Preview:Casa Pia vs Estoril Praia - prediction, team news, lineups

Primeira Liga matchday eight’s curtain raiser will be staged on Friday as Casa Pia welcome Estoril Praia to Estadio Pina Manique.

The hosts seek a swift response to last weekend’s setback at Moreirense and line up against visitors who also fell short in their previous outing against reigning champions Sporting Lisbon.

Match preview

Casa Pia slipped to a fourth defeat of the campaign in Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at Moreira de Conegos, having seen an early lead wiped out before another strike after the break sealed their loss.

Jeremy Livolant fired the opener in the seventh minute only for Guilherme Schettine to level soon after, while Bernardo’s 70th-minute winner ensured Os Gansos returned empty handed.

That result left Joao Pereira’s men winless in two, following a draw with Famalicao, and suggested a clear departure from the earlier ‘all-or-nothing’ theme that had defined both ends of the pitch.

Prior to that, Casa Pia only kept clean sheets when finding the net themselves, with victories over AVS and Arouca contrasting with defeats to Sporting, Porto and Nacional, but their last two outings have produced goals at both ends.

Six goals scored and 11 conceded have yielded seven points from as many matches, leaving the Geese in 14th place, with victory on Friday seen as a potential turning point.

However, performances at Estadio Pina Manique remain a concern for the hosts, who have yet to record a win at the ground this season, with only one point and a solitary goal taken from three games.

Estoril arrive seeking to capitalise on those frailties, buoyed by an unbeaten five-match away sequence against Casa Pia which includes three triumphs.

Confidence in Ian Cathro’s camp is fragile, though, with just one win in seven league matches this season, a run worsened by back-to-back defeats.

Estoril have been undone by sluggish openings in recent outings, conceding early at Gil Vicente before Luis Suarez’s 12th-minute strike sealed a narrow 1-0 defeat to Sporting last weekend.

The Canaries’s only victory so far came in a 3-1 win over AVS at home, a result that snapped a four-match barren spell including draws with Estrela Amadora and Tondela alongside losses against Vitoria de Guimaraes and Santa Clara.

Cathro’s men sit 15th with eight goals registered and 11 conceded, and the manager would demands a sharper edge in attack with three of his team’s four defeats arriving without finding the net.

A poor run on the road also lingers, with no away victory in four league fixtures, though Estoril can enter Friday with some optimism given their last success on their travels came at Casa Pia in April in a 3-1 result.

Casa Pia Primeira Liga form:

Estoril Praia Primeira Liga form:

Team News

The reverse at Moreirense brought further troubles for Casa Pia as Abdu Conte, Kaique Rocha and goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira were all stretchered off at different points.

However, Sequeira is tipped to return between the posts having resumed training with the squad, though fitness doubts persist over the other two.

Yassin Oukili, Ricardo Batista and attacking trio Kelian Wa Saka, Kiki Silva and Claudio Mendes remain unavailable as recovery continues.

Livolant is the man to keep an eye on after contributing a goal or assist in three consecutive games, with Cassiano in line for a possible recall to lead the attack after a substitute appearance last weekend.

Estoril also suffered their own casualty in the Sporting clash, with right-back Ricard Sanchez withdrawn in the first half, and should he miss out Pedro Carvalho is expected to start.

Tiago Parreira Parente, who was forced off against Gil, could again be absent along with Jandro Orellana, Xeka and Goncalo Costa, who were not passed fit last time out.

Cathro could decide to ring the change in attack, with Yanis Begraoui pushing to return at centre-forward, which would leave Alejandro Marques likely to drop to the bench.

Casa Pia possible starting lineup:

Sequeira; Geraldes, Rocha, Sousa; Benaissa-Yahia, Perez, Nhaga, Larrazabal; Livolant, Cassiano, Morais

Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:

Robles; Boma, Ferro, Bacher; P Carvalho, Holsgrove, De Paula, Amaral; J Carvalho, Begraoui, Guitane

We say: Casa Pia 1-1 Estoril Praia

Both sides have flattered to deceive in recent weeks, and while Estoril carry back-to-back losses, their historical record in this fixture suggests a point apiece is the most probable outcome between two outfits still searching for rhythm.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.