Round 19 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga comes to an end at the Estadio do Dragao where high-flying Porto go head to head with Famalicao on Sunday.
The visitors will head into the game looking to end their dry spell in this fixture and get one over the hosts after losing each of the last three meetings between the sides since 2020.
Match preview
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Porto continued their impressive charge for their 30th Primeira Liga title last Sunday when they cruised to a comprehensive 4-1 victory over 10-man Belenenses at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor.
After Abel Camara and Evanilson scored for either side to end the first half level, the visitors upped the ante in the second half as Evanilson netted his second and third of the game either side of Medhi Taremi's 61st-minute strike.
Prior to that, Sergio Conceicao's side secured smooth passage to the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Vizela at the Estadio do FC Vizela on January 12.
Porto have now won each of their last eight games across all competitions, scoring 22 goals and keeping four clean sheets since a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the Champions League back in December.
With 50 points from 18 games so far, the Dragoes currently sit at the summit of the Primeira Liga table, three points ahead of reigning champions Sporting Lisbon in second place.
Porto head into Saturday's game as the only unbeaten side in the division this season and this has been as a result of their solid performance at the defensive end of the pitch, where they boast the league's second-best record with just 12 goals conceded.
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Meanwhile, Famalicao failed to pull clear of the relegation places last time out when they played out an uneventful goalless draw against Pacos de Ferreira at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao.
In a game where Alexandre Penetra received his marching orders, the Vila Nova were guilty of a wasteful display in the final third as they constantly failed to beat Andre Ferreira in goal and to convert their clear-cut chances.
Despite that result, Rui Silva will be impressed by his side's performance as they head into Sunday's game unbeaten in each of their last three games since crashing out of the Taca de Portugal at the hands of Portimonense on December 21.
Famalicao have won three, drawn seven and lost eight of their 18 games this season to collect 16 points and sit 15th on the log, level on points with Vizela in the relegation playoff spot.
While they will look to maintain their unbeaten run and steer clear of the drop zone, they have the uphill task of squaring off against a rampant Porto side who they have lost against in each of the last three meetings between the teams.
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Team News
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Porto will take to the pitch without the services of Wilson Manafa and Joao Mario, who are currently recuperating from leg and muscle injuries respectively.
Pepe was fit to be named as an unused substitute against Belenenses last time out, while fellow defender Ivan Marcano, continued his spell on the sideline after picking up a severe foot problem back in October.
Nanu is back with the squad following Guinea-Bissau's exit from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, while full-back Zaidu Sanusi is with the Nigeria national team, who are scheduled to take on Tunisia on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Silva will be unable to call upon the services of 20-year-old defender Penetra who is suspended after receiving his marching orders against Pacos de Ferreira last time out.
On the injury front, Famalicao remain without the services of 24-year-old forward Heriberto Tavares, who has been out of action since December when he fractured his right toe versus Benfica.
Fellow countryman Diogo Figueira is also out of contention as he is set to miss his seventh straight game after picking up a muscle in the game against Gil Vicente back in December.
Porto possible starting lineup:
D Costa; B Costa, Cardoso, Mbemba, Wendell; Oliviera, Uribe; Vieira, Diaz, Corona; Martinez
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Junior; Nascimento, Penetra, Ricceli, Batubinsika; Pepe, Pickel, I Rodrigues; Marquez, Jaime, Banza
We say: Porto 3-0 Famalicao
Porto appear simply unstoppable at the moment, claiming eight consecutive wins across all competitions and stamping their name as genuine title contenders. We are tipping them to maintain this fine run and extend their dominance in this fixture by claiming all three points.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Porto win with a probability of 68.82%. A draw had a probability of 17.8% and a win for Famalicao had a probability of 13.37%.
The most likely scoreline for a Porto win was 2-0 with a probability of 10.36%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.68%) and 1-0 (8.84%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (8.26%), while for a Famalicao win it was 1-2 (3.86%). The actual scoreline of 3-1 was predicted with a 7.6% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Porto would win this match.
