Tondela vs Santa Clara – News and Probable Lineups

As Tondela and Santa Clara prepare to face each other at the Estadio Joao Cardoso on Sunday for round 24 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, this matchup may become crucial for both teams in their struggle for survival.

Both clubs find themselves on equal footing in the perilous bottom three as this tumultuous league season unfolds, and both know that a win this weekend could propel them from immediate threat into a more secure position.

Match overview

Tondela secured a vital three points in a hard-fought battle against relegation, triumphing 2-0 over fellow strugglers Estrela Amadora at the Estadio Jose Gomes last Friday.

In a match where Luan Patrick was sent off, Bebeto gave the visitors a superb start with a penalty conversion in the fourth minute, and Maranhao sealed the victory with a goal in the 75th minute.

This win was essential for Tondela, who had previously gone six matches without a victory, collecting just three points out of a possible 18 and marking only one win in ten league appearances since December.

Last weekend’s victory provided Cristiano Bacci’s squad with just their second clean sheet of the league season, highlighting their defensive struggles that have jeopardized their top-flight status, having conceded 36 goals thus far.

The Auriverdes have managed to win four of their 23 Primeira Liga fixtures this season while losing 13 and drawing six, thus amassing 18 points and occupying 17th place in the league, level on points with their upcoming opponents in 16th place and just two points adrift of safety.

A win this weekend could see Tondela equal the points of 14th-placed Nacional, but their home form offers little encouragement, with 10 losses in 11 matches at the Estadio Joao Cardoso this season, and they possess the second-worst home record, garnering only seven points from 33 available.

On the flip side, Santa Clara is also grappling with difficulties under their new head coach Petit, managing only a 1-1 draw against Alverca when they clashed last Saturday.

Marko Milovanovic opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the seventh minute putting Alverca ahead, but substitute Luis Fernando equalized for the visitors in the 76th minute, resulting in a share of the points at the Complexo Desportivo FC Alverca.

That draw extends the Azoreans’ winless streak to 11 matches, which includes two losses and one draw in three encounters since the coaching change, and they have only managed to earn three points from a possible 30 since mid-December.

With a loss threatening their survival chances, Santa Clara understands the necessity of securing a positive result this weekend, yet they must rise to the occasion at the Estadio Joao Cardoso, having triumphed in just two of their last 10 meetings against Tondela, losing five and drawing three since November 2020.

Team News

Tondela will be without the suspended duo of Cicero and midfielder Siphephelo Sithole, who both received yellow cards during the match against Estrela.

In terms of injuries, Emmanuel Maviram has been unavailable since suffering an injury during the game against Estoril Praia on February 7 and will miss this weekend’s fixture.

January acquisition Makan Aiko had to leave the field due to injury after just 18 minutes against Estrela last weekend, therefore he will also not feature for the Auriverdes.

For Santa Clara, Frederico Venancio will miss Saturday’s clash due to suspension after accumulating yellow cards following his booking against Alverca last time out.

Additionally, the Azoreans will be missing 24-year-old defender Matheus Araujo, who has been sidelined since being injured against Arouca on December 21.

Tondela probable starting XI:

Bernardo; Bebeto, Silva, Marques, Medina, Conceicao; Maranhao, Tavares, Hodge, Felix; Kimpioka

Santa Clara probable starting XI:

Baptist; Calila, Silva, Lima, Romao; Araujo, Ferreira, Klismahn; Lopes, Patience, Silva

Following their strong performance against Estrela Amadora, Tondela approaches the weekend with renewed optimism as they strive to distance themselves from the relegation zone.

Given that a defeat could have serious implications for their survival bid, we anticipate Santa Clara will present a challenge at the Estadio Joao Cardoso, but we expect Bacci’s team to perform just well enough to claim all three points.