Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Primeira Liga clash between Portimonense and AVS, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Embroiled in a battle to preserve their top-flight status, Portimonense will welcome AVS to Estadio Municipal de Portimao for their Primeira Liga playoff first leg on Saturday night.
The Marafados will have two games to stay on the top table of Portuguese football, whilst AVS will be hoping to upset the apple cart and reach the Primeira Liga during their inaugural campaign.
Match preview
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After finishing precariously in 15th position during the 2022-23 campaign, Portimonense were unable to avoid the unwanted fate of the Primeira Liga relegation playoffs this time around, ending up in 16th position in the top-flight standings, despite a victory on the final day of the regular season.
Marafados actually managed to halt a five-game winless run in the division at the home of Farense last weekend, when goals from Hildeberto Pereira, Carlinhos and Brazilian midfielder Lucas Ventura were enough to secure their side’s eighth win of the league season.
Despite this, Boavista’s draw at home to already-relegated Vizela ensured that the former would be finishing the final day in 15th, ahead of Portimonense on goal difference, with the Marafados having a two-legged task on their hands in order to maintain a spot in the Primeira Liga.
Although home advantage in the first leg should be relished by Paulo Sergio‘s troops on Saturday night, they are not exactly the most productive at their Portimao base, winning just three of their 17 Primeira Liga contests at the venue during 2023-24.
Enjoying a career-high tally of 12 goals across all competitions this season, 29-year-old Carlinhos will be tasked with firing in the goals over the next 180 minutes of football to keep his side in the division, whilst six-goal winger Helio Varela is also likely to be an attacking threat for Portimonense.
Born out of Vilafranquense’s relocation to Aves last summer, AVS are well and truly alive in the Portuguese football system and are chasing a first-ever promotion to the Primeira Liga at the conclusion of what is technically their maiden season as a football club.
Saturday’s visitors have earned the right of a two-legged clash with Portimonense after finishing third overall in the Portuguese second tier this campaign, collecting 64 points and winning 20 out of 34 league contests.
Despite officially being the third-best side in the second division, AVD come into the promotion playoffs with undesirable form, managing just one win in their last five matches and currently enduring a three-game winless run, including a 1-0 defeat versus Tondela last weekend.
Although AVD are still in their infancy as a club, its striker at the focal point of the attack provides a vast array of knowhow, with 40-year-old Nene being the main man for Saturday’s visitors so far this term, netting 23 goals in 32 second-tier appearances.
Portimonense Primeira Liga form:
AVS Primeira Liga 2 form:
Team News
After receiving his marching orders during the final day of the regular season at Farense, Filipe Relvas will be unable to feature in the first leg of Portimonense’s relegation playoff.
The hosts are likely to keep a similar team to the one which won last time out, meaning that the likes of Varela and Ronie Carrillo will retain their spots in the XI.
AVS have also been hit with a suspension blow ahead of this weekend’s clash in Portimao, with midfielder Luis Silva picking up a ban for this one.
The visitors are highly reliant on veteran Nene as a source of goals, but the likes of Bernardo Martins and John Mercado can also provide a moment of magic.
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Nakamura; Guga, Henrique, Alemao, Costa; Fkui, Carlinhos, Ventura; Pereira, Varela, Carrillo
AVS possible starting lineup:
Simao; Fonseca, Correia, Clayton, Leo Alaba; Stenio, Lucca, Benny, Mercado; Akinsola, Nene
We say: Portimonense 3-1 AVS
Having home advantage in the first leg might not be favourable overall, but Portimonense will be confident of establishing a commanding lead in the tie on Saturday night.
AVS have never experienced a game of this magnitude before, and we feel that the out-of-form visitors are likely to fall short in Portimao this weekend.
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