Estrela Amadora vs Academico de Viseu - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides separated by two points in the top half of the Primeira Liga standings square off on Saturday as Estrela Amadora play host to Academico Viseu at the Estadio Jose Gomes.

After a stuttering start, Os Viriatos have steadied their ship and will be out to secure a third consecutive victory, while the home side will be aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Match preview

Estrela Amadora’s defensive woes were laid bare yet again last Monday when they played out a 3-3 stalemate with Rio Ave after giving up their lead three times at the Estadio dos Arcos.

After Ianis Stoica and Francisco Petrasso scored for either side to end the first half level, Abraham Marcus netted either side of Roland Galcik’s 56th-minute equaliser to put Estrela in front, but Jalen Blesa converted his 78th-minute penalty to force a share of the spoils.

Coming off the back of a 15th-placed finish in the Primeira Liga table last season, when they finished above the relegation playoff spot on goal difference, Estrela have kicked off the new campaign with promise, going unbeaten in the first six matches for the first time in club history.

Having struggled for attacking returns last season, newly appointed head coach Pepa will be encouraged by the turnaround in attack, where the Tricolores have netted the fourth-most goals so far (14), but their shortcomings at the opposite end of the pitch have been hard to overlook, having conceded 12 already.

On the other hand, summer signing Mohamed Bouldini grabbed the headlines for Academico Viseu last Saturday when Os Viriatos edged out Vitoria de Guimaraes 2-1 to get their first home win of the campaign on the board.

With nothing to separate the two teams at half time, Goncalo Nogueira struck in the 67th minute to cancel out Lorougnon Gohi’s 53rd-minute opener, but Bouldini netted three minutes after coming off the bench to hand the hosts a 93rd-minute winner.

Having failed to taste victory in the opening four games, losing twice and claiming two draws, Academico Viseu have now won back-to-back league games, including a 1-0 victory over Gil Vicente on September 6 courtesy of a fourth-minute strike from Joao Guilherme.

Making their return to the top flight after a 37-year absence, Bruno Pinheiro’s men have picked up eight points so far in what has been a decent start to the campaign, two points and one place behind this weekend’s hosts.

While Academico Viseu will aim to continue from where they left off against Vitoria de Guimaraes, this weekend's matchup pits them against an opposing side unbeaten in their previous four meetings, claiming three wins and one draw since October 2021.

Estrela Amadora Primeira Liga form:

Academico de Viseu Primeira Liga form:

Team News

With four goals each, Stoica, Marcus and Leandro Antonetti have scored 12 of Academico’s 14 league goals so far, and we expect the deadly trio to spearhead the hosts’ attack once again.

At the defensive end of the pitch, summer signing Leo Lick should start between the sticks once again, with Max Scholze, Luan Patrick, Stefan Lekovic and Rafa Soares forming the back four.

Having started the last two games, Santiago Serra should get the nod at the centre of the park once again, teaming up with Eddy Doue and Croatian midfielder Lovro Zvonarek, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer.

Like this weekend’s hosts, Academjco Viseu journey to the Estadio Jose Gomes with a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns, giving Pinheiro the luxury of a full strength squad at his disposal.

Experienced forward Bouldini made his mark off the bench against Vitoria de Guimaraes last weekend, and the 30-year-old, who joined from Deportivo La Coruna, could be rewarded with a starting role this weekend.

Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:

Linck; Scholze, Patrick, Lekovic, Soares; Serra, Doue, Zvonarek; Marcus, Stoica, Antonetti

Academico de Viseu possible starting lineup:

Ewerton; Robinho, Correia, Michelis, Costa; Silva; Guilherme, Messeguem, Kahraman, Gohi; Clovis

We say: Estrela Amadora 2-1 Academico de Viseu

Victories over Gil Vicente and Guimaraes have seen Academico Viseu turn things around after their stuttering start to the season, but they have their work cut out against an Estrela side who have proven tough to crack this season.

Stoica, Marcus and Antonetti have carried the Estrela attack brilliantly so far, and while they have been less convincing at the back, we are backing the Tricolores to outscore Academico and extend their unbeaten streak in this fixture.

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