The final fixture of matchday 21 in the Primeira Liga will see Arouca playing host to Rio Ave at Estadio Municipal de Arouca on Monday night.
The hosts will enter this match in 13th place in the league standings and will be looking for redemption here after losing the reverse fixture 1-0 back in September.
Match preview
© Imago
Arouca have been enjoying an excellent start to 2025, unbeaten after their first four games in the New Year, with their most recent outing ending in a 2-1 victory over Nacional on the road last weekend.
Pablo Gozalbez opened the scoring against Alvinegros with his first goal of the season and Henrique Araujo doubled their lead from the penalty spot 20 minutes later, but what was most impressive about Arouquenses' performance was their resilience, as they held off their opponents despite playing the final half-hour of the match a man light.
With that result, Vasco Seabra's side have won three and drawn one of their four games since the turn of the calendar, which is a significant improvement after winning only one of their preceding 10 league matches (W1 D3 L6) between late September and the end of December.
At home, the hosts are unbeaten in their last three league games, including two wins either side of a 1-1 draw against Gil Vicente, with the seven points over the period being three more than they managed across their first six home games this season.
If Lobos can pick up another victory here, it would be the first time Seabra has won three in a row across all competitions since arriving in Arouca, and the first time the team have done so since between March and April last year.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Rio Ave were the first team to book their place in the last four of this season's Taca de Portugal by pulling off a 2-1 comeback victory over lower league outfit Sao Joao de Ver in midweek.
Vilacondenses are now unbeaten in their last three matches across all competitions, while the only defeat they have conceded in their last eight was against high-flyers Sporting Lisbon in the middle of January.
Indeed, Petit has made a significant impact on the performance of Rio Ave since taking up the managerial role at the start of November - since his arrival, the team has earned 15 points in 10 games after only picking up five in the preceding 10 under Luis Freire.
Similarly, the visitors have taken seven points (W2 D1 L2) from their last five away games in the top flight with the Frenchman at the helm, while under his predecessor, the team lost five in a row and failed to score in four of those games.
Team News
© Imago
Boris Popovic was the player sent off for Arouca in the victory over Nacional, and the Cercle Brugge loanee will likely be replaced by Spaniard Jose Fontan in the starting lineup this weekend.
The hosts have two played currently sidelined through injury in centre-back Nino Galovic and veteran midfielder Pedro Moreira, neither of whom is expected to return to the squad in the foreseeable future.
After coming off the bench in the 87th minute in their draw against Porto last weekend, Jonathan Panzo lasted just nine minutes on the field before being sent off, and he will be suspended for this match.
The visitors may also have to make do without the services of Costa Rican international Brandon Aguilera, who sustained an injury at the start of the month that has forced him to sit out the last two matches.
Arouca possible starting lineup:
Mantl; Esgaio, Lamba, Fontan, Weverson; Fukui, Simao; Sylla, Gozalbez, Trezza; Araujo
Rio Ave possible starting lineup:
Miszta; Vrousai, Petrasso, Ntoi, Richards; Neto, Tiknaz; Bondoso, Pohlmann, Morais; Clayton
We say: Arouca 1-1 Rio Ave
Both these sides are on an upward trajectory, with the hosts unbeaten in their last five league games, while the visitors have only lost to Sporting Lisbon over the same period.
We are expecting a close contest when these two meet on Monday night and feel that there will be nothing to separate them on the scoreline at the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
