Isn't this clash intriguing? The Boavista vs Vizela match, sure to have some gnashing of teeth.
We have João Gonçalves with 12 saves between the sticks for Boavista. I say, on the other side, Francesco Ruberto, with slightly impressive 14 saves of his own for Vizela. Goalkeepers, they can certainly spoil a party, can't they?
Let's dive into the formidable Vizela top player line-up. First, we have Matías Lacava, his precise passing has often left opponents in the dust, though we haven't seen him hit the back of the net yet. Samu and Alberto Soro, both with a goal to their name this season and a knack for accuracy in their shots-on-goal. Hoping to see a power display from Samuel Essende as he has banged in 2 goals already, makes defense dance to his tunes.
Boavista's spite squad is a pretty sight too. Bruno Onyemaechi, though goalless, has a decent 78.4% accurate passing record. Rodrigo Abascal has put his name on the scorers' sheet once. Lastly, the man of the moment, Bruno Lourenço, who, despite his lower rating, has netted in twice.
Looking back, Vizela and Boavista shared the spoils with a 1-1 result in their last encounter on a cloudy April day in 2023. In terms of the regular season records, both teams are straddling the middle of the pack, with Boavista just edging out with a slender 7-10-16 record to Vizela's 5-10-18. Not much to brag about, but every edge matters.
Vizela's recent run of form looks like a rollercoaster you don't want your kid to go on, riddled with ups and more so with downs. On the other side, Boavista's recent form is like my first car - unreliable and full of breakdowns.
Based on the abundance or rather the dearth of recent form, high-profile player performances and past matchups (very past, mind you!), here's my pick for the upcoming clash.
Albert’s Prediction: Boavista by 1