Benfica will look to take another major step towards sealing the Primeira Liga title on Saturday, when they travel to take on Portimonense.
With three games to go, the visitors sit at the summit of the table with a four-point lead over second-placed Porto thanks to three consecutive victories, while their hosts sit 13th and have successfully steered clear of the threat of relegation.
Match preview
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After 14th and 13th-placed finished in the previous two Primeira Liga campaigns, the 2022-23 season has followed a similar pattern for Portimonense, who have confirmed their safety in relatively comfortable fashion while failing to push on any further.
A victory over Maritimo in mid-February left Paulo Sergio's side on 26 points from 21 league outings, but they would then hit a rough patch, losing the next five games on the bounce and dropping down to 14th place as a result.
The Alvinegros would then halt that run of defeats with a 2-2 draw at home to basement side Santa Clara, as Welinton Junior drew them level deep into injury time with his second goal of the game, before they managed to bounce back and ensure they were not dragged into the relegation dogfight with back-to-back 1-0 victories over Estoril Praia and Gil Vicente in mid-April, with decisive goals coming from Yago Cariello and Mauricio respectively.
Sergio's side then faced an unenviable test away at third-placed Braga and were unable to extend a run of victories any further, with Rui Gomes's goal being nothing more than a consolation in a 4-1 defeat, before the Alvinegros most recently travelled to take on Casa Pia last Friday and came away with a point from a 1-1 draw, as they again drew level late on with Bryan Rochez equalising in the 95th minute.
With those recent victories having steadied them towards the end of the campaign, Portimonense now sit on 34 points, four fewer than they managed last term with three games still to play, and they will now aim to end the season positively with a run of results to surpass that, while still having a chance of catching up to 11th-placed Vizela and 12th-placed Rio Ave, who are both five points ahead.
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That will be no easy task, though, as they welcome a Benfica side who will look to take a step closer to the title, having sat at the summit of the division since the start of September.
In their bid to with the Primeira Liga title for the first time since 2019, As Aguias have been dominant thanks to eye-catching performances at both ends of the pitch, with their 72 goals scored in 31 outings being six more than any other side, while no other team have conceded as few as the 17 goals that Roger Schmidt's side have shipped.
That saw them look set to cruise to a first-placed finish, with 71 points on the board from 26 outings, but they would then suffer a 2-1 defeat to rivals and second-placed side Porto, before the gap between the sides was further reduced as Benfica lost 1-0 in the following trip to Chaves in mid-April.
With their lead over a relentless Porto side reduced to just four points, As Aguias were then able to make a crucial return to winning ways as Nicolas Otamendi netted the only goal at home to Estoril Praia, before they travelled to Gil Vicente and picked up a 2-0 victory courtesy of goals in the final 20 minutes from Chiquinho and Alex Grimaldo.
Now on the back of a hard-fought win at home to third-placed Braga, in which Rafa Silva's 67th-minute goal made the difference between the sides on Saturday, Schmidt's side remain four points clear of Porto with three games to go, meaning that two wins will be enough to ensure they secure a 38th league title, and they will look to tick one of those off on Saturday before travelling to city rivals Sporting Lisbon next weekend.
Team News
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After their draw with Casa Pia last time out, Portimonense will likely switch to a more cautious shape for Saturday's meeting with the league leaders, with Fahd Moufi and Filipe Relvas expected to move into full-back roles and join Alemao, Pedro Henrique and Park Ji-soo in a back five.
Bryan Rochez drew them level late on in that game with his first goal of the season in that game, and he will hope to earn a starting spot up front, although Sergio is more likely to stick with Welinton Junior, who leads their scoring charts with six goals in 22 Primeira Liga appearances this term.
Yony Gonzalez and Rui Gomes will hope to keep their places on the flanks, although Yago Cariello is also fighting to come back into the attack after being reduced to a substitute appearance last time out, while Mauricio and Carlinhos should continue their partnership in the engine room.
Benfica will remain without Julian Draxler and Alexander Bah due to injuries, while experienced defender Nicolas Otamendi will miss out through suspension as a result of an accumulation of yellow cards.
In what could be the only change to the starting XI from their win over Braga, Lucas Verissimo will likely take his place alongside Antonio Silva in the middle of the back four, with Fredrik Aursnes and Alex Grimaldo continuing on the right and left-hand sides respectively.
As Aguias have both of the Primeira Liga's joint-top scorers with 17 goals each, and both will play key roles on Saturday, with Goncalo Ramos leading the line and Joao Mario forming part of a supporting trio behind the line frontman, likely alongside Rafa Silva and David Neres.
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Nakamura; Moufi, Alemao, Henrique, Park, Relvas; Gomes, Mauricio, Carlinhos, Gonzalez; Junior
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Aursnes, Silva, Verissimo, Grimaldo; Neves, Chiquinho; Mario, Silva, Neres; Ramos
We say: Portimonense 0-2 Benfica
Having put their slight blip behind them with three consecutive victories, and knowing two victories will certainly be enough to seal the title, we cannot envisage Benfica being derailed on Saturday and instead anticipate them triumphing in relatively comfortable fashion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
