Preview: Vitoria de Guimaraes vs Famalicao - prediction, team news, lineups

Vitoria de Guimaraes hope that a change at the helm will spark a turnaround as they welcome Famalicao to Estadio D. Afonso Henriques for Saturday’s Minho derby.

The Conquerors parted ways with Luis Pinto following last weekend’s defeat in the Azores, paving the way for the appointment of former Guimaraes B coach Gil Moreira Lameiras, whose first assignment in charge will be against a side that has found a measure of stability in recent weeks.

Match preview

It would not be far-fetched to suggest that Vitoria are still feeling the hangover from their cup success, having lost five of their eight league outings (W2, D1) since lifting the Taca da Liga back in January.

Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to an out-of-sorts Santa Clara side proved the final straw for Pinto, with the Guimaraes outfit conceding twice before the quarter-hour mark to bring an end to the 36-year-old manager’s nine-month spell at the club.

Handed the task of steadying the ship, Lameiras will be aiming to halt a three-match winless run (D1, L2) while also reigniting the Conquerors’ fading European hopes; Vitoria currently sit ninth in the Primeira Liga table, 14 points adrift of the top four and nine behind fifth place with nine games left to play.

There is also an imbalance at both ends to address, as the Guimaraes club have scored 28 goals in the league campaign while conceding 37, including two or more in four of their last eight outings.

However, for all of Vitoria’s post-cup struggles, they have remained relatively solid on their own turf, having won two of their four home matches during this period (D1, L1), offering some positives for the new boss to build on ahead of Saturday’s Minho derby.

Not without momentum of their own, Famalicao make this weekend’s trip to Guimaraes on a three-game unbeaten run (W2, D1), with that resilience largely fuelled by defensive solidity after keeping clean sheets in each of those outings.

Hugo Oliveira’s charges enter this encounter on the back of a 1-0 victory over Arouca, with an 82nd-minute strike from Rodrigo Pinheiro proving decisive, leaving the Vila Nova outfit sixth in the table, just two points off fifth place and seven adrift of the top four.

While that win meant the Azuis e Brancos have taken full spoils in all four of their home fixtures this year, it also continued a curious pattern of alternating between victories and dropped points across their last seven matches.

That inconsistency has been particularly evident on the road, with the Vila Nova club without victory in their last three away outings (D1, L2) and drawing a blank across that spell, raising doubts over Famalicao’s ability to claim maximum points this weekend.

The visitors have also struggled in clashes with fellow regional sides, failing to win four of their five all-Minho encounters in the Primeira Liga this season (D2, L2); however, with their only success in that sequence coming in the reverse fixture against Vitoria, Fama will still harbour reasons for optimism.

That 2-0 triumph in Vila Nova remains one of just three victories for Famalicao in the last 13 meetings between the two sides (D2, L8), with the Vila Nova club also losing each of their last four trips to Guimaraes.

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

Famalicao Primeira Liga form:

Team News

While a managerial change could bring a tactical shift, new boss Lameiras is unlikely to make wholesale alterations this weekend, though it would not be surprising to see Nelson Oliveira restored to lead the line after featuring off the bench last time out.

In terms of injuries, the Guimaraes outfit will remain without Oscar Rivas, with the centre-back still recovering from a muscle problem that has sidelined him since mid-December.

Meanwhile, Famalicao will once again have to cope without long-term absentee Oscar Aranda, who has yet to feature this season due to a serious knee injury, while Marcos Pena remains a major doubt after limping off in the previous outing.

However, winger Sorriso and midfielder Tom van de Looi return to the fold after serving their respective one-match suspensions, while Mathias de Amorim will miss out after accumulating one too many bookings.

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Charles; Strata, Abascal, Balieiro, J Mendes; Beni, Sousa; G Silva, Samu, Saviolo; Oliveira

Famalicao possible starting lineup:

Carevic; R Soares, Ba, De Haas, Bondo; Van de Looi, Sa, Santos; Joujou, Elisor, Dias

We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-0 Famalicao

Vitoria know they can ill afford further slip-ups if they are to keep their faint hopes of European football alive, and they will be eager to capitalise on the potential lift provided by a new manager.

The Conquerors have been solid on home soil and have also dominated this fixture in Guimaraes in recent years, so they should have enough to edge past a Famalicao side that has struggled on the road of late.

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