Arouca v Guimaraes

Arouca vs Vitoria Guimaraes Preview

Arouca and Vitoria Guimaraes will meet again for the second time on the trot for this season opener in the Portuguese top flight having met on the final day of last season's campaign which resulted in a resounding 3-1 win away from home for Vitoria Guimaraes, so Arouca will be keen to set the record straight here in this opening home game for the hosts.

However, this may be easier said than done as Arouca ended last season on the back of two defeats on the trot as they had previously been handed a heavy and comprehensive 5-0 loss on the road at Benfica while also failing to win any of their final five league matches as well.

Arouca had previously strung together a promising three-match winning streak in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with victories gained over Farense, Sporting Braga and Boavista respectively but these wins proved to be too little too late for the hosts as they ended up in seventh place and a significant 17 points adrift of fifth placed finishers, Vitoria Guimaraes.

Despite managing to win just once in their opening seven home games of last season, Arouca did manage to recover by winning six of their subsequent 10 league games on home soil at their Estádio Municipal de Arouca which gives them a chance here.

Vitoria Guimaraes by contrast enjoyed a more successful campaign than that of their hosts as the visitors achieved a fifth place finish in last season's Primeira Liga which also earned Rui Borges's side a place in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers as well.

After ending last season with a 3-1 win away from home against their upcoming hosts on Monday night, Vitoria Guimaraes are unbeaten in their subsequent seven games in all competitions which includes pre-season wins against the likes of Trofense, Middlesbrough and Rayo Vallecano.

In addition, Vitoria Guimaraes have also progressed through to the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League competition thanks to a 5-0 win on aggregate against Maltese outfit, Floriana, and they are well placed in their 3rd qualifying round tie against Swiss side, FC Zurich, following a 3-0 win away from home in the 1st leg in midweek.

Overall results away from home have also been generally impressive as Vitoria Guimaraes have suffered just three defeats in their previous 11 outings on the road, along with picking up seven wins in the process as well, so Rui Borges's side will be in confident mood as they prepare for this upcoming trip to take on Arouca.

Arouca v Vitoria Guimaraes Verdict

Vitoria Guimaraes have won the last two meetings on the trot against Arouca and a third victory on the trot looks to be on the cards here on Monday night.

Therefore, our main bet will be Vitoria Guimaraes win @ 2.37

Other side bets worth considering:

Vitoria Guimaraes win & Under 2.5 goals @ 5.50

Correct Score: Vitoria Guimaraes 1-0 @ 8.50