It looks like we’re in for an interesting game in Portugal tonight. Vizela are on top of the world right now in their bid to ensure a professional campaign ends with promotion whereas Leixoes are doing…well, Leixoes things, by being awkward to be without really having an end goal in mind. Well, other than annoying as many FC Porto teams as they possibly can, of course!
A lot of folk are backing the away win here, and purely based on Vizela’s recent displays, I don’t blame them. Vizela have performed at a seriously high level for a while now, embracing the pressure that comes with a promotion battle. Here’s the thing, though – no team at this level can perform at a consistently high level for too long. I mean, a quality gap generally doesn’t exist at this level. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, especially when teams that belong in the division above host Cova de Piedade or UD Oliveirense, for example, but in general there’s simply not that much in Liga 2 games.
I’m not saying that Vizela will definitely slip up tonight. However, what I am saying is that it’s getting more and more likely that they will in the near future, if not tonight then almost certainly against fellow promotion battlers Estoril this coming weekend. This trip is particularly challenging because of the tenacity and streetwise nature of Mota’s Leixoes. Vizela are undeniably the better team, but are they really in a position to be trusted to win it? I don’t believe so.
Consider that a lot of Vizela’s success this season has stemmed from their raw intensity, and I’d like to emphasise the word ‘raw’ there. You see, it may result in positive things, as it has done a lot lately, whether in the form of breaking teams down, or pressing high etc. However, one of its drawbacks is that this team is never far away from cards. Matheus Costa has already been dismissed twice this season, and both Ivorians (Kouao and Aidara) have found yellows very easy to come by, as has forward Tavinho. Basically, they walk a tightrope in each game, Vizela. Playing in such a bold way against Leixoes away is very risky though, because this is a team that knows how to irk opponents. If Vizela are to win this match, I think they’ll need some Cassiano, Samu, or Paulo magic early on in order to calm the team down a tad.
I don’t see Mota’s boys letting them off the hook easily here though. Yes, Leixoes are not as good as their hosts, and as ever they’ve got more than their fair share of youngsters in the team. The main criteria required to get into this squad is a strong work ethic, a strong mentality, and lots of stamina – and it has been that way for as long as I’ve covered this division. Sometimes they’ll chance upon a good player or two, and sometimes even capitalise upon being so close to Porto in that regard, but this team is generally about work-rate.
They are streetwise though, Leixoes. Chaves, Varzim, and SL Benfica II are amongst the teams to have lost against them at the Estadio do Mar this season, and it required extremely professional displays from both Arouca and Estoril in order for them to win in Matosinhos. They’re capable of sitting on teams and grinding out wins, though, which isn’t really Vizela’s favourite thing to do. I can’t see Vizela containing Leixoes here, basically, and Leixoes aren’t really good enough to hope to get anything against the top teams. All they can do is work hard and hope their opponents don’t show up – and it works more often than you might think.
Leixoes are not afraid of rising to the bait, either – they’ll get physical if they have to. They’re an excellent ‘mirror’ team, the hosts, and that should make life hard for their opponents. With nothing really to lose or gain, I’m inclined to believe that Leixoes will have a bit of a go at unsettling Vizela here. Whether they get the rub of the green or not remains to be seen, but I’m quietly confident that they’ll make this match entertaining, ifn nothing else.
With that in mind, I favour both teams to score over the away win, and at 89/100, I’m happy to take that chance.
