekend takes place at the quarry as Braga take on runaway leaders FC Porto. The Arsenalistas won the corresponding fixture last season, and a recent upturn in results, together with some shaky displays from the Dragons will give Braga boss Domingos Paciencia hope that they can again surprise their powerful local rivals.
But Porto’s record of 17 wins and 2 draws in 19 Liga games shows the magnitude of the task facing Braga.
Both teams will be depleted through injuries to key players. Porto will again be missing Colombian striker Falcao, while Braga have to make do without Ukra, Elderson, Paulo Cesar and Lima.
With growing contestation surrounding Vitoria coach Manuel Fernandes, the Sadinos can ill afford another poor result at Beira-Mar. With at least one of the two sides immediately below them guaranteed to pick up points, another loss and Vitoria will find themselves well and truly in the midst of a relegation battle.
Beira-Mar continue to surprise many with a comfortable league campaign that sees them safely ensconced in mid-table, and with little pressure on the Aveiro team, don’t bet against a home win.
