Home - Tondela
- Saturday’s relegation six-pointer between CD Tondela and FC Arouca is really a game for the away team to win as the hosts have been woeful in their own backyard this term.
- Tondela are winless in seven home league games this season (D2, L5).
- Tondela are sitting 17th in the Primeira Liga 2025/2026 with just nine points from 15 games so far and their form since the mid-season break has not been good.
- Cristiano Bacci took over at the helm in November 2025 and has certainly made the Auriverdes a lot tighter at the back, but they continue to struggle to break opponents down.
- Tondela have scored just three goals in their seven home games in the Primeira Liga 2025/2026 and tend to play deep.
- They sit deep in a low block and look to hit teams on the counter with direct play and set-pieces.
- Pedro Henryque, who tops the team’s scoring charts with just three league goals in 15 appearances, is usually the main attacking outlet.
Away - Arouca
- Arouca have one win in their last five league games (W1, D2, L2).
- Arouca are five points and one place better off than them in 16th after taking 14 points from 16 matches and will need to make their away record better if they are to avoid the drop.
- Vasco Seabra has done a good job since taking over in October 2024 and has made them a more organised, compact unit, but they still leak too many goals.
- Arouca are unbeaten in two, drawing both games, and have only won one of their previous seven away Primeira Liga 2025/2026 games (D2, L4).
Key Players
- Alfonso Trezza
- Alfonso Trezza is the team’s top scorer with five goals in 16 league appearances.
- Hyun-Ju Lee
- Hyun-Ju Lee has chipped in with two goals in Arouca’s last five and can provide an attacking spark at the right time of the season.
- Pedro Henryque
- Pedro Henryque, who tops the team’s scoring charts with just three league goals in 15 appearances, is usually the main attacking outlet.
Betting Insights
- Both teams have been struggling defensively of late.
- This will be a bit of a chess match, but as both teams are poor at the back, we’ll take Both Teams To Score at 1.85 over the odds-on favourite Tondela at 2.1, with Arouca a 3.5 long shot to snag the win.
Prediction
Seabra’s men are unbeaten in their last two games and have the incentive as they need the win more than Tondela, so we will edge towards an away win here, but a cagey draw could also be on the cards.
