Match Report
8 points and 6 places separated them: Marítimo U23 8th with 17, Leixões U23 2nd with 25. Leixões U23 had been under-performing their position — 23rd on five-round form against 2nd in the table. Scoring rates set the scale: Marítimo U23 1.06 scored and 1.56 conceded per game, Leixões U23 2 and 1.21, with the league averaging 1.42.
7 games without a win framed Marítimo U23's arrival. Leixões U23 had not lost in 10 games, having scored in 15 consecutive games. The last-five ledger: Marítimo U23 2/15, Leixões U23 11/15.
The head-to-head ledger counts 5 games: 2 Marítimo U23 wins, 2 for Leixões U23, 1 draw, at 3.4 goals per meeting. The host's record in this fixture is thin — 40% of meetings won. Three-plus goals is the norm here, arriving in 80% of the meetings, and both sides scored in 60%.
The venue was Campo da Imaculada Conceição in Ilha da Madeira, with room for 3,300 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Leixões U23 led 1-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 0-3.