Preview: Arouca vs Alverca - prediction, team news, lineups

On a run of six consecutive defeats across all competitions, Arouca will be looking to stop the rot on Sunday when they play host to Alverca in round 14 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Custodio Castro’s men, meanwhile, journey to the Estadio Municipal de Arouca in rejuvenated form and will be out to secure a third victory on the trot for the first time since returning to the top flight.

Match preview

Thirteen games into the 2025-26 Primeira Liga term, Arouca find themselves languishing at the wrong end of the standings in what has been a challenging campaign so far.

The Arouquenses have lost eight of their 13 matches so far, while picking up two wins and three draws to collect nine points and sit 17th in the league table, only above rock-bottom AVS.

It is worth noting that five of Arouca’s eight league defeats have come in their most recent five matches, including a 3-1 loss against Estrela Amadora when the two sides squared off at the Estadio Jose Gomes last Sunday.

Red cards to Alex Pinto and Taichi Fukui left a defensively vulnerable Arouca side exposed at the back, with Kikas, Abraham Marcus and Rodrigo Pinho hitting the target to fire Estrela to a comfortable home victory.

Vasco Seabra’s men currently hold the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded a staggering 37 goals in their 13 matches, while netting 14 at the opposite end of the pitch.

On the other hand, a resurgent Alverca maintained their new-found form last Sunday as they secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nacional at the Complexo Desportivo FC Alverca.

Marko Milovanovic’s clutch finish in the 88th minute meant that Lincoln’s sixth-minute penalty miss bore no consequences as the home side secured their fifth league win of the campaign.

Having lost four straight games across all competitions in October, Alverca have flipped the script and are unbeaten in their most recent three matches, playing out a 1-1 draw with Rio Ave on November 8, before picking up consecutive victories over Casa Pia and Nacional respectively.

This upturn in form has been owing to their recent sturdiness at the defensive end of the pitch, where Castro’s men have kept two clean sheets in their most recent two games, having managed just two in the 13 matches preceding this run to start the campaign.

Having gained promotion from the Segunda Liga last season to end a 22-year absence from the top flight, Alverca can take pride in their performance so far, as they sit ninth in the table with 17 points from nine games, three points behind sixth-placed Famalicao.

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

Arouca form (all competitions):

Alverca Primeira Liga form:

Alverca form (all competitions):

Team News

Arouca will have to cope without the services of Pinto and Fukui, who are both suspended, having received their marching orders against Estrela last weekend.

On the injury front, Seabra will be unable to name Spanish midfielder Mateo Flores, who has been sidelined since August through a severe knee injury.

As for Alverca, summer signing Leo Chu is yet to make an appearance since joining from MLS side FC Dallas due to a severe injury and the Brazilian striker is out of contention for Sunday’s tie.

Portuguese forward Chiquinho also continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines since sustaining a severe injury against Benfica back in August.

Stephane Diarra is set to sit out his seventh straight game through injury, while Spanish midfielder Tomas Mendes has been ruled out since coming off injured against AVS in October.

Arouca possible starting lineup:

Mantl; Rocha, Fayed, Popovic, Dante; Lee, Espen; Trezza, Garcia, Djouahra; Nandin

Alverca possible starting lineup:

Gomes; Martinez, Naves, Meupiyou; Touaizi, Abdulai, Amorim, Chissumba; Lincoln, Lima, Nuozzi

We say: Arouca 1-1 Alverca

While Arouca have seen their form take a nosedive in recent weeks, with Seabra’s men picking up just one point from their last seven Primeira Liga matches. Alverca have upped the ante and will journey to the Estadio Municipal de Arouca in high spirits, but we predict the Arouquenses will make the most of their home advantage and hold out for a share of the spoils.

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