Primeira Liga Jornada 13 preview: leaders Sporting travel to in-form Vitória | OneFootball

Jornada 12 brought Primeira Liga action back with a bang, the headline being Benfica’s goalless draw against Moreirense which allowed their Lisbon rivals Sporting to go back to the top of the table. A 3-0 win for Porto against Vitória also saw them close the gap on second place to a single point, meaning the distance between first and third place is now just three points.

With news this week that Fite TV has picked up Primeira Liga television rights for major territories including the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia - as well as existing coverage in the USA and Canada from GolTV – there’s never been a better time to follow Primeira Liga football.

PortuGOAL previews the weekend action to look forward to in Portugal.

In-form Vitória host leaders Sporting

Sporting had possibly their easiest game of the season last weekend as they hosted Gil Vicente. Travelling to the Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques to play Vitória will be a significantly tougher test. Marcus Edwards heads back to the club he first played for in Portugal, and could be crucial if Sporting are to get a good result. He’s playing the best and most consistent football of his career and forging a lethal connection with Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres.

Whilst it will be an intriguing tactical battle between Álvaro Pacheco and Rúben Amorim, Sporting’s firepower should be too much for Vitória’s defence, but make no mistake Pacheco will not sacrifice his attacking style for one moment, and this game is sure to be an end-to-end spectacle.

Farense provide Friday night test for faltering Benfica

Once again this weekend all eyes will be on Benfica as they host Algarve outfit Farense on Friday night. Last season the Lisbon giants drew all the attention due to their formidable performances and frequent hammerings of smaller teams. This season there is a more morbid focus on the club to see whether their poor form and on-field issues will continue.

Last weekend away against Moreirense was a tough game where Benfica lacked inspiration and spark going forward. In our latest podcast we questioned the lack of dynamic creative players on the pitch, with David Neres injured and Tiago Gouveia left on the bench. There are big question marks over what Roger Schmidt’s team selection will be, but one thing is certain: Benfica need to be better going forward if they’re going to instil more confidence in their players and fans.

Porto v Casa Pia

Porto had made a habit recently of winning games against tough opposition, recently dispatching both Vitória and Famalicão despite them each playing exceptionally well, only to be stunned on Wednesday night with a 3-1 defeat at Estoril to tumble out of the Portuguese League Cup. Sérgio Conceição will look for his charges to bounce straight back to winning ways against a Casa Pia side buoyed by a recent draw at the Estádaio da Luz against Benfica, and a home win against Portimonense last weekend. Getting a result against Porto at the Estádio Dragão is another question entirely, and with Evanilson and Mehdi Taremi both back on the scoresheet last weekend, this could be a very tough ask for the Lisbon minnows.

Braga-Vizela Minho derby

Braga make the short trip over to Vizela this weekend who are struggling badly to put points on the table. A disappointing loss against Chaves last weekend just one of many missed opportunities to win or draw against opposition of a similar standard. Coming up against one of the league’s most potent attacking outfits doesn’t bode well for a club who could be in trouble this season.

Super Sunday

We usually end this preview roundup with a ‘hipsters’ choice’ fixture not involving any of the top four teams which would be worth the watch for any neutral. This week however we simply present a Super Sunday of sorts as the day provides three fantastic games involving teams at the bottom end of the table.

Firstly, Estrela host Boavista in a game between two teams in poor form, but no team’s form has worsened as dramatically as Boavista’s who went from top three challengers to losing to bottom placed Arouca 4-0 last weekend.

Secondly, the said Arouca play Rio Ave. Arouca are experiencing a serious ‘new manager bounce’ as former Gil Vicente coach Daniel Sousa has guided them to two wins in his first two games, and crucially got key players Cristo and Rafa Mujica scoring again.

Lastly, Estoril are at home to Chaves and will hope to bounce back from their defeat to Braga. Estoril have got some wonderful attacking players and are full of confidence, and the club from the Lisbon suberbs will be brimming with confidence after their League Cup win over Porto in midweek. Chaves themselves have put some important victories together in recent games and will want to be rewarded with a win after their long trip down south. Cancel your plans and get comfy on the sofa for a great weekend of football.

Five players to keep an eye on this weekend

Matías Lacava (Vizela): The 21-year-old Venezuelan winger stood out for Vizela in their last game against Chaves, providing a wonderful assist for Essende and impressing despite his team losing. Although Braga are favourites for this game, we know they concede goals regularly and Lacava could be key to any attacking success Vizela have against them.

Tiago Gouveia (Benfica): Benfica need a spark going forward. Without the likes of David Neres on the pitch they lack that dynamic, positive, explosive player who can cause problems for any opposition defence. Tiago Gouveia wasn’t used against Moreirense but is exactly the profile of player they need at the moment, and could be called upon by Roger Schmidt to provide some inspiration going forward.

Marcus Edwards (Sporting): Edwards will be playing at a stadium he knows well when he returns to Guimarães with Sporting, and could be primed to give the best performance of his career at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, just not in the white shirt of Vitória. Playing the best football of his career, he will be key for Sporting’s formidable attack.

Ricardo Batista (Casa Pia): The Casa Pia goalkeeper was man of the match when Casa Pia got an unlikely 1-1 draw against Benfica at the Estádio da Luz a few weeks ago, completing 8 saves and saving an xG of 1.03. The Brazilian will have to do the same again in the Estádio Dragão if Casa Pia are to survive against FC Porto

Cristo González (Arouca): Cristo burst into life at Arouca with a string of eye-catching early goals, before completely dropping off the radar as Arouca’s form tanked. He was back on the scoresheet twice in their 4-0 win over Boavista and it would be no surprise if he hit the target again against Rio Ave.

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