Benfica defends the leadership of the I Azores Football League against the afflicted Santa Clara, with Sporting de Braga, second, and FC Porto, third, also with setbacks, on matchday 17, the last of the first round.
The Minho team, which starts the round four points behind the reds, plays in last-placed Paços de Ferreira, and FC Porto, five points behind, has a traditionally difficult trip to Vitória de Guimarães.
Already 12 points off the lead, in fourth place, and eight points away from direct access to the Champions League, Sporting are the first big players to enter the field when they host Vizela on Friday.
After the draw in the derby with the lions (2-2), Benfica seeks to return on Saturday to the triumphs in the Azores in the field of the current 16th and penultimate place in the championship and a team in crisis, with coach Jorge Simão recently assumed the command of Santa Clara after the dismissal of Mário Silva.
Still without showing, for the moment, the power that it showed before the interruption for the 2022 World Cup, Roger Schmidt’s team, who will not be able to count on the Argentine central defender Otamendi, due to suspension, is the clear favorite to win in the 2022 World Cup. Azores , where he has never been defeated.
Last season, the reds had one of the biggest defeats of the season in São Miguel, when they won 5-0.
For its part, Santa Clara has seven consecutive games without winning in all competitions (five defeats and two draws), three counting the I Liga, although it is still four points above the relegation zone on the right.
Hours before the match in the Azores, Sporting de Braga will try to add the fifth consecutive victory in the I Liga in Mata Real and will end with the recent recovery of Paços de Ferreira, who finally achieved his first victory in the competition on the last day ( 1-0 at the Rio Ave field).
Braga seeks to further reduce the difference with Benfica and also strengthen second place, also waiting for a possible slip of FC Porto in Guimarães, the game that closes the day.
After the defeat of Famalicão (4-1), the national champion visits the ground of sixth place in the I Liga, a team that has gone three games without winning in the competition, seven in all competitions, but this season at home has already made life difficult for another candidate for the title, Benfica (0-0).
In the last three seasons, Sérgio Conceição’s team has emerged victorious in Guimarães, but always by the smallest margin.
On Friday, after two consecutive victories in the League, Sporting is forced to overcome Vizela to stay even further away from the Champions League, in a game that could mean the return of the Japanese midfielder Morita, after being out due to injury.
Vizela, eighth, comes to Alvalade in good shape, with two wins in the last three games, both 3-0.
The return kicks off precisely on Friday, at 7:00 p.m., with Arouca hosting Portimonense, and ends on Monday in Bessa with Boavista-Desportivo de Chaves.
Source: TSF
