Casa Pia vs Estoril

On Monday night, Casa Pia and Estoril Praia will square off at the Estadio Pina Manique in a match between two teams hoping to close off the Primeira Liga season well.

Both clubs will be itching to find some late-season consistency and bolster their aspirations for a top-half finish, as they are only two points and one spot apart in the rankings.

Despite their recent poor play, Casa Pia is now one slot and two points ahead of their visitors in eighth place in the table with 41 points from 11 wins, 8 draws, and 11 losses.

A late goal from Caue Santos earned Casa Pia a draw at AVS in their last outing, preventing a second consecutive defeat but stretching their winless streak to three matches.

Their only victory in the past seven games remains a 2-1 triumph over Rio Ave, a sharp decline compared to their earlier form, when they claimed five wins in seven.

This slump has seriously damaged their European aspirations, with Os Gansos now seven points behind the final Conference League spot and only four matches left to close the gap.

If they are to keep their faint hopes of a top-five finish alive, Casa Pia will need near-flawless performances in the remaining games, starting with a clash against Estoril — a side they beat 2-0 earlier this season, ending a 23-year drought in this fixture.

Still, history offers a cautionary note: Casa Pia have never beaten Estoril at home in any of their five previous meetings across all competitions.

Even so, their form at Estádio Pina Manique this season gives some reason for optimism, with seven wins from 15 league matches. They will hope that home advantage plays a decisive role on Monday.

On the other hand, Estoril head to Lisbon after a 2-0 loss to Braga, marking the first time in 2025 that the Canarinhos have gone two matches in a row without scoring.

This continues Ian Cathro's team's troubling run, as they have only won once in their past seven games and have lost four of those games. This is in stark contrast to their previous purple patch, in which they went undefeated in eight games and won six of them.

The Canaries have been more and more vulnerable in the back, as seen by their 48 goals this season, which is tied for the most of any team above the relegation playoff place.

With only four victories from 15 away games and only one win in their previous five, Estoril's away record also presents a dismal image, raising questions about their capacity to turn things around come Monday.