On Saturday afternoon, Santa Clara and Tondela clash at the Estadio Joao Cardoso in the first round of the Portuguese League Cup.
After suffering relegation from the Primeira Liga last season, Santa Clara has enjoyed a largely positive pre-season campaign, winning three of their four matches.
📸 do jogo desta noite frente ao SL Benfica B #MágicoTondela #PréÉpocaCDT2324 pic.twitter.com/S3IS59kDZ9— CD Tondela (@CDTondela1933) July 23, 2023
📸 do jogo desta noite frente ao SL Benfica B #MágicoTondela #PréÉpocaCDT2324 pic.twitter.com/S3IS59kDZ9
Vasco Matos’ team has also kept clean sheets in each of their three pre-season victories, contributing to their recent low-scoring games, with under 2.5 goals scored in the three games that they kept clean sheets.
Santa Clara has struggled to make an impact in the League Cup of late, as they are winless in five games in the competition, having suffered four defeats.
The home team also have a poor recent home record in the League Cup, as they have recorded just one win in their previous five games in the competition.
The visitors head into this clash on the back of a promising pre-season campaign.
However, a 3-0 defeat against Benfica ll in their last game ended a four-game unbeaten run in the summer games. They will be looking to get back to winning ways in this encounter.
Tondela has a poor recent record in the League Cup, as they are winless in their six previous games in the competition.
Their recent League Cup games have been low-scoring affairs, with under 2.5 goals scored in five of their last six matches in the competition.
Tondela has also won just one of their last five away matches in the League Cup while also suffering three defeats in the poor run of form.
As both teams have poor records in the League Cup, it is of little surprise that Forebet predicts that this will be a close encounter, ending in a low-scoring draw.