Vitoria de Guimaraes will be looking to turn a welcome cup victory into a much-needed league revival when they welcome newly promoted Maritimo to the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques on Friday night.

Tiago Margarido's side sit 15th in the Primeira Liga table after collecting just five points from their opening eight matches, while Mitchell van der Gaag's team occupy 11th place with eight points from as many games.

Match preview

Finishing ninth in the league table last season was disappointing enough for a Vitoria side who had not placed so low in eight years, but the Conquerors have hit a new nadir this term following a dismal start under Tiago Margarido.

Sitting just one point clear of the relegation zone, Margarido's men have managed only one victory in their opening eight top-flight fixtures of 2026-27, losing five times in that period, with much of their trouble stemming from a lack of cutting edge in the final third.

Only the bottom two sides, Estoril Praia (four) and Casa Pia (three), have scored fewer than Vitoria's five goals in this season's Primeira Liga, while the Guimaraes outfit have conceded 10 at the other end.

Winless in their last five league outings (D2, L3), the Conquerors suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Benfica in their most recent top-flight fixture, leaving Margarido's side having failed to score in half of their league matches this term.

However, Vitoria head into Friday's encounter hoping to draw confidence from their domestic cup success, having beaten lower-division ACDR Lamelas 1-0 on Saturday in the Taca de Portugal, and will be keen to improve on their record of just one victory in four league matches at Afonso Henriques this season.

Like their hosts, Maritimo will also be looking to build on a recent cup triumph after securing a 2-1 victory over lower-division GD Alcochetense to progress to the next round of the Portuguese Cup.

Also seeking a league revival, Van der Gaag's side have gone six top-flight matches without a win (D2, L4) after opening their return to Portugal's elite with victories over Casa Pia and Famalicao in their first two fixtures.

Maritimo's most recent league outing ended in a 2-1 home defeat to defending champions Porto, following draws against Academico de Viseu and Gil Vicente, either side of three consecutive losses to Arouca, Benfica and Moreirense.

Much of Maritimo's recent struggles have stemmed from defensive frailties, with the islanders conceding at least twice in five of their last six Primeira Liga matches and shipping 14 goals across their opening eight fixtures while finding the net nine times themselves.

History offers little encouragement for Friday's visitors, who are winless in their last 10 meetings with Vitoria, losing eight times in that run, including each of the last four, while their most recent trip to the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques ended in a 1-0 defeat in November 2022.
 

Vitoria de Guimaraes Primeira Liga form:

Vitoria de Guimaraes form (all competitions):

Maritimo Primeira Liga form:

Maritimo form (all competitions):

Team News

Vitoria will be without Alioune Ndoye, who remains suspended, while Juan Castillo and Francisco Dias are sidelined after suffering ankle and foot injuries respectively, with both expected to miss several weeks.

Thiago Balieiro is doubtful after developing knee problems, although Toni Borevkovic and Arnel Jakupovic could return after completing a physical management programme, while Tony Strata and Ahmed Sidibe are also available again.

Meanwhile, Gustavo Silva has recovered from the muscular injury that kept him out for a month, and his return is a timely boost for the hosts, with no player having scored more goals for the club since his arrival in 2024.

Maritimo are monitoring the fitness of Yellu Santiago, who has not featured since the opening round because of a muscular problem, while Vladan Danilovic also remains a doubt after missing the cup tie.

Adrian Butzke could return to the starting lineup after making only a brief substitute appearance in the domestic cup, with the striker keen to end a six-match goal drought.
 

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Zych; Strata, Borevkovic, Rivas, Mendes; Doucet, G Nogueira; G Silva, Samu, Camara; Jakupovic.

Maritimo possible starting lineup:

Vieites; Juliao, Correia, Szalia, Henrique; Alani, Guzzo; Dominguez, Andrade, Tejon; Butzke.

We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-0 Maritimo

Neither side has enjoyed a convincing run in the league recently, but Vitoria's home advantage, superior head-to-head record and the return of Gustavo Silva give Margarido's men reason to believe they can edge a closely contested encounter.
 

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