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

Separated by just two points in the bottom half of the table, Arouca and Nacional go head-to-head at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca in round 23 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Saturday.

Having failed to taste victory in the last eight top-flight meetings between the two teams, Nacional will head into the weekend looking to get one over the Arouquenses and secure their first away win since October.

Match preview

Arouca were on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller against Casa Pia last Saturday as they fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat when the two sides squared off at the Estadio Municipal de Rio Maior.

In a frenetic first half of action, Rafael Brito and Cassiano netted quick-fire goals to cancel out Ivan Barbero’s 11th-minute opener and turn the game around in favour of Casa Pia, and after an own goal from Abdu Conte restored parity, Cassiano converted his penalty on the stroke of half time to put the home side in front.

Arouca had won their previous two outings, thrashing Rio Ave 3-0 at the Estadio dos Arcos on January 31, one week before edging out Vitoria de Guimaraes 3-2 on home turf to secure back-to-back league wins for the first time in over a year.

Vasco Seabra’s men have lost exactly half of their 22 Primeira Liga matches this season, just three shy of their total tally from last term, while picking up six wins and five draws to collect 23 points and sit 12th in the league table, level on points with 11th-placed Estrela Amadora.

Like the home side, Nacional continue to struggle for results at the bottom half of the league table, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Porto when the two sides squared off at the Estadio da Madeira last weekend.

The home side held their own against the league leaders for most of the game, but veteran defender Jan Bednarek rose highest to guide home Gabri Veiga’s 60th-minute corner and hand Porto their first league win since January 26.

Nacional have now failed to win seven of their last eight matches, losing four and picking up three draws, with their only victory in that time coming on January 25, when they thrashed Rio Ave 4-0 on home turf.

Off the back of a 14th-placed finish last term, Tiago Margarido’s side look set for another tussle to preserve their top-flight status, having managed just 21 points from their 22 league matches so far to sit 14th in the table, just four points above the relegation playoff spot.

While Nacional will be looking to find their feet this weekend, results on the road offer little optimism, with the Madeira outfit failing to win any of their last eight away games across all competitions, including three defeats in their three outings since the turn of the year.

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

Nacional Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Arouca will take to the pitch without the services of Spanish midfielder Mateo Flores, who has missed each of the last three games since coming off with a muscle injury against Sporting Lisbon in January.

He is joined on the Arouquenses’ injury table by fellow midfielder Pedro Santos, who is also set to sit out his sixth consecutive game, having sustained an injury in the game against Tondela on January 3.

Meanwhile, Nacional remain without several players down the spine of the team, as the likes of Ivanildo Fernandes, Lucas Franca and Brazilian defender Ulisses continue their spells on the sidelines.

Portuguese defender Joao Aurelio has missed each of the last four matches through injury and is also out of contention for the visitors, while fellow countryman Filipe Soares has ruled out since November.

Brazilian midfielder Lizeiro will also play no part in this weekend’s tie due to suspension after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Porto last time out.

Arouca possible starting lineup:

Arruabarrena; Esgaio, Kuipers, Sanchez, Fontan; Van Ee, Fukui; Trezza, Lee, Djouahra; Barbero

Nacional possible starting lineup:

Pereira; Nunez, Vitor, Goncalves, Gomes; Silva, Dias, Labidi; Witi, Ramirez, Boia

We say: Arouca 2-1 Nacional

With just one defeat in the last 10 meetings between the two teams, Arouca have history on their side this weekend and will be looking to extend their dominance in this fixture.

Nacional’s form on the road has been nothing to write home about in recent weeks, and with the Arouquenses losing just one of their last four home games, we see them struggling this weekend once again.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.