Preview: Gil Vicente vs. AVS - prediction, team news, lineups

With only 21 points left to play for, AVS’ Primeira Liga status is under serious threat as the bottom-placed side travel to Europe-chasing Gil Vicente in Friday’s 28th round.

The visitors from Northern Portugal have 11 points after 27 games, leaving them 13 points from safety with seven matches remaining, and a five-game winless run leaves them facing an uphill challenge at Estadio Cidade de Barcelos.

Match preview

AVS needed a play-off to avoid immediate relegation to the second tier in their debut season in the top flight, but the Aves-based club are unlikely to be as fortunate this time around.

Indeed, the fate of the bottom-placed team seems sealed unless Joao Henriques inspires a drastic turnaround in the concluding seven rounds.

Winless in their last five — drawing three and losing two — and claiming only one victory in the previous 10 gameweeks, there have been no apparent signs of an upturn in results.

The division’s bottom side are not helped by their inability to find the back of the net with anything like enough consistency, with the team from the Porto district scoring just 18 times and conceding 58, the fewest and most, respectively, in the league.

With only one win secured all season, it would take a miracle for a side 13 points behind Casa Pia on 24 and 11 from a play-off spot to avoid losing their place in the Liga after two years.

Although Henriques’s team head to opponents 12 places above them in the table, Gil Vicente’s downturn in form may offer AVS a glimmer of hope.

Galos’ dip in results was perhaps unforeseen after a three-match winning streak against Famalicao (5-0), Moreirense (2-1) and Braga (2-1), with four victories from five strengthening their position in the race for a top-four finish.

That run formed part of a broader sequence that saw Cesar Peixoto’s team lose just one of 10 league matches — a 3-0 defeat against league leaders Porto — underlining why they were viewed as strong contenders for a continental berth.

Although clean sheets were few and far between during that spell, evidenced by shutouts only against Vitoria Guimaraes (0-0) and Fama (5-0), Galos were often bailed out by their knack for finding the back of the net.

That attacking propensity, however, has not borne fruit lately, with the Roosters failing to win any of their last five league matches, losing three in that period to Estoril (3-1), Benfica (2-1) and Santa Clara (1-0) and playing out 2-2 draws with Estrela and Alverca.

The upshot of those results leaves Gil Vicente sixth in the division on 42 points, five clear of Estoril in seventh but four adrift of fourth-placed Braga in the tussle to secure a Europa Conference League qualifying berth.

With the side in fourth also having played one game fewer, Galos need to snap out of their dip to give themselves a fighting chance of playing European football in 2026-27.

Gil Vicente Primeira Liga form:

AVS Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Gil Vicente centre-back Marvin Elimbi was withdrawn early against Santa Clara before the international break and will be assessed ahead of Friday’s league return.

Also facing a race against time to be fit for gameweek 28 is January arrival Hector Hernandez, who has not played since March 8; however, Jonathan Mutombo and Mohamed Bamba are ruled out.

With 10-goal man Pablo Felipe now at West Ham United, the onus has been on Murilo Costa — seven goals, four assists — and Santi Garcia — six goals, three assists — to shoulder the attacking burden, with Murilo involved in eight goals in 11 appearances in 2026.

Only four players have found the net more than once for the low-scoring visitors: Nene (four), Diego Duarte (three), Tomane (two) and Oscar Perea (two).

However, Nene last scored in late January, while Duarte, Tomane and Perea have not found the back of the net since February, February and December respectively, underlining the away side’s goalscoring challenges.

On the injury front, Roni’s involvement is uncertain after the midfielder’s 29th-minute withdrawal against Tondela a fortnight ago, while Antoine Baroan and Angel Algobia are absent.

Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:

Lucao; Santos, Espigares, Buatu, Konan; Carlos, Caseres; Souza, Esteves, Moreira; Varela

AVS possible starting lineup:

Adriel; Pivo, Santos, Ponck, Rivas; Mendonca, Galletto, Lima; Green, Tomane, Perea

We say: Gil Vicente 2-0 AVS

Gil Vicente’s own inconsistency leaves the door slightly ajar for an upset if they fail to capitalise on key moments.

However, the disparity in confidence, league position and AVS’s attacking output still leans heavily towards the hosts, who are backed to produce a professional, if unspectacular, display en route to a narrow victory.

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