Arouca vs Boavista

Boavista head to the Estádio Municipal de Arouca on Saturday with survival on the line, hoping to stage another dramatic final-day escape in the Primeira Liga—just as they did last season.

While Arouca have already secured their safety in the top division, the relegation fight beneath them remains intense, with all four teams at the bottom still in danger of going down on the final matchday.

Boavista’s 2024–25 campaign has been a turbulent one, marred by a string of injuries—including simultaneous absences of both first-choice goalkeepers, forcing them to scramble for emergency cover. Off the pitch, financial instability has added to their woes. Reports of unpaid wages triggered unrest earlier in the season, and just last month, their stadium lost power ahead of a match due to unpaid utility bills, underlining the club’s deepening financial crisis.

Two coaching changes also added to the instability, with both Cristiano Bacci and Lito Vidigal shown the door. However, the arrival of veteran Scottish manager Stuart Baxter brought a flicker of hope, as he secured two wins in his first three matches to give Os Axadrezados a fighting chance.

Heading into the final round of fixtures, Boavista sit three points behind AVS and Farense after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Porto. However, a win in Arouca, coupled with defeats for both rivals, would move them into the relegation playoff spot, as Boavista hold the head-to-head advantage.

The parallels with last season’s great escape are striking. If they manage to pull off another survival act, it will be a testament to the team’s grit and determination. But failure could plunge them into an uncertain future, with no clear path back to the top flight amid their off-field troubles.

As for Arouca, this season has been a sharp decline after back-to-back top-half finishes, including a Europa Conference League qualification in 2022–23. With just 35 points from 33 games, they’ve fallen short of those previous highs.

Like Boavista, Arouca also made a managerial change. Gonzalo Garcia departed after 10 matches, with Vasco Seabra stepping in to steady the side. Results have been mixed under Seabra—six wins, 10 draws, and eight defeats in all competitions—though a victory on Saturday could still lift them into the top half, depending on results elsewhere involving Rio Ave and Moreirense.

However, recent form is not on their side. Arouca are winless in their last three games and have just two victories from their last 13 league matches, a run stretching back to early February. Saturday’s clash promises tension and high stakes for both sides—though for very different reasons.

Similar to their next opponents, Arouquenses had a change in leadership this season. Spanish tactician Gonzalo Garcia left after just ten games, and Vasco Seabra was brought in to try to turn things around.

The only real upside for the Lobos is that a victory here could still put them in the top half of the table, but that also depends on Rio Ave and Moreirense, who are currently ranked 10th and 11th in the standings, respectively, losing their final games. Since taking over, the new manager has only managed six victories, ten draws, and eight losses across all competitions.

Arouca's recent performance, however, indicates that winning all three points this weekend won't be easy. Since early February, they have only won two of their past 13 league games and are winless in their last three games, including a 1-1 draw with Gil Vicente last week.