A crucial match in the bottom half of the Primeira Liga will play out on Sunday evening when Rio Ave take on Portimonense at Estadio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube.
Both these sides are teetering on the brink of relegation this season, and with just five points separating the bottom five teams in the league standings, a win for either side here will feel like six points.
Match preview
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Rio Ave come into this match with 12 points after the first 15 matches of the season and will start the year in the year in the relegation playoff spot, three points behind their opponent in this match.
Vilacondenses ended 2023 with a 1-0 loss to Vitoria de Guimaraes, which ended a five-match unbeaten run, although four of those matches ended in draws, with their sole victory coming over Boavista at the start of November.
While that record may not seem too impressive at first glance, the hosts will likely have been fairly content with that return, having only managed five points this season up to that point (nine matches).
Notably, Luis Freire's side have been much better at home than on the road this season, with nine of their 12-point tally coming at Estadio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube, including five of those points being earned in the last three games (W1 D2 L0).
The last time these sides met, it ended in a 2-2 draw, but that extended Rio Ave's unbeaten run against this opponent to eight matches, including five wins and three draws dating back to January 2018.
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Meanwhile, Portimonense went into last weekend in 12th place in the league standings, but their 2-1 defeat at home to Sporting Lisbon proved to be a costly one that caused them to drop three places, with the likes of Gil Vincente and Arouca picking up important wins elsewhere.
That marked the White and Blacks' fifth loss in seven matches in all competitions, which included a couple of hefty defeats, including a 5-2 loss to Moreirense and a crushing 6-1 defeat away to Braga.
However, while those big losses do stand out, Paulo Sergio's side have also been conceding with frequency this season and currently have the second-worst goal differential in the top flight (-17).
Their defensive frailty this season will also likely mean that if they lose this match, they will find themselves in the bottom three, with Rio Ave and Vizela both currently on a goal differential of -8.
This is a must-win for the visitors, but their away record does not do much to inspire confidence in their chances, as they are currently on a four-match losing streak and have taken just seven points from a possible 24 on the road this term.
Team News
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Rio Ave have no injury concerns but will be without the services of holding midfielder Joao Graca, who will be serving a one-match ban here for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Emmanuel Boateng has been in good form for the hosts of late, bagging two in his last three starts, and he should continue in the front three alongside Leonardo Ruiz and Joca.
Portimonense also have no injury absentees for this match but will be missing Helio Varela, who is away on international duty with Cape Verde at the African Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.
Ronie Carrillo will also be unavailable for selection on Sunday as the attacker is set to serve the final game of his three-match ban for the red card he received against Famalicao last month.
Rio Ave possible starting lineup:
Jhonatan; Sa, Santos, Nobrega; Costinha, Guga, Oudhiri, Ronaldo; Joca, Ruiz, Boateng
Portimonense possible starting lineup:
Silvestre; Alemao, Pedrao, Relvas; Ventura, Carlinhos, Dener, Costa, Guga; Jasper, Varela
We say: Rio Ave 1-0 Portimonense
While Rio Ave have been far from impressive this season, they have been difficult to beat lately and were a tad unlucky not to have got anything away to Vitoria Guimaraes in their last match. Still, the hosts are unbeaten in their last three home games, and we fancy them to claim an important win to move out of the bottom three in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Devesh Jaganath
