Arouca will be looking to make it two wins for the first time this season and steer clear of the relegation zone when they square off against Braga at the Estadio Braga Municipal on Sunday.
Os Arcebispos, on the other hand, head into the game unbeaten in each of their last six Primeira Liga outings and will look to keep the juggernaut rolling as the season draws to a close.
Match preview
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Braga maintained their fine string of results as they saw off a resilient Belenenses side 1-0 when they locked horns at the Estadio do Restelo last Saturday.
In a game where Sandro and Sphephelo Sithole received their marching orders, Ricardo Horta came up clutch for the visitors as he scored a dramatic winner on the 90th minute mark to condemn O Belem to their 17th defeat of the season.
Carlos Carvalhal's side are now unbeaten in each of their last six league outings, picking up an impressive five wins and one draw since a 1-0 loss at the hands of Gil Vicente on March 13.
This fine run has been owing to their sturdiness at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have conceded just two goals and kept four clean sheets since their defeat to the Gilistas.
Braga, who boast the division's third-best defensive record this season, are currently fourth in the Primeira Liga standings after picking up 62 points from their 32 games to date.
Os Arcebispos have also confirmed their place in next season's Conference League thanks to their 16-point lead over sixth-placed Vitoria de Guimaraes just outside the qualification places.
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At the opposite end of the standings, Arouca picked up a huge boost in their race against the drop last time out when they claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portimonense.
Following an uneventful first half at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca, 31-year-old midfielder David Simao broke the deadlock five minutes after the interval to leave the visitors empty-handed.
Prior to that, the Arouquenses were on a run of three consecutive games without a win, picking up one draw and losing twice while they had failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 straight games.
With 30 points from 32 games, Armando Evangelista's side are currently 15th in the league standings, three points above 16th-placed Tondela in the relegation playoff spot with two games left to go before the 2021-2022 campaign draws to a close.
While a win on Sunday will confirm Arouca's stay in the top flight for another season, next up is the stern test of taking on an opposing side who they have failed to defeat in their last seven attempts, stretching back to a 1-0 win back in 2014.
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Team News
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Braga will take to the pitch without the services of the Portuguese duo of defender Nuno Sequeira and forward Iuri Medeiros, who have been sidelined through muscle and knee injuries respectively.
Carvalhal will also be unable to call upon Roger Fernandes, who has been out of action since February's Europa League tie against Sheriff Tiraspol.
Matheus, who has been ever-present for Os Arcebispos, is out of contention for this weekend's tie after missing the trip to Belenenses last time out through injury.
Like the hosts, Arouca will be without several key players down the spine of the team as the likes of goalkeeper Fernando Augusto, defender Jose Manuel Velazquez and midfielder Moses Yaw have all been sidelined through injuries.
They are joined on the Arouquenses injury table by Eboue Kouassi after the 24-year-old midfielder picked up an ACL injury in February's game against Moreirense.
Portuguese midfielder Pedro Moreira also misses out after he was forced off the pitch in the 23rd minute with a knee problem against Tondela on March 19, while Wellington Nem is currently recuperating from a muscle injury.
Braga possible starting lineup:
Sa; Tormena, Carmo, P Oliveira; Moura, Al Musrati, Couto, A Horta; Gomes, R Horta, Ruiz
Arouca possible starting lineup:
Braga; Thales, Basso, Galovic, Quaresma; L Silva, Ruiz, Silva; Bukia, Nunes, A Silva
We say: Braga 1-1 Arouca
Fourth-placed Braga will be playing only for pride having already secured their places in next season's Conference League. Buoyed by their victory over Portimonense, we are backing Arouca to build on that performance and force a share of the spoils on Sunday to keep their survival hopes alive.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats, suggests the most likely outcome of this match is a Braga win with a probability of 60.63%. A draw has a probability of 22% and a win for Arouca has a probability of 17.33%.
The most likely scoreline is Braga 1-0 Arouca with a probability of 11.74% and the second most likely scoreline is Braga 2-0 Arouca with a probability of 11.04%.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
