- Porto have won their last 3 games and travel to Funchal in good shape.
- Maritimo are wobbling with no wins in 5 games (D2, L3).
- Porto are likely to win and the odds are pretty short - but there is still some value in backing them.
Inconsistent Islanders are not a reliable bet
Porto have won their last 3 matches, including a victory at SL Benfica last time out, and they should be too strong for a CS Maritimo Funchal side that are wobbling at the moment. The Dragões have looked like a team in their ascendancy of late and will like their chances of taking the points in Saturday's early Primeira Liga fixture against an inconsistent opponent.
Porto are around 9/25 in the match betting for this game, which is still a bit short for our tastes considering Maritimo have won two, drawn one and lost two of their five home games so far this season. It's hard to get a feel for Maritimo at Estadio do Maritimo where they have failed to impress overall in this campaign.
Mitchell van der Gaag has his men set up to be compact, physical and hard to break down and they can be awkward to play against. Maritimo are also strong in the second phase of the game, but they will have to be at their best to keep this Porto team at bay.
Porto to play the patient game
Francesco Farioli has got Porto playing on the front foot, dominating possession and pressing high to make things happen. Their system is fluid and allows them to really pin teams back and it is tough to see Maritimo playing their best game with the pressure of a high press upon them on Saturday.
Porto have won all four of their away games across all competitions so far, averaging 3.00 goals per game and conceding just 0.50. Maritimo, who lost 0-3 at home to SL Benfica, 3-1 away at Moreirense and 1-1 away at Gil Vicente in their most recent five games, have scored just seven times in five home fixtures in all competitions this season.
Leões do Almirante Reis are clearly a blunt outfit and will have no answer to Porto's firepower in what is going to be a tight, controlled away win and not a shootout. Porto should get the job done and the Both Teams to Score set at No 73/100 is tempting.
