Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
Santa Clara
Match Time & Date:
17/12/2021
20:00
Prediction: 1-2
Guimaraes
Estadio de Sao Miguel will host Friday’s Primera Liga game between Santa Clara and Vitoria Guimaraes. Os Acoreanos aim to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to Maritimo, and the fact that they defeated Arouca in their last home game is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of the visit of Guimaraes. Costinha remains on the sidelines with Achilles tendon injury, but there are no suspended players in the home team.
Vitoria Guimaraes, on the other hand, rolled over Tondela 5-2 in their last league match to retain seventh place in the standings. Pepa’s troops aim to keep on climbing the table, and given Santa Clara’s shaky defence, we believe that punters from all four corners of the world can find value in betting on the visiting team. A man to watch in the away side will be pacey winger Marcus Edwards, who scored a brace at the weekend.
Highlighted Player (Rafa Soares):
Born in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal, Rafa Soares is a professional footballer who plays for Vitoria Guimaraes as a left-back. Rafa is a product of the Porto football academy, but he did not see any game action in Primeira Liga with the Dragons.
After scoring eight goals in 61 appearances with Porto B, the Portuguese defender spent a couple of seasons on loan at Academica, Rio Ave, and Fulham. In 2018 he played for Portimonense, but nowadays, he wears the number 5 shirt at Vitoria Guimaraes. Rafa Soares has nine caps with the Portugal U21 team, but he has yet to earn a call-up for the Portugal senior team.
His primary position is left-back, but he is used as both left midfielder and left winger as well. Rafa’s preferred foot is left, and he has a contract with Vitoria Guimaraes until June 2021. Rafa Soares made his Primeira Liga debut against Academica back in January 2016, during his spell with Vitoria Setubal.
Highlighted Team (Guimaraes):
Vitoria Guimaraes have always been in the shadow of famous Portuguese sides Porto, Benfica and Sporting, but over the years they have established themselves as a top-table side in the Primeira Liga. Os Vimaranenses did well to win Taca de Portugal in the 2012/2013 season, wi the team beating Benfica in the final of the domestic cup.
Vitoria Guimaraes finished the 2016/2017 Primeira Liga campaign in fourth place in the standings and, as a result, they booked their place in the Europa League qualifiers. The Portuguese side will face the likes of Salzburg, Konyaspor and Olympic Marseille in Group I and they are seen as underdogs in their group. Vitoria Guimaraes welcome their rivals at Estadio D. Alfonso Henriques and the venue can hold up to 30.000 spectators.
Os Vimaranenses play their home games in white shirts and white shorts, whilst they wear black when playing on the road. Their neighbours Braga are considered Guimaraes’ fiercest rivals and the two teams face each other in the derby of Minho Province.
