CD Nacional slump to sixth straight defeat
A 2-3 loss at Rio Ave on Sunday 11 October leaves CD Nacional on 4 points and a run of 6 defeats.
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CD Nacional lost again. The 2-3 reverse at Rio Ave on Sunday 11 October was their 6th consecutive defeat, a run that has dropped them to 16th in Primeira Liga with 4 points from 8 matches.
The shape of the season is unforgiving. CD Nacional have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 6, scoring 9 and conceding 18 for a goal difference of -9. Only one of those wins has come away from home, where the record reads 1 win, 2 draws and 10 defeats.
The home numbers are not much better. 5 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses is the sort of split that turns a bad start into a long winter. Six straight losses is not a blip. It is a pattern.
Next comes CD Nacional at home on Sunday 25 October, the 9th matchday. On paper it is the hardest fixture of the sequence: Braga sit near the top of the table, and CD Nacional have not beaten anyone of that standing all season. Ask yourself honestly whether this squad looks capable of stopping the slide against that opponent.
For context at the other end, Porto lead on 24 points with a goal difference of +16, while SL Benfica have 19 and Sporting CP 18. The gap between CD Nacional and safety is measured in points, but the gap in goal difference — -9 against the top sides' positive figures — tells the harder story. CD Nacional concede more than two goals a game on average and score barely more than one.
Eight matches is a small sample. It is also enough to see the problem clearly. The next home fixture will say whether this is a team in trouble or a team already in it.