Preview: Famalicao vs Santa Clara - prediction, team news, lineups

Famalicao and Santa Clara will get their respective Primeira Liga campaigns underway as they square off at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao this weekend.

The hosts will be aiming to secure their first-ever European berth, having hovered around that level in recent seasons, while the Azoreans ended the previous campaign with a continental spot to their name.

Match preview

Since making their return to the top flight at the start of the 2019-20 season, Famalicao have held their own, regularly finishing in the top half of the standings.

Last term's seventh-place finish stands as their second-best in Primeira Liga history, though there remains a lingering sense of missed opportunity after a promising run was curtailed late on.

Hugo Oliveira's men stitched together three consecutive victories between late March and early April but managed just a single win in their final five outings (D1, L3), a stretch that included a defeat to this weekend's visitors.

Famalicao were beaten 2-1 by Santa Clara in the penultimate round of matches, meaning they suffered a double defeat in this fixture across the 2024-25 season, eventually finishing a hefty 10 points adrift of the Azoreans, who clinched the final European qualification slot.

Notwithstanding, there is optimism in the Vila Nova camp heading into Sunday’s encounter after an encouraging pre-season that was capped off by an emphatic 4-1 triumph over Arouca, with earlier victories over Celta Vigo (2-1) and Moreirense (1-0) adding to their positive momentum.

Santa Clara, on the other hand, have combined friendly matches with competitive fixtures in their preparation and will be pleased with the results achieved during this stretch.

Vasco Matos's men secured three wins from four exhibition outings before entering Conference League qualifying, where they have claimed two victories in three games.

The Azoreans came from an away deficit to edge out Varazdin 3-2 on aggregate in the second qualifying round before seizing control of their third-round tie by brushing aside Larne 3-0 in the first leg.

With a comfortable cushion going into next week's return leg, Matos is likely to direct full attention to the league opener, fielding a strong eleven in hopes of carrying forward the momentum from a five-match unbeaten run (W3, D2) to close out the previous domestic campaign.

Santa Clara's fifth-place finish last season marked their highest ever in the Primeira Liga, and as expectations rise, every victory will be viewed as a valuable step toward replicating or even surpassing that achievement.

Famalicao form (all competitions):

Santa Clara form (all competitions):

Team News

Famalicao have retained the bulk of their core squad, with defender Enea Mihaj the only regular starter to depart during the summer window.

Among the new additions, Gustavo Garcia could be in line for a full debut at right back, potentially getting the nod ahead of Rodrigo Pinheiro.

In attack, the hosts will continue to rely heavily on last season's top scorers Sorriso and Gil Dias, with Oscar Aranda and Rochinha sidelined due to injury.

Santa Clara, like their hosts, kept their key players intact, with Ricardinho being the only notable absentee from the regular starting side.

With the Conference League tie largely under control, Matos may look to rotate slightly and offer opportunities to new arrivals such as Henrique Pereira, Brenner Lucas and Anthony Carter to start in this encounter.

Pedro Pacheco remains unavailable through injury, which reduces options in central defence, leaving Luis Rocha, Sidney Lima, MT and Venancio to jostle for the three available places.

Famalicao possible starting lineup:

Carevic; Soares, Haas, Realpe, Garcia; Amorim, Looi; Sorriso, Sa, Dias; Elisor

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; MT, Lima, Venancio; Pereira, Firmino, Serginho, Soares; Pereira, Carter; Brenner

We say: Famalicao 2-1 Santa Clara

Despite Santa Clara's fine run of form, the midweek trip to Northern Ireland and subsequent travel for this fixture could take a toll physically and mentally.

Factoring in home advantage and fresher legs, the hosts could well nick this one, and so a narrow win for Famalicao looks likely.

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