Boavista welcome SC Farense to the Estadio do Bessa on Sunday, in one of several crucial games at the bottom of the Primeira Liga table this weekend.

The hosts currently occupy the relegation playoff place, while Farense sit at the foot of the table following a five-game winless run.

Match preview

Jesualdo Ferreira pictured in March 2020 © Reuters

Last time out, Boavista fell to a 2-0 away defeat at the hands of fourth-placed Benfica, as Haris Seferovic netted a brace after Chidozie Awaziem was shown a red card for As Panteras in the first 10 minutes.

That followed a crucial home victory for Jesualdo Ferreira's side, as Ricardo Mangas, Paulinho and Sebastian Perez fired them to a dominant 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Famalicao.

Os Axadrezados have now won two of their last four league games, giving themselves a much better chance of achieving survival this season.

Ferreira's men now sit level on points with Maritimo in 15th place, which guarantees automatic safety.

As a result, As Panteras will be desperate for a win on Sunday, as that could see them move out of the bottom three and one step closer to survival.

However, they take on a Farense side who will be just as hungry for a win which could see them move off the bottom of the table.

The visitors come into this game having not won any of their last five league outings.

They suffered a second consecutive defeat last time out, as Miguel Cardoso fired Belenenses to a 1-0 victory at the Estadio de Sao Luis.

Before that, Jorge Costa's side fell to a 2-0 away defeat at Rio Ave, as goals from Pele and Rafael Camacho condemned them to a 12th league loss of the season.

Apart from a brief bright patch following his appointment in February, Costa has struggled to change the fortunes of Farense, having picked up just three points from their last five league games.

He will be in search of just a fifth league win of the season for his side on Sunday, as they look to avoid immediate relegation back down to the second tier after promotion last campaign.

Boavista Primeira Liga form:

SC Farense Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Boavista will be missing important centre-back Chidozie Awaziem, who will serve a suspension after he was shown a red card in the last game.

Centre-back Adil Rami is also expected to be out for this game after missing the last two matches, meaning Javi Garcia could have to feature at the back alongside Cristian Devenish.

They will also be without midfielder Miguel Reisinho, who is yet to feature since the turn of the year due to a long-term ligament injury.

He is joined on the sidelines by fellow midfielder Nuno Santos, who missed the last game after coming off with an injury in the win over Famalicao.

Farense welcomed crucial players back to action last time out, as centre-back Andre Pinto and midfielder Ryan Gauld came back from suspensions.

Everything positive for Os Leoes de Faro has centred around Gauld this season, with the Scotsman registering seven goals and four assists in league action this season.

Boavista possible starting lineup:
Leonardo; Cannon, Devenish, Garcia, Mangas; Paulinho, Perez, Sauer; Benguche, Elis, Gomes

SC Farense possible starting lineup:
Marques; Tavares, Pinto, Mancha, Nunes; Oudrhiri, Lucca; Lica, Gauld, Mansilla; Pedro

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We say: Boavista 2-1 SC Farense

We see the hosts picking up another crucial win on Sunday, as they take on a Farense side who look devoid of any real confidence at the moment.

Ferreira's side should have more than enough to break down the Farense defence, which should see them to a victory, provided they can deal with the threat of Gauld.

Top tip

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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Boavista win with a probability of 39.66%. A win for SC Farense had a probability of 30.61% and a draw had a probability of 29.7%.

The most likely scoreline for a Boavista win was 1-0 with a probability of 13.87%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (7.93%) and 2-1 (7.66%). The likeliest SC Farense win was 0-1 (11.73%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.4%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with an 11.7% likelihood.