Santa Clara vs Nacional Predictions

• Santa Clara had the seventh-best record in terms of xG, a year on from a fifth-placed finish
• Nacional lost nine of 17 away matches last season
• The hosts have won their previous four home meetings with Nacional in the top-flight

Santa Clara can make a winning start

After securing a place in Europe with a fifth-placed finish in 2025, Santa Clara took a step back last season. However, their underlying numbers had them ranked as the seventh-best side in Portugal, despite a 12th-placed finish.

Visitors Nacional scrambled to beat the drop, winning four of their final seven Primeira Liga games to finish fifth-bottom.

However, Nacional lost nine of their 17 away trips last season, and that late-season run doesn’t seem like form they can sustain this season.

Santa Clara secured seven home wins last season, and five of their eight home losses came against teams in the top seven. The hosts have one of the best home advantages in Portugal, as their ground in the Azores Islands is 870 miles west of mainland Portugal.

Nacional, from the island of Madeira, are closer to Morocco than Portugal, and they’ve lost their last four Primeira Liga visits to Santa Clara.