Pacos Ferreira vs Santa Clara Predictions

Pacos Ferreira had a tough return to the top flight as they lost 5-0 against champions Benfica in their opener. That huge loss left the Eagles soaring clear at the top, while Os Castores prop up the table at the bottom. They will be hoping that things are easier against less stern opposition, but the hosts have started their new Primeira Liga campaign the way they finished the last. With Santa Clara coming here with some decent away form, we can see things getting worse for the hosts before they get better.

The hosts stormed to the second division title last term, as they finished 20 points clear of third-placed Estoril. They were in fine form on their way back to the top flight but staying up will be a very different test. Pacos Ferreira are without a win in their last seven Primeira Liga matches thanks to the manner of their relegation in 2018, so they do have issues to sort out when it comes to facing top-flight opposition.

Santa Clara sit alongside Os Castores in the bottom two after the opening weekend, with the visitors left reeling from a defeat to another newly-promoted side. Famalicao won 2-0 at Santa Clara last weekend, with a tight game coming down to two defensive errors. That’s going to lead to a reshuffling of the pack for the visitors, who make this trip aiming to add to last season’s solid away form which kept them clear of danger.

The visitors secured the majority of their wins away from home last term, leading them to a 10th place finish in the Primeira Liga. They certainly made the most of their clashes with sides below them in the league, as they lost only once away to the bottom eight in the league. They beat four of the bottom six, scoring 12 goals across those meetings. Overall they only lost once against the bottom six last term, while we expect Pacos to be around that level this season.

The visitors lost seven times on the road, with their losses at each of the top five sides accounting for the vast majority of those losses. Meanwhile, there were slight signs of trouble for Os Castores in the fact that they were unable to win at home to their top three rivals in the league last term. With the hosts on a poor stretch of form in the top flight, we think there’s value in backing Santa Clara with a +1 handicap, which means we are backing them to at least draw this encounter.