Preview Bitter Farense, and Vizela trying to get rid of the ‘raisins of the Algarve’

Farense will try to take advantage of the home factor, their strength, as their players and coach have transmitted, to try to return to winning ways. All the points – six – were obtained in São Luís, with luxury performances against Chaves (5-0) and SC Braga (3-1), selling dearly the defeat (2-3) against Sporting, in the last round, in a game much contested by the Algarve, which led to complaints in the Arbitration Council. Excited by their (loyal) audience, the Algarves scored 10 of the 11 goals they have in the competition at their venue, drawing a blank only against Casa Pia, on matchday 1.

Now, 35 years later, Farense and Vizela meet again, in a balanced history of confrontations: a draw and a victory for each emblem. The last clash between the two teams took place on December 21, 1988, for the Portuguese Cup, and the team won 1-0. Since then, they have never crossed paths in any competition. For the championship, they faced each other only twice, in the 1984/1985 season, with a goalless draw in Minho and a 1-0 triumph for Farense in the Algarve.

Farense

Pastor and José Mota gave voice to the feeling of frustration that took over the Farense dressing room, after the defeat (2-3) against Sporting, last Saturday. It will be, therefore, a ‘lion’ wounded in the soul that will go up to the São Luís pitch to try to reverse this bitterness and seek to reach victory in a venue where so far he has collected the total of the six points he has in the championship. Gonçalo Silva, sent off in the match against Sporting, is a certain casualty, as well as Jhon Velasquez, who is waiting for an order from the medical department to integrate the work without limitations. For the central defender’s place, José Mota has Igor Rossi, who entered in the second half of the game with the Lions, and Zach Muscat, who has lost his spark since the expulsion in Famalicão. In attack, there is uncertainty about who will occupy the left wing: Rui Costa or Marco Matias? The doubt will only be dispelled when the line-ups are announced…

System: 4x3x3

Probable eleven: Ricardo Velho; Pastor, Artur Jorge, Igor Rossi and Talocha; Fabrício Isidoro, Cláudio Falcão and Mattheus Oliveira; Belloumi, Bruno Duarte and Rui Costa

Injured: Jhon Velásquez

Punished: Gonçalo Silva

Figure: Mattheus Oliveira. He has been the ‘engine’ of the Algarve’s midfield. In addition to guiding the game, the Brazilian – going through one of the best moments of his career – still finds time and space to go up to the finishing areas to apply his strong and placed shot. With his morale – and aim – high, Mattheus Oliveira was in the spotlight in the match against Sporting, in the last round, scoring, from a direct free-kick, the two goals of the ‘lions of Faro’.

Coach: “This Vizela is an extremely complicated and difficult opponent, they are a very competitive team and they have shown that in all the games they have played this season. I’m expecting a hard-fought game, where we’ll have to be at a very good level to win. We know what Vizela is, its characteristics and capabilities, both individually and collectively, and we also know that it is a team that has a mystique that is very typical of an area of Portugal where there is a great determination and capacity for suffering, and Vizela has achieved that over the years. There will, for sure, be a very strong and very determined fight for possession, where we have to be very strong in the duels and have a team with great character and ambition and, fundamentally, with a lot of concentration. If we have these levels, we will definitely make the game more accessible. I won’t say easier, but more accessible.”

José Mota, Farense coach