Preview of the 1st Round of Primeira Liga, August 7-10

The Portuguese championship is kicking off, and the break passed unnoticed. But don't expect any thrilling intrigues from the first round: teams need time to get in shape. The matches of the grand teams stand out, as they will play against not the strongest opponents. Are there any surprises possible? The exact answer will be known by the end of the upcoming weekend.

Estoril – Famalicao

A battle of mid-table teams will open the season in Portugal. In the last championship, the teams performed differently: Estoril finished tenth, while Famalicao finished fifth – a clear leap above their heads. The rivals had a busy preseason, but this is more about the number of matches, not the quality of football. In any case, it takes time to get in shape and there is a risk of encountering boring football, aimed at minimizing mistakes.

Link to the match:

Estoril – Famalicao

Maritimo – Casa Pia

Another match of the opening round, from which one should hardly expect high-scoring football. Maritimo enters the elite and hopes to stay, while Casa Pia hardly wants to get into the playoffs again, as it happened in the last championship. The bookmaker sees the hosts as favorites (albeit small), but the opponent is hardly weaker. The visitors have won the last two head-to-head matches against Maritimo, and the only deterrent might be poorly played friendly games. A low-scoring scenario can be seen from afar: don't expect exciting football, as starting the season with points is much more important.

Link to the match:

Maritimo – Casa Pia

Vitoria Guimaraes – Arouca

The hosts can consider the last season a success – they won the League Cup, and in the championship, the team calmly played the second round. Vitoria Guimaraes has every chance for a successful first round: the preseason was excellently conducted with five victories in friendly games without a single defeat. Arouca looks much more modest against this background: the middle of the table in the last tournament was more of a lucky coincidence than a regularity. The team is absolutely not good at playing away, and there is a feeling that the bookmaker is not mistaken in setting the odds.

Link to the match:

Vitoria Guimaraes – Arouca

Estrela – Sporting Lisbon

Starting the season against the current silver medalist is terrible. On the other hand, Estrela had a quite productive preseason and achieved a series of victories in friendly matches. They can fight in the first round, but a defeat will hardly be a tragedy, especially since Sporting has significantly renewed. The Lions earned a lot of money selling Trincao and Quenda, and in return, they acquired Rodrigo Zalazar from Braga for the attack. And this is the main thing, and there are also transfers to other lines. It takes time to rebuild, and perhaps we won't see a rout,and a sensation cannot be ruled out.

Match link:

Estrela – Sporting

Porto – Alverca

The Dragons can certainly consider themselves favorites of the new championship: the team has retained its core. True, there are no bright newcomers. But that's the point: Porto is strong with its stability. The opening round meeting promises no problems: Alverca is much weaker, and in head-to-head matches, they score against their opponent on big holidays. The champion starts at home, and this is an important factor: there can be no question of underestimating the opponent. Here we see a one-sided game of football.

Match link:

Porto – Alverca

Benfica Lisbon – Academico Viseu

The Eagles are starting a new life without Jose Mourinho. As the first matches of the Europa League showed – it won't be easy. The team has retained its core, which will strive for results, the question is only in the professionalism of the new head coach – Marco Silva. Yet this needs to be resolved over a longer distance, and in the opening round, there are unlikely to be any problems, as they will have to play with a newcomer. Academico Viseu needs time to feel comfortable in the elite, so don't expect serious resistance from them. A convincing victory for the favorite is a quite feasible scenario.

Match link:

Benfica – Academico Viseu

Gil Vicente – Rio Ave

These opponents can hardly count on anything global in the new season, as they lack resources for that. Most likely, the clubs' lot is to occupy the middle of the table. The teams had a productive pre-season and showed positive results in friendly matches, with Rio Ave taking them in quantity. All the recent head-to-head matches at Gil Vicente's field ended with an exchange of goals. Why not a scenario for the first round? The form of the teams is not optimal, so mistakes are inevitable.

Match link:

Gil Vicente – Rio Ave

Moreirense – Braga

The Archbishops lost Rodrigo Zalazar and Lukas Gornichek before the start of the season, and did not take anyone equivalent in return. Competing with the giants will be extremely difficult, but they still have to claim their fourth place. Moreirense, on the other hand, remains a mid-table team that likes to play entertainingly: the goal-filled pre-season only confirms this fact. In this meeting, the trend will say a lot: Braga has won five consecutive head-to-head matches against their opponent, and the field doesn't matter. Think further for yourself.

Match link:

Moreirense – Braga

Santa Clara – Nacional de Madeir

The opening round will end with a boring match, as Santa Clara will not giveplay differently against the opponent. The hosts had a quality preseason and did not lose a single friendly match, while Nacional did not win any. It is also worth noting that Santa Clara won the last two head-to-head meetings on their home ground, without conceding a goal. The odds for the game speak for themselves.

Link to the match:

Santa Clara - Nacional

Round Summary

The first round of the Primeira Liga requires special caution. Even the giants cannot be relied upon. No one will overreach, as there is still a large part of the season ahead. We recommend adhering to the rules of responsible betting and being more careful in selecting matches for bets. We also suggest visiting the Portuguese league section to familiarize yourself with the match layouts. If you want to get additional bonuses, be sure to check out the bookmakers' payout ratings https://scores24.live/en/sportbooks-pt