Preview: Gil Vicente vs. Porto - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking to maintain their unbeaten start to the Primeira Liga campaign, Porto take a trip to the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos to square off against Gil Vicente on Friday.

The hosts, who are currently in the top half of the table, head into the game without a win in any of their last four outings, and will be looking to end their poor run of results.

Match preview

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Gil Vicente failed to arrest their slump in form over the weekend as they played out a 1-1 draw with Belenenses at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor.

The hosts appeared headed for all three points after Ziga Frelih scored an 83rd-minute own goal, but substitute Giorgi Aburjania came up clutch for the Gilistas as he restored parity nine minutes later.

This was the second consecutive draw for Gil Vicente, who were involved in a share of the spoils when they faced Vizela on home turf in their previous outing.

Ricardo Soares's men have now failed to taste victory since opening the season with successive wins against Boavista and Portimonense, losing two and picking up two draws from their subsequent four outings.

While Gil Vicente will be looking to end their dry spell, they face the daunting task of going up against a rampant Porto side who have won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the sides, including each of the last four since 2019.

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Porto, on the other hand, returned to winning ways last Sunday as they thrashed Moreirense 5-0 at the Estadio do Dragao.

In an utterly one-sided affair, two goals apiece from Mehdi Taremi and Luis Diaz put the Dragoes in a commanding four-goal lead before Pepe came off the bench to complete the rout in the 77th minute.

Prior to that, Porto held reigning champions Sporting Lisbon to a 1-1 draw at the Estadio Jose Alvalade before travelling to the Wanda Metropolitano to share the spoils with Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in their Champions League Group B opener last Wednesday.

Sergio Conceicao's men are one of three sides yet to lose a league game this season, picking up four wins and two draws from their first six outings, and that has been down to their solid performances at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have kept three clean sheets and conceded just three goals so far.

Porto will now look to keep up the momentum from last weekend's win and pick up all three points against the Gilistas as they prepare for their mouth-watering Champions League clash against Liverpool next Tuesday.

Team News

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Gil Vicente will be without the services of Antoine Leautey, who picked up a knee injury against Tondela back in July, while skipper Ruben Fernandes will serve the last of his three-game suspension for picking up a straight red against Santa Clara back in August.

Brazilian midfielder Joao Afonso is also out of contention for the game as he continues his long journey back from a severe injury he sustained in April's game against Moreirense.

Twenty-six-year-old Giorgi Aburjania could be rewarded with his first starting appearance after coming off the bench to grab a late equaliser against Belenenses last time out.

Porto, meanwhile, will have to cope without veteran defender Pepe, who sustained an injury against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last Wednesday.

Conceicao will still be unable to call upon first-choice goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin, who is yet to make an appearance this term through a knee injury he sustained in July's pre-season friendly against Lyon.

However, they will be boosted by the return of Toni Martinez, who missed the game against Moreirense last time out after receiving his marching orders against Sporting Lisbon two Saturdays ago.

Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:
Kritsyuk; Talocha, Gomes, Cunha, Carlos; Pedrinho, Carvalho; Aburjania, Lino, Murillo; Navarro

Porto possible starting lineup:
Costa; Mario, Mbemba, Marcano, Wendell; Otavio, Uribe, Oliveira, Diaz; Corona, Taremi

We say: Gil Vicente 0-3 Porto

Gil Vicente have suffered a decline in recent weeks and now risk dropping from the top half of the league table, while Porto, returned to winning ways emphatically last time out and will head into this game full of confidence.

Looking at past results between the sides, we anticipate Porto will continue their dominance in this fixture and come away with all three points unscathed.