Pacos de Ferreira set out to pick up their first win of the season when they journey to the Estadio dos Arcos to face Rio Ave in round 16 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday.
The Vilacondenses head into the weekend unbeaten in each of their last four home games in the league and will be looking to maintain this fine run and strengthen their position in the top half of the table.
Match preview
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Rio Ave were denied a third consecutive away victory as they were held to a goalless draw by Vitoria de Guimaraes when the sides squared off last Saturday.
In a drab contest at the Dom Afonso Henriques, both sides were guilty of a lack of cutting edge in the final third, where they failed to pose any serious threat before settling for a share of the spoils.
Prior to that, Luis Freire's men were denied a third league win on the bounce on December 23 when they played out a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw against league strugglers Maritimo on home turf.
Rio Ave have now picked up five wins, five draws and lost five of their 15 matches this season to collect 20 points and sit eighth in the Primeira Liga table, level on points with Boavista and Chaves.
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Pacos de Ferreira, on the other hand, still await their first win of the 2022-23 campaign as they could only salvage a 1-1 draw against Chaves when the sides squared off last Sunday.
In a heated game at the Estadio Capital do Movel, Brazilian midfielder Juninho Vieira broke the deadlock in the 67th minute to put the visitors ahead but 30-year-old Uilton Silva opened his account for the season seven minutes later to restore parity.
Prior to that, Cesar Peixoto's side endured another poor cup run as they managed just two points from a possible nine in the Taca da Liga and finished third in Group D, before suffering a 3-0 loss against 10-man Sporting Lisbon in their final league outing of 2022.
After an underwhelming first half of the season, where they failed to taste victory in any of their 19 matches across all competitions, Pacos de Ferreira currently sit rock bottom in the Primeira Liga standings with just three points from 15 matches.
This has been owing to their struggles on the road and a lack of sting at the attacking end of the pitch, where they currently hold the league's worst record with just one point from a possible 21.
While the Pacenses will be looking to kick-start their push from the relegation zone, they visit the Estadio dos Arcos where Rio Ave are currently unbeaten in four consecutive league outings, claiming three wins and one draw since September's 3-2 loss against Braga.
Team News
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Rio Ave will take to the pitch without the services of 26-year-old midfielder Joca, who sustained a severe knee problem in September's game against Braga.
Patrick William came off with a late injury against Vitoria de Guimaraes last time out and the former Famalicao full-back is a doubt for the hosts.
Should he fail to shake off the injury in time, experienced defender Josue Sa could come into the XI, teaming up with Aderllan Santos and Renato Pantalon in the back three.
As for Pacos de Ferreira, Nigerian midfielder Abbas Ibrahim has missed the last three matches through injury and is a major doubt for this weekend's encounter.
Off the back of a solid debut, new signing Maracas, who returned to the club after leaving in the summer of 2021, should retain his role at the heart of the defence, teaming up with centre-back partner Nuno Lima.
Rio Ave possible starting lineup:
Jhonatan; William, Santos, Pantalon; Costinha, Guga, Samaris, Vitor; Baeza, Ruiz, Boateng
Pacos de Ferreira possible starting lineup:
Almeida; Delgado, Lima, Maracas, Antunes; Holsgrove, Carlos, Djalo; Gaitan, Uilton, Guedes
We say: Rio Ave 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira
Rio Ave will be licking their lips as they welcome a struggling Pacos de Ferreira side to the Estadio dos Arcos. Freire have put together a solid run in front of their home fans in recent weeks and we are backing them to come away with all three points this weekend.
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Top tip
Joshua Ojele
