Primeira Liga Jornada 22 preview: Sporting’s title credentials to be tested at high-flying Moreirense

Jornada 21 may have been one of the most exciting of the season so far as Sporting demolished Braga, Benfica only managed to scrape a draw against Vitória in torrential conditions, and Porto were outplayed by comparative minnows Arouca. All of that drama saw Sporting go back to the top of the table on level points with Benfica, but with a vital game in hand to play against Famalicão.

This weekend might not have as many mouth-watering fixtures, but it’s no less important in the shaping of the season as the Primeira Liga continues to march on towards its conclusion. PortuGOAL previews the weekend action. 

Moreirense to test Sporting’s mettle

Of all the top four teams, Sporting have on paper the toughest game, as the only title contender playing away from home with a tricky-looking journey north to Moreira de Cónegos to play Moreirense. Moreirense’s season has been very positive. They occupy 6th place in the league having been promoted from the Segunda Liga last season. So far they’ve held Benfica to a draw, beaten 5th placed Vitória, and put 4 goals past Rio Ave, and 5 past Portimonense in a season that has caught the eye of many Primeira Liga fans.

Sporting will provide a very different challenge to Moreirense however, having just beaten Allianz Cup champions Braga 5-0 they are in formidable form and look arguably the strongest they’ve ever looked under Rúben Amorim, including during their title winning season. They welcomed back Hidemasa Morita from the Asian Cup, and should have Ousmane Diomande back from the AFCON in time for this game, reinforcing an already outstanding squad with two quality players. It will take something very special from Moreirense to halt the unstoppable march of this Sporting team on their quest for the title.

Benfica v Vizela Part II

Benfica and Vizela lock horns just ten days after the two clubs faced each other in the Taça de Portugal. On that occasion the northerners gave a good account of themselves, with the Eagles having to work hard for a 2-1 victory and a place in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup. And Vizela followed up the encouraging performance with a 1-0 victory at Gil Vicente to give their survival hopes a boost. Nevertheless, Benfica are huge favourites to win on Sunday, not least because the match is on their home patch where they have been formidable and are still unbeaten in the league this season. Roger Schmidt and his players will view the game as the perfect opportunity to bounce back from the 2-2 draw at Vitória last week.

Can Porto bounce back?

Two teams that badly need to respond to disappointing results are Porto and Braga, who both take on newly promoted sides in Estrela Amadora and Farense respectively.

Porto have dropped points in two successive league games for the first time this season, following up a goalless draw against Rio Ave with a poor performance and surprise 3-2 loss against Arouca last week. They’re at home against Estrela Amadora, a game which on paper should be more than winnable. The problem is that most would’ve said the exact same thing about Porto’s last two games, and yet they were unable to assert their dominance in those games and ultimately paid the price. The grey cloud which has hung over Sérgio Conceição and Porto for most of the season - and which briefly looked to have parted - is now back casting a heavy shadow over them.

Braga in a funk

Braga’s 5-0 loss against Sporting was humiliating. Time and time again we see them struggle in games against the traditional Big Three, something they really need to improve on if they’re to take the step up from perennial 4th placers to a team ready to consistently disrupt os tres grandes. The problem for Braga is that they started off the season with obvious defensive issues, but rather than seeing those improve as the season’s gone on, they seem to have worsened, and now have some added attacking issues to boot. Braga have scored more than one goal in a match only twice in their last nine games in all competitions.

This weekend they host Farense, sitting in a very respectable 8th place in the table. José Mota’ team have been solid all season, and whilst the wins may have dried up slightly (with only 2 in their last 10 games), they’ve earned themselves a very healthy 10-point gap over the automatic relegation spots. Most notably, they’ve beaten Braga once already in the league this season, a memorable 3-1 win in the Algarve. It would be very impressive if they were to achieve the same feat at the quarry, but they will go into this game full of belief in their abilities. Braga must not let this be another banana skin in an already disappointing league campaign.

Vitória travel to the Algarve on a roll

As always, there’s plenty to keep an eye on outside of the top four. Vitória are a team it’s hard to take your eyes off at the moment, continuing to put impressive performances together including that 2-2 draw against Benfica last weekend in a game which they will feel they should’ve taken all 3 points from. Travelling to the Algarve to play Portimonense is not the most daunting of tasks at the moment with Paulo Sergio’s side in poor form. 

Estoril and Gil look to kick clear of relegation spots

Estoril got off to a positive start under Vasco Seabra but have struggled in recent games, losing 3-1 to Boavista at the weekend which made it 5 losses in their last 7 games. They host Gil Vicente who have just one more point than them in the table, but lost to bottom-placed Vizela on Tuesday and have been far from convincing all season.

Dazzling Arouca gunning for another win

Lastly, a strong recommendation to watch any game that Arouca are playing in at the moment. They caught the eyes of many with their win over Porto on Monday, but since the arrival of Daniel Sousa they’ve been one of the best teams in the league to watch. Under his guidance they’ve won 7 out of 10 games, scored 26 goals, and risen from 18th place to 7th in the league. They travel to Casa Pia on Sunday, and their front three of Rafa Mújica, Cristo González, and Jason Remeseiro (dubbed by some as the Spanish Armada) will be hungry for more goals to add to their already impressive tally. 

Three players to keep an eye on this weekend

Yakubu Aziz (Rio Ave): Aziz (pictured scoring against Porto last season) was a formidable figure in the Rio Ave attack before a lucrative move to China saw him leave the Primeira Liga behind. Just a few months later and the Ghanaian striker is back and already scoring for the Vilacondenses. Rio Ave are a team on the up, and Aziz back scoring goals in a green and white shirt will be a massive boost for them.

Otávio (Porto): Porto’s biggest signing of the January transfer window from Famalicão, Otávio (no not that one) is set to be thrust into the limelight after Fábio Cardoso’s red card against Arouca, and Porto’s general defensive woes. All eyes will be on the Brazilian centre-back and the impact they need him to make in the Porto back line.

Jason (Arouca): If you haven’t already, go back and watch Jason Remeseiro’s goal against Porto; it’s a thing of beauty. In just a few moments he showed great pace, dazzling footwork, and lethal finishing to get the better of Fábio Cardoso and Portugal international Diogo Costa. He’s one of the unsung heroes of Arouca’s recent success, and up against a struggling Casa Pia team this weekend, could yet make another eye-catching impact.

by Albert Carter-Phillips (@LongBallFutebol)