Santa Clara vs Tondela Prediction & Betting Tips - League Cup

Prediction published on 28/07/2023, 13:46  by Kennedy Kechula in Football Predictions

Santa Clara and Tondela will face each other on Saturday in the first round of the 2023/24 Portuguese Taca da Liga. The winner of this single-legged tie will advance to the second round. Santa Clara are playing their first competitive match of the season with this fixture. Danildo Accioly’s charges are back in the Segunda Liga after being relegated at the end of last season’s Primeira Liga. This saw their five-year association with the Portuguese top flight come to an end. To help prepare for this new season, the Azoreans played four pre-season friendlies. They won three of those matches and lost one which is the only match they conceded a goal. In their last match, Santa Clara defeated top-tier team Chaves 2-0. The Ponta Delgada-based side had their best-ever season in the Taca da Liga two seasons ago. They made the semifinals for the first time in the club’s history. Santa Clara last won against Tondela in February 2020.

Tondela are unbeaten in the last six fixtures against Santa Clara including friendly matches. They have won three times including the last time they met which was last October. This was in the Taca de Portugal and they won 2-0. Tondela are beginning their second season in the second tier. They were demoted from the top flight a season before Santa Clara. Toze Marreco’s charges are also playing their first competitive match of the season with Saturday’s clash. They have won three, drawn one, and lost another of their five build-up matches. Their sole defeat in their preparations came last time out as they fell 3-0 to Benfica II. CDT Auriverdes finished last season in woeful form and did not win either of their last five matches, losing four times. Last season, Tondela made it to the third round/ group stage of the Taca da Liga