Estoril vs Casa Pia – News and Probable Lineups

This weekend, two teams struggling near the bottom of the Primeira Liga will clash as Estoril Praia hosts Casa Pia at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota amid early-season relegation concerns.

Estoril have managed just two points across their first six fixtures, while their opponents have fared even worse, sitting rock bottom with a mere one point from a possible 18.

Match overview

Estoril have faced challenges since the arrival of head coach Vasco Matos, as he is yet to record a competitive win in six league matches (D2, L4) since succeeding Ian Cathro, who left in July.

After a draw in the opening weekend against Famalicao, Estoril suffered three successive losses to Nacional, Rio Ave, and Benfica, culminating in a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Braga most recently after a draw against Arouca on matchday five.

Previously, during last season, Estoril scored a total of 54 goals and ranked 10th in the league— their best positioning since the 1950-51 season— but their new manager must find a way to overcome the issues that were affecting the squad even before his tenure began.

Estoril have not celebrated a league victory since a narrow win against Nacional on matchday 26 of the last season; since then, they have lost 10 out of 14 top-flight games. However, this weekend presents a prime opportunity to reverse that trend.

Consequently, it’s unsurprising that home games have not provided a boost for Estoril, who seek to break an eight-match winless run in the league at Antonio Coimbra da Mota, though they can take comfort in the fact that both of their points this season have come at home.

On the other hand, Casa Pia arrives in an equally challenging situation, having managed just one point from their initial six games, registering only one goal, while conceding 15, the highest tally in the league so far.

The Gansos did show some improved defensive performance in a goalless draw against Vitoria de Guimaraes on September 6, but going up against the league leaders and defending champions Porto proved to be too much, resulting in a 4-1 defeat in their last match.

Casa Pia’s away form creates little excitement, with prior losses to Maritimo and Gil Vicente followed by the scoreless draw at Vitoria, meaning they have yet to secure a win on the road and have not found the back of the net in any of their three away league fixtures this season.

A further loss this weekend could raise serious questions regarding head coach Filipe Coelho’s position at the club, as he urgently needs to initiate a turnaround since taking charge in the summer, following previous roles at Benfica, Chelsea, and Strasbourg.

In a slightly positive light, Casa Pia holds a recent psychological edge at this ground, having previously won 2-0 at Coimbra da Mota in December 2024 and held Estoril to a goalless draw last season, which means Estoril has not scored in either of their most recent home encounters with the Gansos.

Team News

Estoril will be without Ferro due to his dismissal after two yellow cards in the loss at Braga, paving the way for Samuel Amissah to potentially make his first start after debuting from the bench last weekend.

Meanwhile, center-back Xavi Sintes remains unavailable as he recovers from knee surgery, following his transfer from Cordoba, and has yet to make his bow for the team.

Yanis Begraoui, who topped the team scoring charts last term with 20 league goals, will be a key figure in the Estoril attack, as he has netted both of the team’s goals this season.

For Casa Pia, the main selection dilemma lies in the goalkeeper position, with Ivan Mandic and Patrick Sequeira vying for the starting role due to Andre Gomes’s injury, while Jeremy Livolant may also return from a disciplinary absence.

Henrique Araujo’s penalty against Porto was not just the Gansos’ first goal of the season but also marked the striker’s first goal for Casa Pia since joining from Benfica, and he is expected to lead the line ahead of veteran Cassiano, who has yet to start a game this campaign.

Estoril Praia probable starting XI:

Robles; Sanchez, Amissah, Sierra, Jurisic; Holsgrove, Robin; Peixinho, Carvalho, Omerovic; Begraoui

Casa Pia probable starting XI:

Mandic; Geraldes, Kaly, Sousa, Rosas; Clua, Ofori; Salah, Rego, Pauwels; Araujo

Neither team has shown much in the way of attacking fluidity this season, but Estoril has conceded eight goals compared to Casa Pia’s 15, suggesting they may benefit from playing at home against an opponent yet to score in any of their away league games…