Maritimo vs Viseu – News and Probable Lineups

Maritimo welcomes Academico Viseu to Estadio do Maritimo on Saturday afternoon for a clash between two newly promoted teams in the Primeira Liga, with the home side having a strong start to the season.

This match holds significant historical importance for the visitors, as they are competing in Portugal’s top tier for the first time in 37 years after securing promotion alongside Maritimo last season.

Match overview

Maritimo marked their return to the Primeira Liga by winning the Segunda Liga last year, and the Maritimistas have started impressively in the top division.

They commenced the season with a 1-0 win over Casa Pia, followed by a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Famalicao, where Maurice Boakye scored a dramatic last-minute winner, placing Maritimo among only three teams in the league with a 100% record after two matches.

Head coach Mitchell van der Gaag has returned to his previous club for a second stint and has overseen a fantastic start, giving the Maritimistas confidence as they approach a fixture they likely marked down as a prime opportunity for three points before the season started.

Nonetheless, the hosts will be cautious about underestimating their opponents, given that they have drawn their last three home matches against the visitors in lower divisions. Additionally, they had only the fourth-best home record in the Segunda Liga last season.

Academico Viseu can draw some motivation from their recent encounters, remaining unbeaten in their last three matches against Maritimo in Liga Portugal 2, with one win and two draws.

However, life back in the Primeira Liga has been tougher, even after an encouraging performance on opening day where Viseu managed to draw 2-2 away at Benfica, with Ruben Pereira and Andre Clovis both finding the back of the net.

That result has so far been the highlight of Bruno Pinheiro’s return to the top division, as Viseu failed to capitalize on it in their following match, suffering a 1-0 defeat at home to Santa Clara after conceding an early penalty.

With their only point coming from an away fixture against one of the title contenders, the visitors can still travel to Madeira with confidence, particularly considering their robust away form last season where they had the fourth-best away record in the Segunda Liga, a resilience they will hope translates to the Primeira Liga.

Team News

Maritimo currently has no new injury worries apart from the long-term absences of Maxime Dominguez and Nathanael Ogbeta. Following their impressive start, van der Gaag is expected to maintain his winning formula and could name an unchanged starting XI.

Simo Bouzaidi and Adrian Butzke have consistently posed an attacking threat in the opening fixtures, while Boakye’s impactful late goal against Famalicao showcased the depth in attack available to the home team.

Academico Viseu also reports no new injury issues following their loss to Santa Clara, leaving Pinheiro with a largely available squad as they continue to seek their first victory of the season.

Andre Clovis remains the most significant threat in attack for the visitors, having finished as the top scorer in Liga Portugal 2 last season with 23 goals – he marked his debut in the Primeira Liga with a goal against Benfica and will spearhead the attack in Madeira once more.

Ruben Pereira, who also scored against Benfica, is expected to partner with Anthony Correia at the heart of the defence as Viseu aims to secure their first clean sheet of the campaign.

Maritimo probable starting XI:

Shepherd; Henrique, Correia, Fernandes, Juliao; Andrade, Guzzo, Danilovic; Tejon, Butzke, Bouzaidi

Academico de Viseu probable starting XI:

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

The perfect start for Maritimo, coupled with home advantage and strong momentum, makes them favorites to achieve a third successive victory, although Viseu’s positive draw at Benfica indicates they should not be dismissed lightly.

The visitors have struggled with consistency since that opening match result, particularly defensively, and Maritimo appears to possess enough attacking prowess to capitalize on these weaknesses.

We anticipate the hosts will leverage their home advantage in Funchal, with their early-season momentum proving overwhelming for a Viseu side still in pursuit of their first win since the return to the Primeira Liga.