Preview: Arouca vs Casa Pia - prediction, team news, lineups

Arouca and Casa Pia return to action in the Portuguese Primeira Liga when they go head to head at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca on Sunday.

While the Arouquenses have enjoyed a decent start to the season, they will need to show their mettle this weekend against an opposing side whom they have failed to get the better of in their last four meetings.

Match preview

Arouca were involved in a share of the spoils for a second consecutive game just before the international break when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Vitoria de Guimaraes on August 30.

Brazilian winger Gustavo Silva struck in the 31st minute to put Vitoria de Guimaraes in front at the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques but the visitors hit back three minutes later courtesy of Nais Djouahra as both sides settled for a stalemate.

Since kicking off the new campaign with a 3-1 victory over AVS on the opening weekend, Arouca have now failed to taste victory in three back-to-back matches, losing 6-0 against Sporting Lisbon on August 17 before playing out successive stalemates against Rio Ave and Guimaraes.

Off the back of a 12th-placed finish in the Primeira Liga last term, the Arouquenses have picked up five points from the first 12 available to sit eighth in the table and will be looking to extend their unbeaten home run this weekend.

Vasco Seabra’s men head into the weekend on a run of five straight matches without defeat at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca, picking up three wins and two draws, having failed to win the five games preceding this run.

On the other hand, Casa Pia were left empty-handed once again as they fell to a 2-0 loss against Nacional at the Estadio Municipal de Rio Maior in their last outing before the international break.

Having managed just one point from the first three games, Nacional turned in a clinical display and made the most of their chances, with Paulinho Boia and Jesus Ramirez netting first-half goals to fire them to their first win of the new campaign.

Following a poor end to the 2024-25 campaign, where they failed to win six of their final seven games, Casa Pia have started the season in similar fashion, losing three of their opening four matches.

Os Gansos’ only win this season came on August 15, when January signing Oluwakorede Osundina and 27-year-old defender Duplexe Tchamba hit the target in a victory over AVS at the Estadio do CD das Aves.

While they will be looking to find their feet, their form on the road suggests that the tide is unlikely to turn here as Casa Pia have failed to win nine of their last 10 away matches, losing six and claiming three draws since the start of February.

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

Arouca form (all competitions):

Casa Pia Primeira Liga form:

Casa Pia form (all competitions):

Team News

Barring any late fitness concerns, Arouca will head into the weekend with a clean bill of health, giving Seabra the luxury of a relatively full-strength squad at his disposal.

Following his summer transfer, French midfielder Nais Djouahra has quickly become a cult hero for Arouca, and the 25-year-old, who has netted three goals in his four games for the Arouquenses, will be one to keep an eye on this weekend.

Meanwhile, Casa Pia remain without several players down the spine of the team as Kiki Silva, Ricardo Batista and French midfielder Kelian Nsona have been ruled out through injuries.

Gabonese forward Claudio Mendes is yet to feature for Os Gansos this year as he continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines, while midfielder Yassin Oukili is set to sit out his third consecutive game since coming off injured against AVS in August.

Abdu Conte and Curacao international Xander Severina recently completed their move to Casa Pia from Troyes and Maccabi Haifa respectively and the duo will be keen to make their debuts this weekend.

Arouca possible starting lineup:

Valido; Esgaio, Fontan, Rocha, Dante; Fukui, Simao; Trezza, Lee, Djouahra; Nandin

Casa Pia possible starting lineup:

Sequeira; Goulart, Fonte, Tchamba; Larrazabal, Mohamed, Perez, Benaissa-Yahia; Livolant, Svensson, Osundina

We say: Arouca 2-1 Casa Pia

While history will be on Casa Pia’s side this weekend, given their four-game unbeaten run against the hosts (W3 D1), they have struggled to impose themselves on the road and will need to be at their best at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca.

With the exception of their woeful display in a 6-0 loss against a significantly superior Sporting Lisbon side on August 17, Arouca can take pride in their start to the new league campaign and we are backing them to get the better of Pereira’s men in front of their home supporters.

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