Moreirense and Rio Ave bring round 29 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga to an end when they go head-to-head on Sunday. Petit’s men, who have lost each of their last four away matches, will be looking to end this dry spell and pull clear of the danger zone.
Godfried Frimpong came up clutch for Moreirense last Sunday as he netted the only goal of the game to hand them a 1-0 victory over Gil Vicente at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos.
Cristiano Bacci’s side have now gone five straight matches without defeat in the league, claiming two wins and three draws while scoring six goals and keeping two clean sheets since the start of March.
Moreirense have picked up 35 points from their 28 Primeira Liga matches so far to sit 10th in the league standings, four points off the top half of the table.
On the other hand, Rio Ave were left empty handed yet again as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Boavista when the two sides squared off at the Estadio dos Arcos.
Petit’s men have lost five consecutive games across all competitions, a run which has seen them crash out of the Taca de Portugal courtesy of a 2-0 defeat against Sporting Lisbon in the semi-finals on April 3.
With 29 points from 28 league matches, Rio Ave are currently 13th in the league standings, just six points above the relegation playoff spot with six games to go.
While Rio Ave will be looking to stop the rot, they face the stern challenge of taking on an opposing side who have been tough to crack at home this year.
Rio Ave have struggled to impose themselves on the road and we fancy Bacci’s side to come out on top, albeit by a narrow margin.
Prediction: Moreirense 2-1 Rio Ave
Tip 1: Result - Moreirense to win
Tip 2: First to score - Moreirense (Rio Ave have conceded the opening goal in eight of their last 10 games)
Tip 3: Over 10.5 corners - Yes (There have also been 11 or more corner kicks in four of the visitors’ last five matches)