Tondela v Nacional: relegation fight pits strugglers against safety-chasers | OneFootball

Tondela host Nacional in Liga Portugal at Estádio João Cardoso on Saturday, 25 April 2026, with the home side trying to climb off the bottom two and the visitors aiming to put more daylight between themselves and the drop.

Recent meetings are tight, but Nacional won the reverse fixture 3-1 in December. Overall the head-to-head is near even, with wins shared and a handful of draws across recent years.

Tondela have struggled for momentum, taking one win in their last 10 league games and three points from their past five, including defeat at Porto after a 2-2 home draw with Gil Vicente. Nacional's form has been mixed, with two home wins in their last three but away losses at Benfica and Famalicão in that spell.

Nacional carry the sharper cutting edge this season, scoring 32 league goals, led by Jesús Andrés Ramírez who sits fourth in the scoring chart with 15. They also deliver regularly from wide areas, with 350 open-play crosses at 22.00% accuracy, and service from José Gomes and Liziero who have five and four league assists respectively. Tondela average 0.7 goals per game and have attempted 415 crosses at 18.07% accuracy. They have taken 12 penalties but converted just 50%, so set pieces and spot kicks could again be pivotal.

Tondela start in 17th on 21 points. A win would take them to 24 and keep survival hopes alive. Nacional are 14th on 28 points and victory would move them to 31, potentially stretching their cushion above the relegation places.