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

Porto will be looking to maintain their perfect Liga Portugal record when they travel to the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on Sunday to face a Vitoria de Guimaraes side hoping to build on their recent defensive improvement.

Francesco Farioli's men have collected all 30 points available from their opening 10 matches, putting them five points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga table, while the Conquerors sit 13th with nine points.

Match preview

Ending a three-year wait for the Primeira Liga title last season was an impressive achievement for Farioli in his first campaign in charge, but Porto have raised the bar further this term by making their best start to a league season since 1939-40.

The Dragons have won all 10 of their opening top-flight fixtures, although they still have some way to go before matching their club record of 13 consecutive victories, set during that historic 1939-40 campaign.

Farioli's side have been equally impressive at both ends of the pitch, with only Benfica (27) scoring more than their tally of 25 in the division, while their four goals conceded represent the league's best defensive record, alongside a joint-high six clean sheets.

Porto head to Guimaraes in confident mood after following up a 4-0 league victory over Estoril Praia with an emphatic 4-1 Champions League triumph over Napoli on Wednesday, extending their winning streak to four matches across all competitions.

The visitors will also take encouragement from their recent record at this venue, having won each of their last eight competitive meetings with Vitoria at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques and kept clean sheets in their most recent three visits.

Vitoria, however, can draw some encouragement from their improved defensive displays, having gone three consecutive competitive matches without conceding since Lucas Furtado took over between the posts.

After managing just one victory in their opening eight league fixtures and enduring a five-match winless run, the Conquerors edged lower-league Lamelas in the Taca de Portugal before following up a 5-0 thrashing of Maritimo with a goalless draw against fellow Minho outfit Gil Vicente last weekend.

That stalemate in Barcelos leaves Vitoria with two wins, three draws and five defeats from their opening 10 league matches, although it did provide their first away point of the campaign after four consecutive top-flight defeats on the road.

The Guimaraes outfit have been considerably more productive on home soil, collecting eight of their nine league points at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques, and will hope that familiar surroundings can help them frustrate the league leaders.

There is still plenty of room for improvement in attack, however, as Vitoria have scored just 10 goals in the Primeira Liga this season, with only Gil Vicente (eight) and Maritimo (nine) managing fewer among teams outside the relegation playoff places, although the Conqueror’s defensive record has been more respectable at 10 conceded.

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

Vitoria de Guimaraes form (all competitions):

Porto Primeira Liga form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Team News

Vitoria remain without goalkeeper Juan Castillo, who is recovering from an ankle sprain, and left-back Francisco Dias, who continues to recover from a foot ligament injury.

Thiago Balieiro is also a doubt after missing the draw with Gil Vicente due to a knee complaint, potentially leaving Margarido with the same central defensive partnership of Toni Borevkovic and Ahmed Sidibe.

Furtado is expected to retain his place between the posts after overseeing three consecutive clean sheets, while Arnel Jakupovic could lead the attack again as he looks to add to his two league goals this term.

Porto are expected to be without Chris Smalling (knee) and Vasco Sousa, while William Gomes remains sidelined with a broken ankle.

Zaidu Sanusi could return to contention after resuming unrestricted training earlier this week, while Oskar Pietuszewski's inclusion on the bench against Napoli as an unused substitute suggests that he is nearing full fitness.

Gabri Veiga and Borja Sainz have both scored five league goals this season, although the former heads into Sunday's encounter in particularly good form after netting and providing an assist in each of his last two appearances.

Samu Aghehowa also came off the bench to convert a penalty against Napoli, although it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will displace Andre Silva in the starting lineup.

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Furtado; Strata, Borevkovic, Sidibe, Mendes; Nogueira, Mukendi; G Silva, Samu, Camara; Jakupovic

Porto possible starting lineup:

D Costa; A Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Fernandes; G Veiga, Rosario, Froholdt; Sainz, Samu, Pepe

We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 0-1 Porto

Vitoria's recent defensive improvement could make this a more difficult assignment than Porto's flawless league record might suggest, particularly with the hosts having collected most of their points on home soil.

However, the Dragons have shown they can grind out results even when they are not at their most fluent, and their impressive record at this venue makes a narrow away victory the likeliest outcome.

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