Preview: Porto vs. Arouca – predictions, team news, lineups

PortoTrying to keep up with Primeira Liga leaders Sporting Lisbon, the hosts are the hosts Arouka in the Sunday match of the seventh game week at the Estadio do Dragao.

Viktor Brunotrail of soldiers Reuben Amorimthey have three points and are looking to at least maintain that deficit against a club they failed to overcome last season.

Match preview

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Despite losing their Europa League opener against Bodo/Glimt in midweek, Porto will be looking to return to winning ways on home soil this weekend as they look to avoid falling further behind Sporting in the league standings at the start of the season.

Bruno’s men have only been beaten by defending champions in Portugal’s top flight in the 2024-25 season, with a 2-0 draw in Lisbon remaining the Dragons’ only league blemish this season.

Although they may be six points behind when they take to the pitch on Sunday, with favorites Amorima facing Estoril on Friday, Porto are expected to claim their sixth league triumph in seven weeks of matches and return to winning ways after a 3-2 continental defeat.

Nevertheless, the hosts will be wary of a team that has taken four points out of six available against them in the 2023-2024 season, in particular securing a point in the same match last season in September 2023 (1-1) before stunning 30- champions of the top flight 3-2 in Aveiro seven months ago.

Prior to last season’s results, Porto had secured seven straight wins against Arouka in all competitions and are looking to return to their previous pattern after an uncharacteristic 23-24 result.

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The visitors enter the weekend in poor form, despite taking maximum points in the sixth round with a 1-0 win over Farense.

Alfonso Trezza They were match winners a week ago, ending Lobos’ run of three away defeats and five away defeats, and for the first time since 2-1 victories against Estoril and Portimonense away in 2024.

That remains to be seen, given the typical flow of this fixture and the fact that Arouca had lost four of their six top-flight games this season before Sunday’s clash.

While success may push the 14th-placed club into the top half of the league, the result could be negative Gonzalo GarciaIf promoted Nacional defeats Famalicao away, its players will be in the relegation zone, and Boavista will beat in-form Santa Clara in 15th place.

Porto Primeira Liga form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Arouca Primeira Liga form:

Team news

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Samu Omorodion scored on his Europa League debut despite Porto’s defeat, and the summer arrival from Atletico Madrid is looking to score for the fourth game in a row after finding the net against Farense and Vitoria de Guimaraes (twice) before Wednesday.

Ivan Marcano AND Zaidu Sanusi are long-term absences from the Dragons with a knee injury Fabio Vieira is unavailable due to muscle problems.

Arouca had three scorers this season – David Simao, Henryk Araujo and Trezza – and may need to find a fourth goal from a new source given the lack of an established, prolific striker.

The visiting team’s ambitions are doubly difficult considering Araujo’s injuries Eboue Kouassi, Matias Rocha, Kwaresma, Pedro Moreira, Oriol Busquets, Vitinho AND Nina Galovic I expected to miss Porto.

Porto’s possible starting lineup:
Costa; Mario, Pedro, Perez, Moura; Eustaquio, Varela; Pepe, Gonzalez, Galeno; Omorodion

Possible starting lineup for Arouca:
coat; Esgaio, Lamba, Fontan, Dante; Fukui, Simao; Rodrigues, Trezza, Sylla; Yalcin

We say: Porto 3-0 Arouca

Despite what may have played out last season, Porto are backed to hand Arouka a fifth league defeat this season, which will inflict even more misery on their injured opponent and record their fifth consecutive top-flight win at Dragao since the end of last season.

For data analysis of the most likely scores, results and other information for this match, click here.

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