Looking to snap their six-game winless run, Famalicao square off with Benfica at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in round 31 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday.
The hosts, meanwhile, head into the game fresh off the back of a dominant 2-0 victory over reigning champions Sporting Lisbon and will look to keep the juggernaut rolling.
Match preview
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Benfica were no match for Sporting Lisbon when the sides locked horns last Sunday as they cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
In an end-to-end affair, As Aguias drew first blood in the 14th minute courtesy of Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez, before Gil Dias struck in the 92nd minute to put the icing on the cake.
Prior to that, Nelson Verissimo's side bowed out of the Champions League with their heads held high as played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Anfield in the second leg of their quarter-final tie on April 13.
Benfica head into Saturday's game unbeaten in nine of their last 10 league outings — picking up seven wins and two draws — with a 3-2 loss at Braga on April 1 being the only exception.
With 67 points from 30 games, the 2018-19 champions are currently third in the Primeira Liga standings, six points below second-placed Sporting Lisbon and 15 adrift of league leaders Porto.
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Famalicao, meanwhile, continue to struggle for form as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Gil Vicente at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao despite being ahead on two different occasions last Friday.
After going into the half-time break with a 2-1 lead courtesy of goals from Simon Banza and Pepe, the Vila Nova failed to see out the win as Spanish forward Fran Navarro restored parity from the penalty with three minutes left to play.
Rui Silva's side have now failed to taste victory in any of their last six games, picking up three draws and losing three while conceding eight goals since a 2-1 victory over Tondela on February 26.
Famalicao have won six, drawn 11 and lost 13 of their 30 games this season to collect 29 points and sit 13th in the league standings, three points above Moreirense in the relegation playoff spot.
While they will look to arrest their slump in form, next up is the daunting task of taking on a spirited Benfica side who have won each of the most recent three meetings between the teams and are unbeaten in their last seven since 2019.
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Team News
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Benfica will take to the pitch without the Brazilian duo of Rodrigo Pinho and Lucas Verissimo, who have both been sidelined through muscle and knee injuries respectively.
Twenty-eight-year-old Rafa Silva is also out of contention for As Aguias as the Portuguese is set to sit out his third game on the spin after picking up an injury against Belenenses on April 9.
With 25 goals under his belt so far, Nunez is on course for the Primeira Liga Golden Boot and the Uruguayan international will certainly be one to keep an eye out for.
As for Famalicao, Silva will be unable to call upon the services of veteran defender Ruben Lima after the 32-year-old came off with a muscle problem in January's 1-0 victory over Belenenses.
He is joined on the Vila Nova injury table by fellow countryman David Tavares, who is yet to make an appearance this season after suffering a severe ACL injury last December.
Spanish midfielder Ivan Jamie will also play no part in Saturday's game as he continues his journey to full fitness after picking up a knee injury in January's game against Arouca.
With his strike against the Gilistas last time out, Banza took his goal tally to 12 for the season and we expect the Lens loanee to spearhead the attack once again.
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo; Weigl, Taarabt; Everton, Ramos, Ramos; Nunez
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Junior; Penetra, Riccieli, Batubinsika; Marin, Pepe, Pikel, H Tavares; Rodrigues, Cadiz, Banza
We say: Benfica 2-0 Famalicao
Sunday's game sees two sides in contrasting form go head to head with Benfica being strong favourites to come out on top. Looking at the gulf in quality and experience between the two sides, we predict the hosts will cruise to a comfortable victory in front of their home fans.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Benfica win with a probability of 71.78%. A draw had a probability of 16.8% and a win for Famalicao had a probability of 11.46%.
The most likely scoreline for a Benfica win was 2-0 with a probability of 11.01%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.48%) and 1-0 (9.11%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (7.84%), while for a Famalicao win it was 1-2 (3.37%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with a 3.8% likelihood.
