Preview: Casa Pia vs Santa Clara - prediction, team news, lineups

Casa Pia look to end a six-game winless run as they welcome Santa Clara to Rio Maior on Saturday in what shapes up as a crucial battle in the fight for survival.

The Geese currently occupy the relegation playoff spot in the Primeira Liga table, though with a game in hand, and victory here would see them move level on points with the 13th-placed Azorean visitors.

Match preview

A change at the helm initially appeared to spark a turnaround for Casa Pia, who collected eight points from a possible 15 in Alvaro Pacheco’s first five matches in charge, with the only defeat in that spell coming away to Sporting Lisbon.

However, the narrative has since shifted from one of resilience, as Os Gansos have now lost three matches in their last six games (D3), including a 3-1 defeat on their visit to Alverca last weekend.

Despite taking an early lead through Joao Marques inside the opening minute, Pacheco’s men left that encounter empty-handed after conceding three times in the second half, a dismal performance that contrasted with the spirited display in their draw against Benfica the preceding game.

That loss also underlines the Geese’s defensive issues, having allowed at least two goals in three of their last six outings – all of which ended in defeat – while only AVS (62) and Arouca (58) have shipped more than Casa Pia’s tally of 52 this season.

There is, however, some encouragement to take from their home form, with Os Gansos unbeaten in their last six matches at Rio Maior, although just two wins in that run suggests they will need more to secure maximum points here.

Santa Clara have also seen their form dip in recent weeks, going from a five-game unbeaten run, which included three clean sheets, to losing their last two matches, with at least two goals conceded in both.

While defeat away to Sporting could be excused, the 2-0 home loss to Rio Ave last weekend would have been more disappointing, particularly after a second-half display that saw them lose control, including an own goal from Sidney Lima.

Those back-to-back setbacks serve as a reminder of earlier struggles, with Santa Clara going 12 matches without a win across all competitions between mid-December and early March, including a six-game losing streak in the league.

The Azoreans will aim to avoid slipping into a similar run, but their away form remains a concern, with just one victory in their last 12 league matches on the road and only two wins from 14 such outings this season (D5, L7).

The visitors can, however, take confidence from recent head-to-head meetings, having won each of their last three encounters with Casa Pia, including a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture, while their most recent visit to this ground also ended in success.

Casa Pia Primeira Liga form:

Santa Clara Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Casa Pia are expected to remain without long-term absentee Kiki Silva, who continues his recovery from a knee injury, while goalkeeper Ricardo Batista has been sidelined since February.

Veteran defender Jose Fonte has missed the last two matchday squads and is a major doubt, while Xander Severina has also been unavailable for the last 10 games.

Cassiano is expected to lead the line once again and will be aiming to rediscover his scoring touch after failing to find the net in his last four appearances.

Meanwhile, Santa Clara will remain without defender Matheus Araujo (MT), who has been sidelined since late December with a knee injury.

Manager Petit has named the same lineup in each of the last four matches, although changes in attack could be considered, with Vinicius Lopes pushing for a start after featuring from the bench last time out.

Casa Pia possible starting lineup:

Sequeira; Kaly, Sousa, Goulart; Larrazabal, Perez, Brito, Rosas; Livolant, Cassiano, Marques

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; Soares, Da Silva, Lima, Romao; Serginho, Ferreira, Klismahn; Lopes, Fernando, G Silva

We say: Casa Pia 1-1 Santa Clara

Neither side enters this contest in strong form, so a cautious approach could be expected given the importance of the result in the context of survival.

While Santa Clara have had the upper hand in recent meetings, Casa Pia’s solid home run provides a platform, making this a closely contested encounter where a draw appears a likely outcome.

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