Boavista play host to Estoril Praia on Saturday evening looking for the win which could catapult the club into the top half of the Primeira Liga standings.

Meanwhile, the visitors are down in 15th spot, but victory could prove pivotal as they bid to maintain or extend their advantage over the bottom three.

Match preview

Throughout 2022-23, Boavista have done an effective job in chipping away, only losing successive matches on three occasions and just twice since the middle of August.

As a result, their seven-point haul during the middle parts of April has moved the club clear of the bottom six, putting them on course to at least replicate their 12th-placed finish from last season.

While their undefeated run came to an end last time out, a 1-0 defeat away at relentless Porto will not necessarily be viewed in a negative light.

Petit can be satisfied with the trajectory of his team, particularly when they now sit just three points behind eighth-placed Chaves who they play on the last day of the campaign.

Boavista have also suffered just three defeats in 15 league matches at Estadio do Bessa, leaving them confident of extending that solid record at the weekend.

Opponents Estoril have been nothing short of dismal for months, remarkably losing 15 of their most recent 19 fixtures after a strong start to the season.

Nevertheless, they have won the other four fixtures, the 3-0 win at home to bottom-placed Santa Clara on April 30 moving the club six points clear of the bottom three.

With a superior goal difference in their favour, one more win will likely guarantee their top-tier status for another 12 months, and each of the big four are off their schedule.

However, Ricardo Soares's team make the trip to Boavista having lost their most recent nine away fixtures in Portugal's top flight and having scored just 11 times in 15 games.

Team News

Having only gone down by a narrow scoreline at Porto, Petit will not necessarily be in a rush to make many alterations to his Boavista XI.

Pedro Malheiro could come back into the side, either at right-back or further down the flank, while Kenji Gorre is in contention for an appearance in the final third.

Reggie Cannon and Salvador Agra may be the players to drop out of the side, with Yusupha Njie retaining his place down the centre of the attack.

Barring any fitness issues, Soares may be prepared to stick with the Estoril starting lineup from the convincing win over Santa Clara.

Although Rodrigo Martins came off the substitutes' bench to net his third of the season, he will stay among the replacements, but James Lea Siliki comes back into the fold after suspension.

Boavista possible starting lineup:
Bracali; Malheiro, Sasso, Abascal, Onyemaechi; Makouta, Perez; Lourenco, Gorre, Mangas; Njie

Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:
Figueira; Santos, Alvaro, Vital, Joaozinho; Guitane, Gamboa, Carvalho; Gouveia, Marques, Eduardo

We say: Boavista 1-1 Estoril Praia

Both teams can take positives out of their recent results, Boavista more so than Estoril. Nevertheless, with the visitors easing the pressure on themselves last time out, we feel that playing with a greater freedom here will see them earn a share of the spoils.

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