Preview: Santa Clara vs. Portimonense - prediction, team news, lineups

Portimonense will be looking to continue their rise up the Primeira Liga table on Saturday, when they travel to the Estadio de Sao Miguel to take on eighth-placed Santa Clara.

The visitors have enjoyed an upturn in form recently, seeing them rise up to 11th spot, while Santa Clara will be hoping to bounce back from a narrow defeat to Sporting Lisbon last time out.

Match preview

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Santa Clara travelled to league leaders Sporting Lisbon last Friday, and they looked set to secure an impressive draw when Rui Costa equalised late after Pedro Goncalves's opener.

However, those hopes of a point were dashed when Sporting captain Sebastian Coates netted an injury-time winner to snatch all three points for the home side, sending Santa Clara home empty-handed.

Despite the disappointment of conceding a late winner, Daniel Ramos's side will undoubtedly be encouraged by the performance which saw them hold the league's outstanding side for the majority of the encounter.

Before that defeat, Santa Clara recorded an impressive 3-0 victory over Pacos de Ferreira, with goals from Allano, Crysan and Carlos firing Os Acoreanos to a convincing victory over the fifth-placed side.

Ramos's men now sit eighth in the top flight, just one point behind seventh-placed Moreirense, meaning a win on Saturday would move them up a league position, at least until Os Verdes e Brancos play on Sunday.

However, they take on a Portimonense side who will also be in search of a win to move them up through the cluster of sides in the mid-table spots.

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The visitors recorded an impressive victory last time out, beating Tondela 3-0 at home thanks to a Beto brace and an Aylton Boa Morte strike.

Having previously sat in the middle of the fight for survival, Paulo Sergio's side have picked up an impressive tally of eight points from their last five league outings.

That has led them to move up to 11th place with four points and four teams between themselves and the drop zone.

Sergio will be hoping his side can continue that upturn in form in this game, as a win could see them continue their rise up the table, with Tondela and Rio Ave both within touching distance.

Team News

Santa Clara will remain without two important midfielders in Julio Romao and Costinha, with the pair both continuing spells out through injury.

Their midfield has taken another hit for this game, as Anderson Carvalho will serve a suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last time out.

Centre-back Cristian Gonzalez also remains out, having not featured since November.

Portimonense added to their midfield this week, bringing in Giannelli Imbula on a free transfer, and the Congolese international could make his debut on Saturday.

That signing was largely down to the injuries that Sergio's side have suffered in midfield, with Lucas Fernandes remaining out of contention.

However, centre-midfielder Pedro Sa was welcomed back to action last time out, as he came off the bench in the victory over Tondela.

Defender Lucas Possignolo is expected to remain absent for this game, after he was forced off through injury in the draw with Maritimo and missed the game against Tondela.

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:
Pereira; Ramos, Cardoso, Villanueva, Mansur; Nene, Morita, Lincoln; Crysan, Carlos, Allano

Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Samuel; Moufi, Rocha, Antonio, Anzai; Clemente, Imbula; Boa Morte, Ewerton, Da Silva; Beto

We say: Santa Clara 1-1 Portimonense

Thanks to Portimonense's recent resurgence, these sides come into the game on a fairly level playing field, and we cannot split them.

While Santa Clara have shown themselves to be a fairly solid defensive outfit, the exciting attacking options of Portimonense should be able to break that down, and we see the sides sharing the points in what will be a very tight encounter.