Casa Pia vs Porto: Primeira Liga Preview, Predictions, and Team News
This Saturday, Porto will look to bounce back from a humiliating defeat to Benfica in their last league outing when they travel to Casa Pia in round 29 of the Primeira Liga. The Dragons were left reeling after a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of their fierce rivals, a result that saw them drop to fourth place in the standings. Meanwhile, Casa Pia find themselves eighth after managing to avoid defeat in back-to-back matches.
According to Sports Mole, Porto’s woes began when they capitulated in front of their fans against Benfica, with Vangelis Pavlidis opening the scoring inside the first minute and completing his hat-trick before Samu Aghehowa managed to pull one back for the Dragons. Nicolas Otamendi sealed the win for Benfica, leaving Porto 12 points adrift of top spot and trailing Braga by one point.
As Sports Mole reports, last season’s haul of 72 points saw Porto settle for third place, equalling their lowest finish and recording their poorest tally since the 34-game format returned in 2014-15. With 56 points to their name and only six games remaining, the Blue and Whites can ill afford any more slip-ups, particularly with their aspirations for a top-three finish hanging by a thread.
Porto’s recent dominance in this fixture could give them an edge, having come out on top in each of the last four meetings, including a 2-0 win in the reverse match earlier this season. Their away form stands at seven wins, two draws and five defeats, which places them as the division’s fourth-best side on the road. As Sports Mole notes, Casa Pia have been in excellent form at home, with four wins from their last five outings in front of their supporters.
The hosts will be without Clau Mendes and Kiki Silva due to injury, while Duplexe Tchamba picked up a shoulder problem last time out and remains a doubt. Ruben Kluivert is available again after serving a one-match suspension and could return to the heart of defence. Meanwhile, Porto will be without Vasco Sousa and Marko Grujic, both of whom are ruled out with injuries. Following the defensive collapse last weekend, Porto’s manager Martin Anselmi might be tempted to shuffle his backline.
In their possible starting lineups, Sports Mole predicts that Casa Pia will line up with Sequeira; Goulart, Fonte, Tchamba; Lelo, Kraev, Sousa, Larrazabal; Roberto, Cassiano, Livolant, while Porto may start with Costa; Marcano, Eustaquio, Pedro; Moura, Varela, Vieira, Mario; Mora, Aghehowa, Borges.
As for the predicted outcome, Sports Mole suggests that Porto will edge a narrow victory, with the predicted score being Casa Pia 1-2 Porto. However, the hosts are fancied to find the net once more, having scored in 14 consecutive home matches.
In conclusion, this match promises to be a closely contested encounter, with both teams having a lot to play for. Porto will look to bounce back from their humiliating defeat, while Casa Pia will aim to secure their first-ever victory over the visitors. The team news and possible lineups suggest that both sides will be competitive, but Porto’s strong head-to-head record in this fixture could give them the edge they need to secure a win.
According to Sports Mole, “Casa Pia have proven to be a tough nut to crack on home soil, even handing Benfica a 3-1 defeat earlier this season, so they are unlikely to roll over easily against Porto.” Ultimately, the outcome of this match will depend on various factors, including team dynamics, player performances, and tactical decisions.
The source of this article is Sports Mole, which provides in-depth analysis and previews of various football matches, including the upcoming Primeira Liga clash between Casa Pia and Porto.
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