Preview: Tondela vs. Belenenses - prediction, team news, lineups

Tondela and Belenenses do battle on Tuesday, as they both look to secure spots in the top half of the Primeira Liga table.

The visitors leapfrogged their opponents last time out, as they picked up a 1-0 win over Portimonense to move up to eighth spot, but the hosts remain just one point behind in 10th place.

Match preview

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Tondela come into this game on the back of a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw with strugglers Boavista, as they looked set to pick up all three points.

Mario Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 77th minute, but a late Alberth Elis equaliser forced Pako Ayestaran's side to share the points.

That meant that CDT Auriverdes have now picked up just two points from their last three games, having previously drawn 2-2 with Famalicao and fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Benfica, as early goals from Pizzi and Everton meant the game was always out of reach.

As a result, Tondela have failed to take advantage of other mid-table sides slipping up and have fallen to 10th spot in the Portuguese top flight.

However, they do sit just one point behind Tuesday's visitors, meaning a win would see them immediately return to the top half with two games of the season left to play.

That will be no easy task though, as they take on a rejuvenated Belenenses side who have won three of the last five games.

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The visitors moved up to eighth spot with a 1-0 win at home to Portimonense last time out, as Mateo Cassierra netted the winner on the stroke of half time.

Having previously been close to the battle for survival, Pepa's men have dragged themselves to safety with an impressive run of results, picking up 11 points from their last six outings in the top flight.

That included crucial victories over strugglers Farense and Maritimo as well as impressive draws with fourth-placed Braga and league leaders Sporting Lisbon.

O Belem's rise up the table has mainly been down to their strong defensive record, with only Sporting Lisbon and third-placed Benfica conceding fewer than the 28 goals that Pepa's men have shipped in 31 league games.

With the threat of a relegation scrap gone, Belenenses can now focus on rising as high as possible in the table, and they could overtake seventh-placed Santa Clara with a victory on Tuesday.

Team News

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Tondela will come into this game without winger Salvador Agra, who will serve a one-game suspension after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the recent draw with Boavista.

The line will be led by Mario Gonzalez, who has netted an impressive tally of 14 goals in 24 league appearances this campaign since his loan move from Villarreal.

Centre-back Ricardo Alves will be hoping for a return to the starting side alongside Yohan Tavares, after he was dropped to the bench last time out.

Experienced centre-back Henrique was absent from the Belenenses squad for the recent game against Portimonense, and he could miss out again on Tuesday.

In his absence, Thibang Phete came into the back three alongside Goncalo Silva and Tomas Ribeiro, and they kept Belenenses' 13th clean sheet of the season.

Mateo Cassierra will lead the line with confidence, having taken his tally to eight goals for the season with the winner last time out.

Tondela possible starting lineup:
Trigueira; Bebeto, Alves, Tavares, Ferreira; Pedro, Grau; Olabe, Barbosa, Augusto; Gonzalez

Belenenses possible starting lineup:
Kritsyuk; Silva, Phete, Ribeiro; Esgaio, Sithole, Sousa, Lima; Cardoso, Cassierra, Varela

We say: Tondela 0-1 Belenenses

The visitors come into this game in a slightly stronger run of form than their opponents, and we see their rise up the table continuing on Tuesday.

Belenenses have built a strong defence which should be able to nullify the threat of Gonzalez, while they have enough to grab an important goal at the other end.