Famalicão vs AVS

Determined to recover from their recent setback, Famalicao will host AVS at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao on Sunday for round 27 of the Primeira Liga.

The home side is eager to regain the defensive stability that powered their impressive unbeaten streak earlier this year, while the visitors are looking to put an end to their recent struggles.

Match Preview

Famalicao's defensive resilience played a key role in their solid five-match unbeaten run between mid-January and late February. During that period, they secured three wins and two draws, netting six goals while keeping a perfect defensive record.

However, Hugo Oliveira’s squad has faced difficulties maintaining consistency in recent weeks. A narrow 1-0 home victory over Rio Ave was sandwiched between a 2-1 defeat to Nacional and a 3-1 loss against Sporting Lisbon in their last outing.

The loss to Sporting marked the first time Vila Nova had conceded three goals in a match since their 4-0 defeat to Benfica in January. Fortunately, their league standing remained unaffected, as they continue to hold the ninth position with 34 points.

Having finished eighth with 42 points last season, Famalicao still has eight matches left to match that total. They will be looking to capitalize on their strong home form to boost their chances.

At the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao, the hosts have shown resilience recently, keeping four consecutive clean sheets while remaining unbeaten. A pair of goalless draws against Estrela and Vitoria de Guimaraes were followed by a 2-0 triumph over Moreirense and a hard-fought 1-0 win against Rio Ave.

Now, they will aim to extend their home streak against an AVS side that they narrowly defeated 3-2 in their first-ever league encounter earlier this season.

AVS Struggling to Stay Afloat

As for AVS, their primary focus is avoiding the relegation play-off spot after securing promotion to the top division through last season’s play-offs.

Rui Ferreira’s side currently sits 15th in the league with 23 points, tied on points and goal difference with Estrela, who hold the relegation playoff spot. The only thing keeping AVS above the drop zone is their slightly worse goal difference compared to 14th-placed Gil Vicente.

This season, AVS has struggled to convert draws into victories, tying with Guimarães for the most draws in the league (11). Alongside these stalemates, they’ve also suffered 11 defeats, many of which have come in frustrating back-to-back losses.

In fact, the Vila das Aves-based club has lost consecutive league matches four times this campaign. Their most recent slump includes a 1-0 defeat to Arouca and a 2-0 loss to Porto, where they played with 10 men for nearly half the match.

Now, AVS risks a new unwanted record—losing three straight league games for the first time this season—which would further threaten their survival hopes. The situation looks dire for Ferreira, who has managed just one win since taking over as head coach on February 16 in his debut top-flight managerial role.