Still licking their wounds following their Europa League exit, Porto take a trip to the Estadio do Bessa where they lock horns with Boavista in round 27 of the Primeira Liga on Sunday.
Unbeaten in each of the last 16 meetings between the sides since 2014, the Dragoes will feel confident of returning to winning ways and extending their lead at the top of the league standings.
Match preview
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Boavista were involved in a share of the spoils for the second consecutive game last Saturday, when they were held to a somewhat disappointing goalless draw by rock-bottom Belenenses.
In a cagey affair at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor, Os Axadrezados were guilty of being toothless in the final third as they squandered several goalscoring chances before settling for a share of the spoils.
Boavista head into Sunday's game unbeaten in each of their last six games — claiming five draws and one win in that time — stretching back to a 2-0 loss at Santa Clara back in February.
With 27 points from 26 games, Petit's men are currently 13th in the Primeira Liga table, level on points with 12th-placed Famalicao and three behind Santa Clara in the top half of the standings.
While they will look to keep their unbeaten run going and continue their surge up the table, next up is the stern test of taking on an opposing side who are unbeaten in each of the last 16 meetings between the teams, claiming an impressive 14 wins and two draws since 2014.
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Meanwhile, Porto faced the daunting task of overturning a two-goal deficit on Thursday as they squared off against a Lyon side who picked up a commanding 2-0 victory in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 clash.
However, the Ligue 1 outfit held their own on home turf as Sergio Conceicao's side could only force a share of the spoils when Pepe struck in the 27th minute to cancel out Moussa Dembele's 12th-minute opener.
With their European dreams now out the window, Porto will now turn their full attention to the Primeira Liga, where they have a real shot at unseating Sporting Lisbon and clinching the title for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.
With 70 points from 26 games, Porto currently lead the way in the league standings with a healthy six-point cushion over rivals Sporting Lisbon in second place.
The Dragoes remain the only unbeaten side in the league, picking up 22 wins and four draws from 26 games and this has been owing to their fine display at both ends of the pitch as they boast the league's best attacking record with 67 goals scored while conceding just 19.
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Team News
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Boavista will have to cope with the absence of Yanis Hamache after the French midfielder, who has made 22 appearances this season, came off with a 40th-minute injury against Belenenses last time out.
In his absence, Filipe Ferreira will push for a starting role on Sunday and could team up with Gaius Makouta and Sebastian Perez in midfield.
Another name on Os Axadrezados' injury table is 22-year-old midfielder Miguel Reisinho, who has been out of action since last August through a severe knee injury.
Meanwhile, Conceicao will be unable to call upon the services of Portuguese defender Wilson Manafa after the 27-year-old sustained a knee problem back in December.
Bruno Costa is another doubt for Porto after coming off injured in the 56th minute against Lyon on Thursday, meaning Joao Mario should return to the fold for his 20th start of the season.
After missing the game against Tondela on March 13 through a slight injury, veteran defender Pepe returned to action in the Europa League last time out and should marshall the defence once again this weekend.
Boavista possible starting lineup:
Bracali; Ferreira, Cannon, Porozo, Abascal, Santos; Makouta, Gorre, Sauer, Perez; Musa
Porto possible starting lineup:
D Costa; Mario , Pepe, Mbemba, Wendell; Vitinha, Uribe, Otavio; Pepe, Evanilson, Teremi
We say: Boavista 0-3 Porto
Following their Europa League exit, Porto will head into Sunday's game seeking to restore some pride and continue their charge for the league title. Looking at the past results in the history of this fixture and the gulf in class and quality between the two sides, we are backing Porto to come out with all three points unscathed.
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 Porto win with a probability of 62.82%. A draw had a probability of 20.1% and a win for Boavista had a probability of 17.03%.
The most likely scoreline for a Porto win was 1-2 with a probability of 9.93%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (9.89%) and 0-1 (9.36%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (9.39%), while for a Boavista win it was 2-1 (4.72%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 9.4% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Porto would win this match.
