The fight for fifth place in the Primeira Liga table will heat up on Saturday, as Arouca welcome Vizela to the Estadio Municipal de Arouca.
Thanks to an impressive run of form, the hosts recently climbed up to fifth spot and lead their seventh-placed visitors by six points with six league games left to play.
Match preview
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After only narrowly avoiding relegation on their return to the Primeira Liga last season, Arouca have enjoyed a much stronger campaign this time around and find themselves in pole position for the final European spot heading into the run-in.
Following a 2-0 defeat to third-placed Braga in mid-February, the Arouquenses sat seventh with 30 points on the board from 21 league games, and they have since bounced back in eye-catching fashion with an eight-match unbeaten run, collecting 15 more points along the way.
That began with 2-0 victories over Casa Pia and fellow fifth-place chasers Vitoria de Guimaraes and draws with Pacos de Ferreira and league leaders Benfica, before Armando Evangelista's side completed their rise into the top five with back-to-back 1-0 triumphs over Famalicao and Maritimo at the beginning of April, with Morlaye Sylla deciding the former with a 93rd-minute penalty and Rafa Mujica hitting the only goal against the latter.
The Arouquenses then faced the tough test of a trip to the capital to take on Sporting Lisbon last time out, and after looking set to come away with a third straight one-goal victory, thanks to Antony's 38th-minute opener, they eventually had to settle for a point as Pedro Goncalves converted a penalty for the hosts in the dying minutes.
While they may be left slightly disappointed by the manner of that draw, Evangelista's men can certainly be pleased with another commendable point against one of the league's leading pack, and now sitting four points clear of sixth-placed Vitoria de Guimaraes and six ahead of their visitors, Arouca will look to take another major step towards sealing the final Europa Conference League qualifying place on offer in Portugal's top flight.
Their visitors, meanwhile, travel hoping to reduce that gap and keep their own top-five hopes alive in the final run of the season, having also kept themselves in the fight with a strong run of form after finishing just above the relegation zone last term.
After a defeat of their own to Braga in mid-March, with the third-placed side dishing out a 4-0 beating, Tulipa's men looked set to be confined to a commendable mid-table finish with 29 points from 24 games, but they would then fire themselves back up the division with three straight victories, firstly beating Portimonense 1-0 away from home thanks to Raphael Guzzo's 94th-minute winner, before they rose to eighth spot with a 3-1 triumph at home to Casa Pia.
That run would continue as the Vizelenses then travelled to basement side Santa Clara and came away with a 1-0 victory thanks to Milutin Osmajic's first-half goal, leaving them four points behind fifth-placed Arouca heading into a home contest against Boavista on Monday.
In their bid to make in four wins on the bounce and move even closer to the Arouquenses, Tulipa's men looked set to fall short and suffer a 1-0 defeat on home turf, but Osama Rashid did at least salvage a valuable point for his side with a leveller three minutes from time.
Now left somewhat disappointed having not gained further ground on Sunday's hosts in am more favourable fixture in the last round of games, Vizela will know that their hopes of snatching fifth place and European qualification are heavily reliant on being able to score an away victory on Sunday to reduce the gap between the sides to a single point.
Team News
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After an impressive performance and result against Sporting Lisbon last time out, Arouca should come into Sunday's contest with an unchanged starting XI, with Tiago Esgaio, Joao Basso, Nino Galovic and Mateus Quaresma bound to again line up in a back four.
Their line will be led by Rafa Mujica, who has netted eight goals in 21 Primeira Liga appearances this season after arriving from Las Palmas in the summer.
In a 4-2-3-1 setup, he will have support from Morlaye Sylla, Alan Ruiz and Antony, who notched up his fifth goal of the term in the Sporting Lisbon contest.
Vizela should line up in a similar 4-2-3-1 shape, with Cadiz loanee Mulutin Osmajic spearheading the attack having netted seven league goals so far this campaign.
Samu plays an important role in support of the frontman, having contributed three goals and four assists this term, while Matias Lacava and Kiko are fighting to retain their starting places on the wings.
Elsewhere, key man Raphael Guzzo will again play at the base of the midfield, likely alongside Pedro Ortiz, while Bruno Wilson and Anderson Jesus will partner up in the middle of the back four.
Arouca possible starting lineup:
De Arruabarrena; Esgaio, Basso, Galovic, Quaresma; Busquets, Simao; Sylla, Ruiz, Antony; Mujica
Vizela possible starting lineup:
Buntic; Juliao, Wilson, Jesus, Pereira; Ortiz, Guzzo; Lacava, Samu, Kiko; Osmajic
We say: Arouca 1-1 Vizela
Both teams will come into Sunday's meeting full of confidence and have the quality to hurt one another, and we anticipate a hotly-contested encounter.
Arouca know that avoiding defeat will be enough to maintain a comfortable lead over their visitors, and we see them having enough to at least take a share of the spoils at the weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
