Preview: Santa Clara vs Estoril Praia - prediction, team news, lineups

Santa Clara will be out to secure their first win of the year this weekend when they go head to head with Estoril Praia at the Estadio de Sao Miguel in round 20 of Portuguese Primeira Liga.

While the Azoreans find themselves hovering around the danger zone, the resurgent visitors will be out to secure a third league win on the trot for the first time since February 2025 and edge closer to the European qualification places.

Match preview

With defeat this weekend potentially causing damage to their top-flight status, Santa Clara boss Vasco Matos has come under growing pressure, having recently completed a century of appearances at the helm of affairs.

Santa Clara were left empty-handed yet again in another toothless display last Saturday when they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Moreirense at the Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas.

With nothing to separate the two teams heading into the final five minutes of the game, defender Maracas netted his second goal in three games on the 87th-minute mark to hand Moreirense their third win since the turn of the year.

Last weekend’s defeat has left the Azoreans without a win in any of their last seven matches, claiming two draws and losing five, including a narrow 3-2 extra-time loss against Sporting Lisbon in the Taca de Portugal fifth round on December 18.

Having returned to the Primeira Liga back in 2024, Santa Clara’s top-flight status has come under threat once again, with Matos’s men sitting 14th in the league table with 17 points from 19 matches, just two points above the bottom three.

© Imago / Ball Raw Images

On the other hand, Estoril Praia turned in another impressive team display last Saturday as they fought back from behind to secure a 4-2 victory over Vitoria de Guimararaes at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota.

Samu and Matija Mitrovic scored on either side of Yanis Begraoui’s 29th-minute equaliser to hand Guimaraes a first-half lead, but Alejandro Marques netted a brace after the break to turn the game on its head before Begraoui made sure of the result with his second of the game in the 78th minute.

With that result, Estoril Praia have now won four of their most recent five matches — with a 3-1 loss against league powerhouse Benfica on January 3 being the exception — having failed to taste victory in the four matches preceding this run.

This upturn in form has been owing to the solid job done at the attacking end of the pitch, where Ian Cathro’s men have netted 15 goals across their most recent five matches and currently boast the fourth-best record in the division with 37 goals scored.

Estoril have won seven of their 19 Primeira Liga matches so far while losing seven and claiming five draws to collect 26 points and sit eighth in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Braga in the Conference League qualifying spot.

Santa Clara Primeira Liga form:

Santa Clara form (all competitions):

Estoril Praia Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Santa Clara suffered two massive blows last weekend, with Vincius Lopes and Luis Rocha crossing the yellow card threshold with their bookings against Moreirense, and the duo are set to sit out Saturday’s game.

Having recently completed a move from Brazil, Welinton should come into the XI, replacing Lopes in attack, while 24-year-old Paulo Victor should join the back three in Rocha’s absence.

On the injury front, Santa Clara remain without the services of Brazilian defender Matheus Araujo, who has been ruled out since coming off injured against Arouca on December 21.

As for Estoril, Or Israelov continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines since picking up a severe injury back in September and the 21-year-old defender is out of contention for this weekend’s tie.

He is joined on the club’s injury table by 24-year-old forward Andre Lacximicant, who has missed each of the last four matches since being forced off against Braga back in December.

With his brace against Guimaraes, Begraoui now has eight goals in his last seven matches and the red-hot striker has now moved joint-third in the Primeira Liga Golden Boot race with 13 goals to his name.

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; Victor, Venancio, Lima; Calila, Araujo, Klismahn, Ferreira, Soares; Welinton, Silva

Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:

Robles; Boma, Bacher, Amaral; Sanchez, Lominadze, Holsgrove, Carvalho; Guitane, Marques, Begraoui

We say: Santa Clara 1-3 Estoril Praia

High-flying Estoril Praia will be licking their lips ahead of their trip to the Estadio de Sao Miguel as they take on a floundering Santa Clara side who have struggled for results in recent weeks.

Estoril hammered Estrela Amadora 5-0 in their last away outing, and with Estoril claiming just three home wins this season, we are backing Cathro's men to come away with all three points here.

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