Vilaverdense vs Belenenses Prediction 18.03.2024

• Competition: Liga Portugal 2 - 26. Matchday
• Date: Monday, 18th, March 2024
• Kickoff: 20:15 UTC / 21.15 CET
• Venue: Estadio da Capital do Movel (Pacos de Ferreira)

Monday's clash at the Estadio da Capital do Movel is a must-win encounter for both Vilaverdense and Os Belenenses, who are battling to escape the relegation zone in the Portuguese second-tier league.

Vilaverdense vs Belenenses Betting Tips: Under 2.5

Vilaverdense extended their losing run in Liga Portugal 2 to a woeful five matches after a late 1-2 loss against Porto's youth team last Saturday, plunging deeper into a rut that ominously signals a potential drop to third division, where they came from just last season as runners-up.

After pocketing a measly one point from their last six second-tier fixtures, Sergio Machado's men find themselves languishing in second-to-last position ahead of Monday's do-or-die clash, trailing a daunting eight points behind Farense, who occupies the final survival-guaranteed spot.

Racing against the clock with just nine rounds remaining, Vilaverdense is on a mission to dodge failure, pinning their hopes on their recent home resurgence where they've collected 10 points in the last seven clashes, surpassing their total from the preceding 17 rounds, aiming for a positive turn of events.

On the flip side, Os Belenenses, a side that graced the group stages of the Europa League back in the 2015-16 campaign, is plummeting towards utter abyss this season, firmly rooted at the foot of the table with a terrible 16 points and just three wins registered after 25 gameweeks in the second tier.

What's even more shocking is that the Blues from Restelo still haven't had a chance to grab maximum points since the dawn of the new calendar year (D3, L7), while their unfortunate winless streak has now stretched to 12 LP2 contests, following a last-minute 1-2 defeat in Leixoes' visits last time out.

The blunt edge in the final third has been causing serious headaches for Mariano Barreto's side, who have hit a paltry 17 strikes to this point, making them the worst scorers in the second division, while also failing to score in their last two H2H's versus Vilaverdense, succumbing to a tough 0-2 loss in the reverse fixture.

Also, Vilaverdenses' attack hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders of late, with their only goal from the last three LP2 rounds coming from the penalty spot. Based on that, it's clear that both sides are lacking the killer instinct in front of goal, and with this being a crucial clash where neither team can afford a slip-up, we can expect a gritty defensive battle with few scoring opportunities, similar to the one we saw last season when their meeting ended in a goalless stalemate.