After finally snapping their nine-game winless spell with a much-needed victory away to bottom-placed Boavista, Gil Vicente would have stepped into their previous outing with renewed belief, but the Roosters failed to ride that momentum as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat on home turf.

A cagey opening period saw little in the way of attacking threat, and it was Moreirense who drew first blood two minutes after the restart through Godfried Frimpong, with the hosts unable to respond despite a spirited late push.

That result only deepened Gil Vicente's woes in front of their fans, marking a fifth consecutive league defeat in Barcelos and a sixth across all competitions, with Galos drawing a blank in each of the last five.

Cesar Peixoto's side now sit 14th in the standings on 26 points, with six wins, eight draws and 14 defeats, and remain just three points above the relegation playoff position heading into the final stretch.

With only six matches left to fight for survival, the margin for error continues to narrow, though the hosts may seek solace in the fact that they have come out on top in the last three home meetings against Friday's opponents.

That record could prove invaluable conidering Vitoria are currently firing on all cylinders, having won four of their last five league games during their ongoing nine-game unbeaten run.

The Conquerors made light work of Santa Clara last weekend, finding the breakthrough early through Joao Sabino Mendes before sealing the victory late on with a Gustavo Silva effort in the 89th minute.

That 2-0 win keeps Vitoria in sixth place on 45 points and has brought them within touching distance of fifth-placed Santa, cutting the gap to just one point, while Luis Freire's men have also rekindled belief in a late push for the top four as the deficit to that target now stands at 11.

The Little Whites's impressive run has been built on a solid defence, having kept six clean sheets across their last nine matches in the top flight and conceding only four times in that period.

However, their away form tells a different story, with just one shutout in their last 11 league trips and only one victory to show for it, an issue Freire must urgently address if his team are to remain in the hunt for a European spot.

Victory in Barcelos would see Vitoria complete a top-flight double over Gil Vicente for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign, having romped to a 4-0 win in the reverse fixture.

Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:

Andrew; Cruz, Mawesi, Fernandes, Carlos; Fujimoto, Teixeira; Barmejo, Aguirre, Correia

Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:

Varela; Maga, Villanueva, Boreckovic, J. T. Mendes; Samu, J. Mendes, Handel; Arcanjo, Oliveira, Silva