Preview: Casa Pia vs Estrela Amadora - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides hovering near the lower end of the Primeira Liga standings meet on Saturday as Casa Pia host Estrela Amadora at the Estadio Pina Manique in matchday 10 action.

Os Gansos sit 14th with eight points from their opening nine games, while the Tricolores are one point and two places below, currently occupying the relegation playoff spot.

Match preview

Having finished ninth in the previous season, Casa Pia would have entered this campaign with optimism of possibly competing for a European spot, but an inconsistent run that has yielded only two wins from their opening nine league games leaves the team closer to the drop.

The Geese’s struggles are further amplified by the fact that five of those outings have ended in defeat, with only the bottom two sides, Tondela and AVS, suffering more losses in the division.

Joao Pereira’s men head into this encounter off the back of a humbling 4-0 setback in their trip to Braga last weekend, a result which extended Os Gansos’s winless streak in the Primeira Liga to four (D2, L2), while their only success in five matches across all competitions came in the Portuguese Cup against non-league side Anca.

Casa Pia will now look to avoid another five-game drought in the top flight, having endured the same number without victory towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign between April and May, though their disappointing showings at Pina Manique raise questions.

One of only three teams yet to record a league win in front of their fans this season, Os Gansos’s two points from a possible 12 leave them with the third-worst home record in the division.

That said, Casa Pia have struggled at both ends, with just eight scored – only the bottom three have managed fewer – while shipping 17, with just two sides letting in more.

Estrela have not fared any better in attack either, registering only seven goals, though conceding 10 shows the Tricolores have at least maintained a certain degree of defensive discipline, leaving Joao Nuno with the greater task in the final third.

Nuno has endured a rough start at the Amadoran club, losing each of his three games in charge, including a disappointing Portuguese Cup exit to lower-division side Alpendorada, sandwiched between league defeats to Gil Vicente (2-0) and Rio Ave (2-1).

Despite taking the lead through Paulo Moreira, the Tricolores conceded twice after the break against Ave, marking a second successive match in which Estrela fell apart after striking first.

As the Amadorans seek a response, they will also aim to avoid a negative piece of history, having not lost four straight matches since the club was re-established following its 2020 merger with Sintra Football.

Picking up points in five of their nine games (W1, D4, L4) suggests avoiding that unwanted record might not be an impossible task, though defeats in both league meetings with Casa Pia last term offer little encouragement for the visitors, who have also lost four of their last seven away league games (D3), stretching back to 2024-25.

Casa Pia Primeira Liga form:

Casa Pia form (all competitions):

Estrela Amadora Primeira Liga form:

Estrela Amadora form (all competitions):

Team News

Cassiano could lead the line after featuring off the bench in each of Casa Pia’s last three league games, which may see Dailon Livramento drop out.

Pereira is expected to revert to a 3-4-3 setup after deploying a 5-3-2 in last weekend’s defeat at Braga, with veteran defender Jose Fonte likely to return to the lineup after the team shipped four last time out.

Casa Pia will remain without Claudio Mendes, Duplexe Tchamba and Abdu Conte, with all three sidelined through injury.

Estrela also face their own fitness concerns heading into this game, with Jovane Cabral and Alisson Souza ruled out, while Bernardo Schappo could miss a second straight match.

On a positive note, centre-back Ni made the bench last time out after a lengthy layoff that kept him sidelined since the start of the season, though it remains to be seen if he is fit enough to feature.

Head coach Nuno may ring the changes in attack, with Rodrigo Pinho potentially returning in the number nine role, which could see Kikas move out wide and Jorge Meireles occupy the middle, meaning either Paulo Moreira or Oumar Ngom may drop out.

Casa Pia possible starting lineup:

Azevedo; Sousa, Fonte, Rocha; Geraldes, Nhaga, Perez, Larrazabal; Livolant, Cassiano, Nsona

Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:

Ribeiro; Otavio, Patrick, Chernev; Encada, Moreira, Meireles, S Cabral; Stoica, Pinho, Kikas

We say: Casa Pia 1-0 Estrela Amadora

Although both sides have endured difficult starts to the season, Casa Pia have faced a tougher run of fixtures, with three of their five defeats coming against last season’s top-four teams, so this fixture might be viewed as one to lift their spirits.

That said, with the two teams struggling in the attacking third, this encounter is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair, and it may well be settled by a solitary goal in favour of the home side.

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