Vizela - Vitoria Guimaraes predictions and free betting tips [04/02/2024]

The stadium "Vizela" sits at the centre of the Braga district, home to the club bearing the same name. In the 20th round of the Portuguese Championship, Ruben De La Barrera's team will face off with "Vitória Guimarães". The 'conquerors' have an opportunity to swap places in the standings with "Braga", while "Vizela" sits in 18th position and is the main contender for relegation from the Primeira League this season.

Vizela

"Vizela" has faced defeat against several opponents, including "Shavisu". If we look at De La Barrera's side's last three games in the Primeira League, we'd be left wondering what's going on with the defence of the Spanish coach's players.

I empathise, but even journalists can't get a straight answer from Barrera, especially given that "Vizela" has conceded as many as 14 goals while scoring only 3 in their last three games. For instance, despite an Xg indicator of 2.84 against "Boavista", Barrera's men only managed a lone goal, all the while conceding four. Despite the championship troubles, "Vizela" managed to reach the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, defeating "Arouca" thanks to an own goal. However, in the last round, the team from Aveiro took revenge on Barrera's charges for the cup defeat, winning a convincing 5:0 at home. 

Each match becomes a responsibility and there's no doubt that a couple of defeats in the Primeira League and an exit from the Portuguese Cup will result in Ruben De La Barrera's dismissal, who has been working with the league's bottom-dwellers for a mere month and a half.

Vizela's squad is rather average, several Portuguese football enthusiasts note it's weaker than last year's, when the club from the Braga district finished 11th in the Primeira League, far from the relegation zone. These days, Samuel Essende, who transferred from "Cana", is praised for quickly becoming responsible for finishing chances in his new team. Anderson Jesus remains reliable in defence, but there are questions about other "Vizela" defence players; particularly the fullbacks who, due to their team's relentless attacks, don't always manage to get back in position timely. 

There are grievances against Ruben De La Barrera and he has to prove that "Vizela" can turn things around in the championship and show quality football in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals against "Benfica". If they fail against "Vitória Guimarães" and the Lisbon club easily defeats "Vizela", then we can expect another managerial change in this team. 

Vitória Guimarães

The 'conquerors' season is proceeding as usual, with the aim of reaching the European cups. They also have reached the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, where they need to defeat "Gil Vicente". However, the secondary tournament is highly coveted by the stronger top-3 teams, so Alvaro Pacheki's players don't place winning the tournament as their primary goal, even though it would be great to claim such a trophy this season. 

"Vitória Guimarães" kicked off the new calendar year strongly, and they didn't lose a single game in December 2023, even managing to beat Sporting Lisbon on their home turf. They lost 0:1 to "Gil Vicente" in the previous round, though I thought "Vitória Guimarães" would have more successful match-days ahead. 

Alvaro Pacheki doesn't have a problem selecting players for the first team. Vitória Guimarães has a consistent game structure and it nears no changes. Their attack is robust, and can pose challenges even to top-3 opponents. Andre Sins performs confidently, receiving assistance from Jota Silva and Joaú Mendes, though the latter has not yet regained his optimal form after a minor injury sustained at the end of 2023. "Vitória Guimarães" is a strong team for many bottom-dwellers, so "Vizela" will have quite the challenge accumulating points against them, even at home. 

Head-to-Head

In the first round of this championship "Vitória Guimarães" won 2:0 against "Vizela", where Andre Sins and Joaú Mendes both contributed a goal apiece. 

Match prediction: Vizela - Vitória Guimarães

"Vizela" has two tough matches to look forward to in the coming days and a lot of expectations rest on the shoulders of Ruben De La Barrera, who could very well be sacked if his players fail to produce a decent performance at home. "Vitória Guimarães" is well-prepared and has an easier adversary in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals, therefore I see no sense in overlooking a wager on their victory against "Vizela" in the championship match.