Preview: Maritimo vs Academico de Viseu - prediction, team news, lineups

Maritimo host Academico Viseu at Estadio do Maritimo on Saturday afternoon in a meeting between two newly promoted Primeira Liga sides, with the hosts already enjoying one of the division's best starts to the season.

The occasion carries genuine historical significance for the visitors, who are playing in Portugal's top flight for the first time in 37 years after securing promotion alongside Saturday's opponents last season.

Match preview

Maritimo secured their return to the Primeira Liga by winning the Segunda Liga last season, and the Maritimistas have made an impressive start to life back in the top flight.

They opened the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Casa Pia before coming from behind to beat Famalicao 2-1 away from home, with Maurice Boakye scoring a stoppage-time winner to leave Maritimo as one of only three teams in the division with a perfect record after two matches.

Mitchell van der Gaag returned to his former club for a second spell as head coach and has overseen that flying start, giving the Maritimistas plenty of confidence heading into a fixture they would have identified as a strong opportunity to collect another three points before the season began.

However, the hosts will be wary of taking anything for granted, having drawn each of their last three home meetings with the visitors in the lower divisions, while they also had only the fourth-best home record in the Segunda Liga last season.

Academico Viseu can draw some encouragement from their recent head-to-head record, having remained unbeaten in their previous three meetings with Maritimo in Liga Portugal 2, winning one and drawing two.

Life back in the Primeira Liga has nevertheless proved more challenging, despite a spirited opening-day performance that saw Viseu twice come from behind to draw 2-2 away at Benfica, with Ruben Pereira and Andre Clovis finding the net.

That result has so far proved to be the high point of Bruno Pinheiro's return to the top flight, with Viseu unable to build on it in their second game, losing 1-0 at home to Santa Clara after conceding an early penalty.

With their only point coming away against one of the title favourites, the visitors can still travel to Madeira with confidence, particularly given their strong away record last season, having recorded the fourth-best away record in the Segunda Liga, a resilience they will hope can translate to the top flight.

Maritimo Primeira Liga form:

Academico de Viseu Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Maritimo have no fresh injury concerns beyond the long-term absences of Maxime Dominguez and Nathanael Ogbeta. Following their excellent start, van der Gaag is expected to resist making major changes and could name an unchanged XI.

Simo Bouzaidi and Adrian Butzke have provided a consistent attacking threat in the opening matches, while Boakye's late impact against Famalicao underlined the attacking depth available to the hosts.

Academico Viseu also have no new injury concerns following their defeat to Santa Clara, leaving Pinheiro with a largely full squad to choose from as his side continue their search for a first win of the season.

Andre Clovis remains the visitors' biggest attacking threat after finishing as the Liga Portugal 2 top scorer last season with 23 goals – he opened his Primeira Liga account against Benfica and will again lead the line in Madeira.

Ruben Pereira, who also scored against Benfica, is expected to continue at the heart of the defence alongside Anthony Correia as Viseu look to record their first clean sheet of the campaign.

Maritimo possible starting lineup:

Pastor; Henrique, Correia, Fernandes, Juliao; Andrade, Guzzo, Danilovic; Tejon, Butzke, Bouzaidi

Academico de Viseu possible starting lineup:

Ewerton; Robinho, Correia, Pereira, Milioransa; Messeguem, Mestanza, Kahraman; Guilherme, Clovis, Zamora

We say: Maritimo 2-0 Academico de Viseu

Maritimo's perfect start, home advantage and strong momentum make them favourites to claim a third consecutive victory, although Viseu's encouraging draw at Benfica suggests they should not be underestimated.

The visitors have struggled for consistency since that opening-day result, particularly defensively, and Maritimo should have enough attacking quality to exploit those weaknesses.

We expect the hosts to make home advantage count in Funchal, with their early-season momentum proving too much for a Viseu side still searching for its first win since returning to the Primeira Liga.

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