Preview:Gil Vicente vs Santa Clara - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to record three consecutive victories for the second time this Primeira Liga season, Gil Vicente welcome Santa Clara to the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos in Monday’s matchday 10 clash.

However, the Roosters face the challenge of ending a three-year winless streak against the Azoreans, having lost all three encounters between the sides since their triumph in December 2022.

Match preview

Monday’s fixture arrives at an ideal time for Gil, who will be eager to break their recent hoodoo against the visitors, buoyed by back-to-back league victories over Estrela Amadora and newly promoted Alverca.

Unaffected by their disappointing Portuguese Cup exit at the hands of lower-division outfit Academico Viseu, the Roosters built on their 2-0 home win against the Amadorans by hitting four past their Ribatejano hosts last weekend.

In an encounter where nearly everything went to plan except for another moment of disciplinary lapse, Luiz Esteves went from hero to zero, having opened the scoring and provided an assist before receiving a red card in the 74th minute.

Cesar Peixoto now faces the tough task of replacing Esteves while also addressing his side’s recurring red-card woes, with the team having finished each of their last three league games a man short.

Away from their disciplinary issues, Gil are enjoying a dream campaign, sitting fourth in the table after collecting 19 points from their opening nine matches – nine more and six places higher than at this stage last season.

The Roosters’s excellent run has been built on defensive solidity, with only leaders Porto conceding fewer than their four, while Vicente’s emphatic victory last weekend took their goal tally to 14 – only four teams have scored more.

Gil have also been formidable at home, winning three of their four league games in Barcelos this term, with the only blemish being a 2-0 loss to Porto, which stands as the sole match in which they have conceded in front of their fans in the campaign.

Meanwhile, Santa Clara were anything but solid defensively in midweek as they suffered a humbling 5-0 defeat to Braga in the Taca da Liga.

Head coach Vasco Matos did not mince words in his criticism of his players, citing a lack of attitude and “carelessness” for the dismal display, but he will be hoping for a positive response as the team look to continue from where they left off in the league.

The Azoreans picked up a 2-0 home victory over bottom side AVS in their last Primeira Liga outing, taking their tally to 11 points from nine matches (W3, D2, L4) to sit ninth in the table, with a modest eight goals scored and 10 conceded.

Looking to climb higher in the standings, Os Acorianos aim for consecutive league wins for the first time since the final two games of last season and can draw inspiration from their 1-0 triumph in this very fixture last term.

However, with just one victory from four league outings on the road (D1, L2), even a draw would come as a welcome result for Matos’s men.

Gil Vicente Primeira Liga form:

Gil Vicente form (all competitions):

Santa Clara Primeira Liga form:

Santa Clara form (all competitions):

Team News

It comes as no surprise that Esteves will miss out due to suspension following his red card against Alverca, paving the way for Santi Garcia to partner Facundo Caceres in a double pivot.

Martin Fernandez made an instant impact with a goal two minutes after coming off the bench last time out and will push for a starting role in advanced midfield, while Pablo should continue to lead the line.

Murilo Souza, who returned to the club this summer, famously scored the decider the last time Gil defeated Santa Clara and will be keen to make an impact again, likely starting out wide.

Mohamed Bamba has only featured once this season and remains sidelined through injury, while Tidjany Toure and Carlos Eduardo are also unavailable, having yet to appear this campaign.

Santa Clara head coach Matos could make defensive changes following Wednesday’s collapse, with Paulo Victor expected to return to the heart of defence, meaning we could see Frederico Venancio drop out after being benched in the last league game.

Lucas Soares and Vinicius Lopes are in line to reclaim their starting places after substitute roles in midweek, while Wendel is likely to return as the central striker after being rested in Braga.

Meanwhile, midfielder MT has missed the last two matches, leaving his availability for Monday’s trip uncertain.

Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:

Andrew; Konan, Buatu, Elimbi, Ze Carlos; Garcia, Caseres; Souza, Fernandez, M Souza; Pablo

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; Rocha, P Victor, Lima; Pereira, Firmino, Serginho, Soares; Silva, Wendel, Lopes

We say: Gil Vicente 1-0 Santa Clara

Gil may lack a touch of creativity in the middle of the park in Esteves’s absence, but the Roosters still look well placed to grind out a result against a Santa Clara side potentially weary from their midweek travels and struggling for consistency.

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