After last week’s Clássico victory saw Porto cut the gap between themselves and Benfica to 7 points, many eyes will naturally be on how the top two clubs respond, and whether the title race can be declared well and truly back on.
However, much of the focus for Primeira Liga fans this weekend well be at the other end of the table, especially on the beautiful island of Madeira that hosts a crunch match.
PortuGOAL previews the weekend action in Portugal.
Whilst the Clássico dominated the schedule last weekend, this time round there’s a game at the other end of the table which should command just as much attention.
Marítimo, sitting in 16th place, host 17th-place Paços de Ferreira in a game with huge significance in the relegation battle. The team that finishes in penultimate position in the standings (17th) automatically gets relegated, while the club that finishes 16th will play a relegation/promotion playoff against the side that finishes 3rd in the Segunda Liga.
Elsewhere in the league there’s an interesting game between Famalicão and Vitória which could have an impact on the race for the Europa Conference League, a match-up between Estoril and Portimonense which could provide all-but-certain league safety for one of the two clubs, and a Monday Night fixture worth staying up late for.
Crucial six-pointer
The phrase ‘relegation 6-pointer’ is one of the most overused cliches in football, but rarely has a game justified such a term more than Marítimo vs. Paços de Ferreira, the standout fixture of Jornada 28.
It would be hard to deny that this is the most important game of the season for both clubs, possibly since the last time they played each other back in October 2022. Before that match, both clubs had accumulated a measly 2 points from a possible 30 and were without a win all season. It was Marítimo who got the three points on that occasion with a battling performance which showed a side lacking quality, but with plenty of determination. Paços showed they had neither, and their manager José Mota would last only two more games before being sacked.
Fast forward 16 games and whilst both clubs have made positive strides both on and off the pitch, with new managers and newfound determination to survive, the situation they find themselves in as regards relegation trouble are remarkably similar. Santa Clara look set to remain bottom, meaning there is one certain relegation spot to avoid.
As it stands Marítimo occupy the playoff place with 19 points, and Paços sit one place below them with 17 points. They are 6 and 8 points off automatic survival respectively with 7 games to go, and it is looking increasingly likely that their only hope of survival will be via the relegation playoff. With that said, a win in this game would go an awfully long way to gaining an advantage over one another, and makes this an absolute must-watch this weekend for anyone keeping an eye on the Primeira Liga relegation battle this season.
As a curiosity, this game will be the match number 20,000 in over 88 years of history of Portugal’s top football division.
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— Liga Portugal (@ligaportugal) April 13, 2023
O tempo voa e muitas coisas mudaram em 88 anos... Mas a PAIXÃO pelo futebol continua intacta.
Maritimistas e castores vão disputar o jogo 20.000 da história da #LigaPortugalbwin
Conhece toda a história aqui ? https://t.co/SciRUIJq6m pic.twitter.com/ISfGPDFymt
Benfica try to get back on track
For the top 4 it’s a return to business as usual after the excitement of last week’s Clássico, Benfica are looking for a much-needed return to form away at Chaves; not a walk in the park by any means but a game which they should win. Porto have the easiest game of the bunch in theory, at home to last-placed Santa Clara. Not only should they win, but anything other than a comfortable victory would be a disappointment.
Braga will have been almost as disappointed as Benfica by the Eagles’ loss to Porto last week. The Arsenalistas are hoping for Porto to slip up if they’re to have a chance of moving up into 2nd place and automatic qualification to the Champions League group phase. The immediate task for Braga is to focus on getting the job done at home to 13th-place Gil Vicente. Easier said than done against a team who have beaten Porto and drawn with Sporting already in 2023.
Sporting themselves face a potentially tricky tie against Arouca who are only one place in the table below them, although 13 points and a huge gulf in resources separate the two clubs.
Famalicão v Vitória: two teams in starkly contrasting form
Of course, there’s plenty of interest outside of the top spots and the relegation battle. Two enticing games bookend the weekend starting with Famalicão vs. Vitória on Friday night.
A fantastic run of form in February saw Vitória solidify their position in 5th place and a Europa Conference League position, but a winless run in their last four games has allowed Arouca to overtake them establishing a 3-point gap. Moreover, Vitória are perhaps coming up against Friday’s opponents Famalicão at just the wrong, with Fama in their best form of the season, clocking up six wins in their last 10 games, having moved from 15th place to 9th in that time. Famalicão are 5 points behind Vitoria, and whilst their own European hopes are slim, a win would give them real belief that they could push on and challenge for 5th place.
Vizela eye European slot
On Monday, 7th-place Vizela host a Boavista side that have really struggled for consistency since the opening few games of the season. Vizela are another team closing in on 5th place leading to a very congested battle for Europa Conference League football, and will see this as a very winnable game. Vizela are very much a team on the up having galvanised themselves after a poor start to the season, and they have gone from strength to strength under new manager Tulipa.
Boavista have experienced the opposite trajectory, sliding down the table to their current 12th place. On paper there seems to be only one likely result, but games are very rarely won on paper.
Estoril and Portimonense try to kick clear of relegation zone
Lastly, don’t overlook Estoril vs. Portimonense on Saturday afternoon. It’s 14th vs 15th, and with both clubs hovering precariously above the relegation zone, every win is vital to their survival – or at least to avoid getting sucked into an unnecessarily stressful end to the season. Estoril got their first win under new manager Ricardo Soares against Gil Vicente two weeks ago, and will be looking to build on improved performances against a Portimonense side who’ve lost 11 of their last 15 games.
Five players to keep an eye on this weekend
Iván Jaime (Famalicão): The 22-year-old Spaniard has always had an abundance of talent despite not always showing it on a consistent basis. With 8 goals and 2 assists in 17 league appearances, he’s having the best season of his career so far. He scored two goals in Famalicão’s 3-1 win over Paços last week to pick up the PortuGOAL Figure of the Week award and Jaime is the main man for Famalicão at the moment.
Brayan Riascos (Marítimo): At times he looks like a bull in a china shop, at other times he can be unplayable, but one thing’s for sure, when Brayan Riascos is on the pitch you know about it. What he lacks in natural technical ability he makes up for with his work effort and leading from the front, pressing high and looking to cause all sorts of problems for defenders. We’ve already discussed what a high stakes game this is for Marítimo and I expect Riascos to play a big part in this fixture.
Hernâni (Paços de Ferreira): Hernâni has had to be patient since arriving at Paços on loan from Braga in January, but César Peixoto started him against Famalicão last weekend, and whilst Paços lost the game Hernâni opened the scoring with a solo goal that showed the quality he can offer this Paços side when they need it most.
Alejandro Marqués (Estoril): The 22-year-old Venezuelan striker on loan from Juventus has barely featured for Estoril this season, but new manager Ricardo Soares has bought him into the fold in recent weeks and he scored his first goal for the club in their win against Gil Vicente (he also had a 2nd goal ruled out by VAR in an eye-catching performance). Just like Estoril, he seems to be finding some form and could provide some much-needed goals for his club in the last part of the season.
Milutin Osmajic (Vizela): Vizela’s 29-year-old Montenegrin striker has a habit of popping up with goals when needed for Vizela this season, and uses his physicality to great effect. He scored in their last game against Santa Clara, and will look to impose himself on a Boavista defence which has looked suspect all too often this season.
By Albert Carter-Phillips
