Preview: Porto vs Tondela - prediction, team news, lineups

Porto will hope a victory over relegation-threatened Tondela at Estadio do Dragao this weekend will be enough to extend their lead atop the Primeira Liga table as the campaign enters its decisive phase.

With five games left to play, the Dragons hold a five-point advantage over second-placed Sporting Lisbon, who have a game in hand, while the 17th-placed visitors are four adrift of safety, albeit having played one match fewer than 15th-placed Nacional.

Match preview

Porto saw their continental journey come to an end on Thursday at the City Ground, where an early Jan Bednarek dismissal proved costly, as Francesco Farioli’s side conceded moments later from Morgan Gibbs-White’s deflected effort, resulting in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Having lost that quarter-final tie 2-1 on aggregate, the Dragons will rue missed opportunities from the first leg at the Dragao, and a return to familiar surroundings could shape their fortunes in the coming days

Porto have a one-goal deficit to overturn on Wednesday when they host Sporting in the return leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final, with Sunday’s clash against Tondela serving both as a chance to build rhythm and an opportunity to tighten their grip on top spot.

Hoping for a favourable outcome when second-placed Sporting face third-placed Benfica, the Blue and Whites will look to secure maximum points in their own matchday 30 encounter as they chase successive league wins following last weekend’s 3-1 success at Estoril Praia.

An impressive home record of 11 victories from 14 Primeira Liga matches (D3) suggests Farioli’s men are well placed to deliver here, though having dropped points in their most recent top-flight outing at the Dragao, a degree of caution may still be required.

Meanwhile, collecting 11 points from a possible 39 on their travels offers little encouragement for Tondela ahead of this daunting trip, especially considering their latest away fixture ended in a heavy defeat at Vitoria de Guimaraes.

That loss came in Goncalo Feio’s first game in charge following his arrival in place of Cristiano Bacci, but his second outing brought a more positive response, as the Green and Gold rescued a late 2-2 draw against Gil Vicente last weekend.

In a contest filled with late drama, Carlos Eduardo looked to have secured maximum points for the Barcelos side with a 90th-minute strike, but Joseph Hodge reacted quickest to his saved penalty to earn Tondela a hard-fought share of the spoils.

CDT have alternated between draws and defeats across their last five matches, while managing just one victory from their last 12 outings (D6, L5), raising doubts over the Auriverdes’ ability to claim a rare win at the Dragao this weekend.

There is also little encouragement from the head-to-head record, with Tondela losing each of the last 15 meetings between the sides, failing to score in 10 of those encounters, including a 2-0 defeat in this season’s reverse fixture.

Porto Primeira Liga form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Tondela Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Porto will remain without attacking duo Luuk de Jong and Samu Aghehowa, both of whom are sidelined for the remainder of the season with knee injuries.

Defender Nehuen Perez is still working his way back from an Achilles tendon issue that has kept him out for much of the campaign, while right-back Martim Fernandes is set to miss a fourth straight match through physical discomfort.

Bednarek’s red card in midweek does not apply domestically, so the centre-back could return to the lineup here, potentially partnering fellow Polish international Jakub Kiwior at the heart of defence.

Meanwhile, Deniz Gul is pushing for a return to the starting XI after featuring off the bench last time out, which could see him preferred up front to Terem Moffi.

As for Tondela, Brazilian midfielder Cicero will continue his recovery from a muscle problem that has kept him out for the last four matches following his suspension on March 1, while Nor Maviram could miss a second straight outing.

On the disciplinary front, Bebeto will play no part on Sunday as he serves a one-match ban due to an accumulation of bookings.

Porto possible starting lineup:

D Costa; A Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Zaidu; Froholdt, Varela, Veiga; Pepe, Gul, Pietuszewski

Tondela possible starting lineup:

Bernardo; Manso, Marques, J Silva, R Conceicao; Rodriguez, Hodge; Ouattara, Lopes, H Felix; Maranhao

We say: Porto 2-0 Tondela

Although Porto may feel the effects of their midweek trip to Nottingham, the Primeira Liga leaders possess the quality and depth required to secure a routine win over a struggling Tondela side.

The Dragons boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded a league-low 14 goals and kept 18 clean sheets, and they should have enough control to see this one through comfortably.

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