In Portugal Os Três Grandes or “the big three” dominate the sporting headlines and are familiar with football fans all over the world. As a result Porto, Benfica and Sporting’s general publicity, transfer dealings and expectations are fairly well documented but what about the other 15 teams competing in Liga NOS this season?
We take a look at how they are shaping up after a busy summer, and how they each got on in their opening league encounters this week, you can see the rest of the teams in part 2.
Braga
A progressive season under Abel Ferreira last season as the side flirted with a title challenge for several months before succumbing to a 4th place finish. Ferreira has left for PAOK however, and in his place comes the volatile Sá Pinto, who while providing off-field fireworks should retain the team’s attacking style. Last term’s top scorer Dyego Souza has departed the club, but overall the squad looks in decent shape, bolstered by the return of André Horta as well as Brazilian winger Galeno, who arrives from Porto off the back of a positive loan spell at Rio Ave.
Season target: Top 2 - No reason to suggest they cannot be ambitious and look higher this season, particularly with Porto and Sporting looking a little out of sorts at the beginning of the campaign.
First match of the season:
3-1 vs Moreirense (H) - The Arsenalistas made a few changes to accommodate their early season Europa League exploits but still managed to get off to a positive start against last year’s surprise package Moreirense. Goals from Fransérgio, Hassan and Wilson Eduardo enough for the 3 points.
Vitória Guimarães
A bit of an up and down 2018/19 for Os Conquistadores but they ultimately achieved their goal of a 5th place finish on the final day. Much sought-after manager Luís Castro has now departed the club, but the northerners have reacted well by employing Ivo Vieira as his replacement, a coach who did superbly with Moreirense last season. On the pitch they have lost the influential Tozé, but in particular the club have done good loan business in acquiring Mikel Agu and André Pereira from Porto.
Season target: Top 6
First match of the season:
n/a (fixture cancelled)
Rio Ave
Not the best 2018/19 for the Vila do Conde side and they lost experienced customers Fábio Coentrao and Rúben Semedo this summer, as well as two of their stronger performers in Léo Jardim and Gelson Dala. However the rest of the core squad has remained intact, along with some exciting incomings, most notably Sporting’s Carlos Mané, who should represent an excellent acquisition if he can stay fit. Perhaps more pertinently to their hopes for the season though is the change in coach, Carlos Carvalhal returns to Portugal after a spell in England and the club will be hoping his Premier League experience will rub off well.
Season target: Top 6 - Will be looking to try and reclaim their status as the 5th/6th best team in the country, more than possible with Carvalhal in charge.
First match of the season:
n/a (fixture cancelled)
Moreirense
The team confounded most expectations last year to finish 6th in Liga NOS, with another relegation battle seeming more likely last summer. As is often the way this success has come at a price in the form of their best personnel moving on, including Chiquinho, Heriberto and Arsénio Martins, as well as the loss of coach Ivo Vieira. In the latter’s stead Vítor Campelos has arrived, a young manager who is very untested at this level, but a couple of promising signings like experienced attacking full back Djávan, and one of the player’s of the 2nd tier in 2018/19 Filipe Soares should aid their cause.
Season target: Top half - emulating the 6th place finish from last season could prove tricky, but the club will be hoping they don’t drop too far from this idea and try and finish in the top 9.
First match of the season:
1-3 vs Braga (A) - A tough place to start for the team and in many ways they’ll be pleased to get such a difficult fixture out of the way early on. Nenê’s late goal not providing much consolation in Braga but there is scope to pick up points in the next three matches before the international break.
Belenenses
The club’s off field issues continue to lurk in the background but there were some positives on the pitch for Belenenses last season despite their ground move. Talented manager Silas has remained with the club, who have been bolstered by a vast array of signings from French side Lille, as well as Brazilian winger Dieguinho, who performed well in the 2nd tier with Cova Piedade last season. A promising blend of experience (Líca, André Santos, Nuno Coelho, Gonçalo Silva) and youthful exuberance (Kikas, Diogo Calila, Douglas Aurelio) makes for a potentially effective combination.
Season target: Top half - The manager has spoken of a desire to qualify for the Europa League but this may be an ambitious target given the current squad, but another top half finish should be satisfactory.
First match of the season:
0-0 vs Portimonense (A) - A decent result to open the campaign as Portimonense have been capable of good results at home in the Algarve. Keeping a clean sheet a big bonus too, after they ended last season shipping goals.
Boavista
Excellent late season form saw Boavista steal in for an 8th place finish in the Primeira Liga last season. Lito Vidigal remains in the manager’s hotseat as a result, and he has good looking squad to use for the campaign ahead. Heriberto Tavares has arrived after impressing at Moreirense last year, while the massively experienced Ricardo Costa will help plug the gap of the exits of Jubal and the promising youngster Gonçalo Cardoso.
Season target: Top 8 - Repeating their achievement of the previous season will no doubt be the target for the campaign ahead, and maybe even flirting with the idea of Europe.
First match of the season:
2-1 vs Aves (H) - An entertaining match to open the campaign, Boavista will have been relieved to begin with 3 points after Rafael Costa’s winning penalty. Vidigal will have been concerned about the way the team fluctuated during the match but a positive start overall, including a stunning goal from striker Yusupha.
Portimonense
Once again Portimonense managed to avoid becoming embroiled in a relegation battle last season, which can only be considered a positive. They lost striker Jackson Martínez in the summer, who the previous year had made the unexpected switch to the Algarve, but reports suggest there are negotiations in place to bring him back. The club have gone into the Brazilian market to bolster their midfield in the form of Luquinha, Everson and Romulo, while they’ll be hoping for some Shoya Nakajima-esque success after again looking to Japan for recruitment, bringing in right back Kouki Anzai from Kashima Antlers.
Season target: Survival - The club have finished 10th and 12th respectively since their return to the top flight but both those cases and indeed next season you feel securing top flight status in itself will remain the primary target. Another midtable finish would be a big bonus.
First match of the season:
0-0 vs Belenenses (H) - Not a bad result by any means for the Southerners, they created enough chances to be disappointed not to win the game but a clean sheet is a reasonable place for the side to open up.
Vitória Setúbal
There’s a largely familiar feel to Vitória’s squad this season, although there is a lot of pressure on young Moroccan Khalid Hachadi and veteran forward Hélder Guedes to replace the goals of Jhonder Cadiz in attack, who left for Benfica. The experienced João Meira boosts defensive options for Sandro Mendes, who took full charge of the team having originally been employed on an interim basis following Lito Vidigal’s departure.
Season target: Top 12 - Simply surviving will be in the back of the club’s mind for sure with a place in the top 12 looking likely the best they can hope for this season.
First match of the season:
0-0 vs Tondela (H) - Some worrying signs for Vitória who showed frailties in their finishing and defending, and were inches away from a defeat in stoppage time. Still, finishing with ten men after José Semedo’s dismissal means a point and a clean sheet is far from the worst way to begin.
By Jamie Farr
