Alverca vs Santa Clara – News and Probable Lineups

In an attempt to put an end to their streak of five consecutive losses and ignite their comeback, Santa Clara will face Alverca at the Complexo Desportivo FC Alverca this Saturday in round 23 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

The home team has not achieved victory in their last four fixtures but remains eight points clear of relegation. A win this weekend could bring them closer to the mid-table positions, just two points off the top half.

Match overview

Alverca has been commendable on their home turf; however, their away form continues to hinder their progress. The Lisbon club played out a 1-1 draw with Tondela last Friday, relinquishing their lead with only ten minutes left to play.

In a match where Bastien Meupiyou received a red card, Marko Milovanovic opened the scoring for Alverca with a goal in the fourth minute at the Estadio Joao Cardoso. However, Joao Silva equalized for Tondela in the 80th minute, resulting in a draw.

This outcome means Alverca has not won any of their last five away encounters, securing only one point from a possible 15 since early December, with just one victory across nine competitions since October 18.

With home advantage expected, Custodio Castro will be hopeful for a turnaround from his squad, as they have achieved five wins and two draws from nine matches at the Complexo Desportivo since September — a period that has solidified their spot in the mid-table.

In an impressive return to the top tier after more than two decades, Alverca has bagged seven victories from their 22 league matches, recording 11 losses and four draws, accumulating 25 points and sitting 10th in the Primeira Liga, five points behind ninth-placed Estoril.

Conversely, following two fixtures since the managerial change, Santa Clara continues to drop crucial points as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Benfica at Estadio de Sao Miguel last Friday.

With Lucas Soares sent off near the end of the match, Vangelis Pavlidis scored with a header from close range, and a 38th-minute own goal from Paulo Victor put Benfica ahead before Goncalo Paciencia pulled one back for the hosts just after the break.

This latest defeat means Santa Clara has gone ten matches without a win, suffering five straight losses, including back-to-back defeats against Estrela Amadora and Benfica since Petit took charge.

The team’s lack of sharpness in front of goal has contributed to their poor form this season, with the Azoreans managing only 17 goals in 22 league clashes — beating only Tondela (14) in that regard.

After finishing in fifth place in the Primeira Liga last season, Santa Clara currently sits 16th in the league table, having only achieved four wins from 22 games while suffering 13 losses and recording five draws, totaling 17 points, three points adrift of 15th-placed Rio Ave, who are just above the relegation zone.

Team News

Alverca will be missing several key players this weekend as Stephane Diarra (muscle), Leo Chu (knee), and Spanish midfielder Tomas Mendes (muscle) are all sidelined.

Francisco Chissumba was substituted due to injury late in the match against Tondela last time out and is uncertain for this weekend’s fixture. Meanwhile, Ganaian midfielder Sabit Abdulai is expected to miss his third consecutive match after getting injured against Estrela in January.

Meupiyou is currently serving a suspension following his red card in the match against Tondela last week, and Moroccan forward Nabil Touaizi will also miss one game due to his accumulation of yellow cards.

As for Santa Clara, Brazilian full-back Soares will be absent for this weekend’s fixture due to suspension after his sending-off in the game against Benfica last time out.

In terms of injuries, the Azoreans are still without 24-year-old defender Matheus Araujo, who has been unavailable since his injury against Arouca on December 21.

Alverca probable starting XI:

Gomes; Naves, Gomez, Martinez; Gui, Moreira, Rhaldney, Nuozzi; Figueiredo, Clairicia, Chiquinho

Santa Clara probable starting XI:

Baptist; Calila, Venancio, Lima, Victor; Araujo, Klismahn, Ferreira; Lopes, Patience, Silva

While Santa Clara will be eager to reverse their fortunes and initiate a move towards safety, they must demonstrate resilience at the Complexo Desportivo, where Castro’s squad has proven difficult to beat this season.

The Azoreans have managed only six points from a possible 30 on the road thus far, and while we anticipate a competitive match on Saturday, it seems likely that Alverca will secure a narrow victory.