Viseu vs. Santa Clara – News and Probable Lineups

Academico de Viseu, back in the top flight, aim to capitalize on their promising debut last weekend when they host Santa Clara at Estadio do Fontelo for the second round of the 2026-27 Primeira Liga on Saturday.

Os Viriatos commenced their season with an impressive 2-2 draw against Benfica on Sunday, while the Azoreans also experienced a stalemate of 2-2 against Nacional the day prior in their opening match.

Match overview

The first round of the 2026-27 Primeira Liga saw several surprising results, with Academico’s draw against Benfica marking the most significant shock of the weekend considering the disparity in quality between the teams and the setting where it occurred.

Returning to the top tier after a 37-year hiatus, Os Viriatos demonstrated considerable determination during their visit to Estadio da Luz, showing a clinical approach as Ruben Pereira and Andre Clovis both equalized after the team fell behind twice.

Head coach Bruno Pinheiro would have been satisfied with his team’s spirited performance in his first competitive match at the helm since his appointment on June 19, as the draw indicates that his newly promoted side is prepared for top-tier challenges.

Currently placed eighth in the Primeira Liga standings, Academico hopes to climb higher with a win this weekend, and they will seek to extend their impressive home form from Liga 2, where they secured six victories in nine league matches (D2, L1) at Fontelo in 2026.

On the other hand, Santa Clara approaches this clash looking to enhance their away performance after managing only two wins from 17 league matches (D7, L8) last season, resulting in a disappointing 13th place finish.

After an impressive pre-season marked by four wins from five friendlies, the Azoreans expected to begin their Primeira Liga campaign successfully at home against Nacional.

Indeed, Petit’s squad took an early lead by scoring two goals within 21 minutes thanks to Goncalo Paciencia, but lapses in concentration allowed them to concede twice before halftime, with neither side finding the net after the break.

Santa Clara now faces the scenario of having failed to win their opening fixture in two consecutive Primeira Liga seasons and will aim to avoid another slow start, having gone winless in their first three league matches of the 2025-26 campaign.

Notably, their last visit to Academico ended in a 1-1 draw in the 2023-24 Liga 2 fixture, while the Azoreans have only managed four victories in their previous 12 encounters with the Viseu club (D2, L6), all during their time in the second tier.

Team News

Following their draw against Benfica last weekend, Academico appears to have no new injury concerns, so manager Pinheiro is expected to maintain the lineup that earned them a commendable point at Estadio da Luz.

Clovis, who carried excellent pre-season form into the opener by scoring the equalizer, will aim to keep that momentum going in Saturday’s clash.

As for Santa Clara, Matheus Araujo (MT) remains likely sidelined as he continues to recover from his cruciate ligament injury sustained last season.

New addition Sorriso experienced an injury scare in last weekend’s match but has not been reported as unavailable, suggesting he may feature once again.

Paciencia’s brace against Nacional places him atop the early Golden Boot race, and he will aim to add to his goal tally on Saturday as he maintains his position in the number nine role.

Academico de Viseu possible starting lineup:

Ewerton; Robinho, Correia, Pereira, Milioransa; Messeguem, Mestanza, Kahraman; Guilherme, Clovis, Zamora

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

France; Calila, Lima, Pacheco, Romao; Ferreira, Borges; Sorriso, Tavares, Lopes; Paciencia

With both teams vying to secure their first win of the new campaign after their draws in the opening round, this encounter appears finely matched, potentially leading to a stalemate.

Thus, we might witness a similar result to their last meeting in Viseu, where honors could be shared once more on Saturday.