Estoril vs Casa Pia – News and Probable Lineups

Estoril Praia is looking to regain momentum as they host Casa Pia at Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota for their Primeira Liga matchday 25 this Saturday.

The Canaries have faltered recently, dropping points in three of their four matches in February, with their latest being a 3–0 loss to Sporting Lisbon last Friday. This came just two days after Casa Pia drew 1–1 with Moreirense.

Match overview

After snapping a streak of three league matches without a win and four matches across all tournaments, Estoril seemed to find their rhythm again with five wins in their next six outings (L1) from December 19 to January 31.

Unfortunately, February proved to be unkind to Ian Cathro’s squad, who managed to secure only four points from a possible 12, despite starting against the league’s bottom two teams, drawing against Tondela before suffering a heavy defeat at AVS.

A win against Gil Vicente offered a brief boost, but reality hit last Friday against Sporting, where an early brace from Luis Suarez and a stoppage-time goal from Daniel Braganca revealed the defensive frailties within Estoril’s ranks.

Cathro’s team has allowed two or more goals in six of their past eight outings, culminating in 42 goals conceded in the league—this being the highest tally among the top 10 teams—while their offensive output of 46 goals is surpassed only by the top four clubs.

Currently sitting in eighth in the Primeira Liga standings, 12 points adrift of fourth-place Braga and seven behind fifth-place Gil Vicente with 10 fixtures remaining, Estoril must embark on another strong run to reignite their hopes for European qualification. They will approach this weekend’s match encouraged by winning four of their last five home encounters (L1).

On the other hand, Casa Pia enters this match with a renewed sense of confidence, having garnered nine points from their first seven matches under Alvaro Pacheco (W2, D3, L2) since his arrival in January, including a notable win against the previously unbeaten Porto.

Casa Pia’s draw against Moreirense at Estadio Pina Manique last Sunday saw Cassiano redeem himself for an earlier missed penalty by scoring in the 40th minute, while Alanzinho’s penalty shortly after the hour mark ensured a shared outcome.

This leaves Casa Pia in 13th place in the Primeira Liga table, four points clear of relegation, and while the Geese will aim to put more distance between themselves and the bottom three this weekend, their away form is concerning, having taken only one point from their last four league games (L3) and failing to score in three of those fixtures.

However, their recent win at Estoril provides some hope, as Os Gansos secured a 2–0 victory during their last trip there—this remains their sole win in the last 11 league meetings between the teams, including encounters in Liga 2—while the earlier match this season ended in a 2–2 draw.

Team News

Estoril will be without left-back Pedro Amaral, who has been sidelined for the last two matches due to a muscle issue.

Centre-back Kevin Boma is likely to miss a fifth consecutive match, while winger Andre Lacximicant may again be absent from the squad, and Or Israelov continues to work on his recovery from injury.

The Canaries will also have to contend without midfielder Joao Carvalho, who is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in the last match.

Even though he did not score last weekend, Yanis Begraoui has been a key player for Estoril’s attack, netting 17 league goals this season—trailing only Sporting’s Luis Suarez (22) and Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis (21).

Casa Pia is facing a disciplinary absence as well, with David Sousa suspended after accumulating enough bookings, following his yellow card against Moreirense.

On the injury front, Kiki Silva is recovering from a knee injury, while veteran Jose Fonte, out since mid-January, remains unavailable.

Winger Kelian Nsona may also miss his fifth straight match; midfielder Luis Ofori is doubtful to feature after missing the previous game, and defender Duplexe Tchamba recently joined the Brazilian club Clube do Remo.

Estoril Praia probable starting XI:

Oaks; Gosta, Bacher, Ferreira, Sanchez; Pizzi, Holsgrove, Orellana; Marques, Begraoui, Guitane

Casa Pia probable starting XI:

Sequeira; Rocha, Goulart, Kaly; Larrazabal, Perez, Brito, Conte; Livolant, Cassiano, Osudina

While Estoril has not been particularly strong defensively this season, they have been a threat going forward, and it is anticipated they will score more goals than Casa Pia here, especially given the visitors’ difficulties on the road.