Santa Clara will aim to break their winless streak when they welcome Arouca to the Estádio de São Miguel on Saturday, hoping to revive their fading hopes of a top-five finish in the Primeira Liga.

The Azoreans have endured a rough patch, slipping to sixth place with 47 points from 14 wins, five draws, and 11 losses. While their position remains impressive for a team that only returned to the top flight this season, their recent struggles have dampened what could have been a historic campaign.

Although they’ve already surpassed their 2020-21 points tally—when they finished sixth, their best-ever league finish—their recent form has been concerning. Just one point from their last three matches has allowed Vitória de Guimarães to overtake them in fifth by a single point.

Santa Clara has only two wins in their last nine games, and their recent 1-1 draw against Rio Ave merely halted a two-game losing skid. Manager Vasco Matos has seen his side struggle offensively, failing to score in five of those nine matches. Sidney Lima’s late header against Rio Ave was just their fourth goal in that stretch.

Making matters worse, Santa Clara has a poor recent record against Arouca, winless in their last four meetings and failing to score in the past two—including a 1-0 defeat earlier this season.

Their home form hasn’t been much better, with four losses in their last eight matches at São Miguel and only two wins. They currently rank sixth in the home standings, with 26 points from 15 games.

On the other hand, Arouca arrives with renewed confidence after ending a four-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over Estrela da Amadora. However, that was only their second win in nine league matches, suggesting they, too, have been inconsistent.

That victory puts the Wolves in 12th position with 33 points from eight wins, five draws, and 13 defeats, nine points ahead of the relegation playoff slot with four games left; a win on Saturday might possibly ensure their top-flight status for another season.

Seabra's team has gone without a win in their past two away games, but a fighting draw against a challenging Benfica side may provide hope moving into this one.

Arouca has scored in each of their past nine league away games, including at least twice in five of them, but they will now face the division's fourth-best home defence, with Santa conceding only 13 goals in front of their supporters.

With both teams desperate for points, Saturday’s clash promises to be a tense battle as Santa Clara fights to keep their European dreams alive.