Maritimo vs Estoril Predictions

Maritimo have lost their opening two matches in Group D of the Taca da Liga and cannot now qualify for the knockout stage with just Saturday’s game against Estoril remaining. The visitors sit third in the table with one win and one draw from their two games and could still finish top of the group with a big win on Saturday, but would need Sporting to narrowly beat Feirense for that to be possible.

Maritimo suffered a costly defeat in the league last weekend when they made the trip to fellow Primeira Liga strugglers Tondela. Rodrigo Pinho handed Maritimo a twenty-seventh minute lead at the Estádio João Cardoso, but it proved to be a false dawn for the visitors. Tómané equalised for Tondela on the half hour mark to ensure the teams went in level at the half time interval. Late in the second forty-five Maritimo were reduced to ten-men when Croatian midfielder Vuković was shown a straight red card and the hosts capitalised on their one man advantage to score the winning goal through substitute Arango in the eighty-eighth minute. That result saw Tondela leapfrog Maritimo in the Primeira Liga table and left the visitors sitting one place above the drop zone.

Estoril sit third in the second tier of Portuguese football, just a point off the top two sides following their weekend win away at Oliveirense. Estoril had 59% of the overall possession and eleven corners to their hosts four, but shots on target for both clubs came at a premium. Both teams tested the opponents goalkeeper twice during the ninety minutes, but the visitors took all three points thanks to a seventy-second minute penalty which substitute Kléber converted. Estoril are looking good for promotion back to the Primeira Liga this season and won’t be too disappointed if they are knocked out of the Taca da Liga this weekend, but will fancy their chances against their struggling hosts.

These two clubs last met back in April when the pair were both competing in the Primeira Liga, and the game in Estoril finished 1-1, despite the hosts leading at the break thanks to a Lucas Evangelista penalty in the thirty-first minute. Just seven minutes of the second half had been played when Joel equalised for Maritimo with what would turn out to be the final goal of the game. Estoril will have been disappointed to have only drawn this game after having 62% of the possession, more corners, and far more shots than their guests, but only have themselves to blame after some poor finishing.

Estoril head into Saturday’s cup tie as the clear form favourites with five wins and one defeat from their last six matches, while their Primeira Liga hosts have lost five of their last six and managed just one draw. Correa and Joel have both scored two goals each in the Taca da Liga this season for the hosts, while Estoril don’t have any players on more than one goal in this competition so far.

We’re confident that Saturday’s Taca da Liga game will feature under 2.5 goals, and have backed the match to end goalless. The last five meetings between these two clubs have produced under 2.5 goals, while four of the last seven meetings between the pair have ended in a draw. Four of Maritimo’s and five of Estoril’s last six matches have produced under 2.5 goals, and we’re expecting more of the same from the two clubs this weekend.