AVS Futebol Sad lead the Portugal Second Division after 10 games, with 22 points. However, after two straight defeats, Nacional and Santa Clara closed the gap to the top.
First place and fifth place are separated by a mere six points.
Pacos de Ferreira went unbeaten in four of their last six games versus Santa Clara in all competitions. On Saturday, Pacos will aim for a fifth match from seven without a loss versus Santa Clara. Each of the last four games between these clubs ended with under 2.5 goals.
Santa Clara are third in the standings and two points off first place. They went unbeaten in their last six Segunda matches, claiming 10 points. The defence was strong across the six games, conceding just four times.
Pacos de Ferreira also took 10 points from their last six matches. They go into the match unbeaten in their last four games, with three wins and a draw.
Tondela went unbeaten in five of their last six games in all competitions against Feirense. Last season’s matches between these clubs both ended in identical 1-1 draws.
Feirense picked up nine points from the last six games in the league. They are coming off a 1-0 win over Os Belenenses. The victory ended a two-game losing streak.
Tondela picked up 11 points from the last 18 points on offer. They are flying ahead of the weekend. Tondela’s defence is an issue. They conceded 10 times in the last six fixtures.
AVS took four points from six last season against Nacional. A 1-1 draw away from home was followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Nacional on home turf.
Nacional are the league’s in-form team. They picked up 14 points from the last six games. The defence were on point in those matches, conceding a mere three times. Two of their last four matches ended in clean sheets.
AVS’s good form ended recently. The team is on a two-game losing streak. They were outscored 3-1 across the two matches. Still, AVS are top of the league standings. They don’t score many goals, however. Just 12 goals were scored in their 10 matches.
Maritimo will face off with Torreense on Sunday with little recent history between the two clubs. Both clubs are in the top five and a win could propel the victorious team into a title fight.
Torreense are fifth in the standings and unbeaten in back-to-back games. They took eight points from five matches on the road this season, scoring six times and conceding five goals.
Maritimo are fourth in the division, three points ahead of Torreense. They picked up 10 points from the last 18 points on offer in the Segunda. Maritimo struggle at home, where they picked up four points from 12 this term.