Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Rio Ave vs. Estoril Praia - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 29 January 2024, 22:09
Rio Ave will welcome Estoril Praia to the Estadio dos Arcos on Wednesday for a key battle in the fight at the bottom end of the Primeira Liga table.

The two sides are separated by a single point after 18 league games, with the hosts sat in the relegation playoff place and the visitors just one spot above the bottom three.

Match preview

On the back of a tough first half to the league campaign, Rio Ave return to action on Wednesday aiming to jump out of the bottom three in the Primeira Liga table in the fight for top-flight survival this term.

From their first 18 outings, Os Rioavistas have only amassed 16 points while managing just two victories in 17 attempts since the opening day, leaving them just three points above 17th-placed Vizela and four ahead of basement side Chaves.

Following four straight draws and a defeat to round off 2023, the most recent of their three league triumphs came at the beginning of the new year, as Luis Freire's side beat Portimonense 2-0 on home turf thanks to goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Ze Manuel, but they have been unable to build on that since, firstly facing a tough trip to title-chasing Benfica and suffering a 4-1 beating despite going ahead through Guga.

Angel Di Maria levelled the scores in the first half and Antonio Silva, Marcos Leonardo and Joao Mario went on to put the game out of sight, before Os Rioavistas most recently travelled to fellow strugglers Chaves and had to settle for a share of the spoils as neither side managed to break the deadlock.

While they will be disappointed by their standing just after the halfway point of the campaign, Rio Ave are far from cut adrift, and sitting just one, two and three points behind Wednesday's opponents, Estrela Amadora and Casa Pia respectively, they have the chance to move out of the bottom three with a victory in midweek.

Their visitors will set out to extend that gap in their own bid for survival, however, having endured a similarly tough first half to the campaign in Portugal's top flight.

Following a 14th-placed finish last time around, Estoril Praia currently occupy 15th spot in the Primeira Liga with just a one-point lead over the drop zone, as despite managing five victories in their 18 outings, only basement side Chaves have suffered more than their 11 defeats.

After a particularly dismal start to the term, four of those five wins came in a six-match span to end 2023 on a positive note, culminating in a 4-0 thrashing of Farense at the end of December thanks to Joao Marques's brace and goals from Tiago Araujo and Raul Parra, but they have been unable to extend the improved run since the turn of the year, instead suffering three further losses on the bounce and conceding 10 goals along the way.

The new year began with a tough trip to leaders Sporting Lisbon, with Vasco Seabra's side taking a 5-1 thrashing, before falling short in disappointing fashion against Moreirense and most recently losing 2-1 at home to ninth-placed Arouca prior to their trip to the Taca da Liga final at the weekend.

They saw off Benfica in a penalty shootout on Wednesday to book a contest with Braga in the final but were on the wrong end of the same outcome in agonising fashion, falling short in the shootout after a 1-1 draw and coming away empty-handed, and now with all their focus on the fight to maintain their top-flight status this campaign, Estoril Praia will set out to bounce back to winning ways on Wednesday and move four points clear of the Primeira Liga drop zone.

Rio Ave Primeira Liga form:

D

D

L

W

L

D

Estoril Praia Primeira Liga form:

W

D

W

L

L

L

Estoril Praia form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

W

L

Team News

Rio Ave will be unable to call on defender Miguel Nobrega on Wednesday, as he will serve a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, but Aderllan Santos will return to contention and should take his place in the back three after serving his own suspension last time out for a red card shown in their defeat to Benfica.

Santos will join Renato Pantalon and Josue Sa from the outset, while Guga and Amine Oudrhiri are key men in the engine room with Joao Graca likely completing the midfield trio if they stick with a 3-5-2 shape.

Emmanuel Boateng will continue to lead the line, having notched up four goals so far this term, with Leonardo Acevedo, Ze Manuel and Abdul-Aziz Yakubu competing to join him, while Costinha will offer further support from a wing-back role having also managed four goals this season.

Vasco Seabra should field a similar Estoril Praia starting XI to the one that featured in the Taca da Liga final last weekend after only falling at the final hurdle against Braga, with Cassiano bound to again lead the line after notching up his 10th goal of the season in that game.

That is despite competition from Alejandro Marques, with Rafik Guitane and Joao Marques likely to again flank the lone striker in a 3-4-3 setup.

Jordan Holsgrove will bid to return to the midfield from the outset, after Koba Koindredi and Mateus Fernandes were preferred last time out, while Pedro Alvaro, Bernardo Vital and former Manchester City man Eliaquim Mangala should line up in an unchanged back three.

Rio Ave possible starting lineup:

Jhonatan; Pantalon, Santos, Sa; Costinha, Graca, Guga, Oudrhiri, Ronaldo; Boateng, Manuel

Estoril Praia possible starting lineup:

Figueira; Alvaro, Vital, Mangala; De Pina, Holsgrove, Koindredi, Araujo; Guitane, Cassiano, J Marques

We say: Rio Ave 1-2 Estoril Praia

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has reportedly not yet made a full recovery from the knock he suffered prior to the international break. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Xabi Alonso will hope that his Bayer Leverkusen side can return to winning ways when they welcome strugglers Heidenheim to BayArena in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Wayne Rooney gives Romeo Montague a run for his money with wife Coleen revealing he writes her love poetry. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Six places separate Wolfsburg and Union Berlin in the Bundesliga table ahead of Saturday's gameweek 11 match at the Volkswagen Arena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Borussia Dortmund have already fallen behind in the title race and will at least aim to stay within touching distance of the Champions League qualifications spots when they welcome Freiburg to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A crunch clash at the bottom sees Heracles and RKC Waalwijk go head to head at the Asito Stadium on Saturday evening in gameweek 13 of the Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Stuttgart sit a disappointing 11th in the Bundesliga table before welcoming cellar-dwelling VfL Bochum in Saturday's gameweek 11 action at the MHPArena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will both be available for Saturday's Premier League away meeting with Everton. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica and Estrela Amadora return to action on Saturday when they go head to head at the Estadio da Luz in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal. 21 November 2024 talksport.com West Ham have sounded out former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui, talkSPORT understands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to move back into the top six of the League One table, Huddersfield Town will welcome Charlton Athletic to the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com talkSPORT's Ally McCoist has opened up about living with Dupuytren's contracture, an incurable hereditary condition that affects the hands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Luton Town will welcome Hull City to Kenilworth Road on Saturday for a crucial game at the bottom end of the Championship table. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Martin Odegaard is everything for Arsenal - he's at the heartbeat of everything positive they do. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to go top of the Championship table with a fifth straight victory, Sheffield United will travel to take on Coventry City on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig will aim to prevent the five-point gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich from extending by claiming all three points at Hoffenheim's PreZero Arena on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Champions League hopefuls Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to maintain their five-point advantage over Werder Bremen after hosting them on Saturday at Deutsche Bank Park in their 11th Bundesliga outing of the season. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle defender Lewis Hall says his lack of game time in the first-team left him 'in a dark place' last season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams who could really do with a victory kick off round 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season as Go Ahead Eagles welcome Almere City to De Adelaarshorst on Saturday afternoon. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Promotion-chasing Barnsley are favourites heading into Saturday's gameweek 17 League One match at Oakwell. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord and Heerenveen will both be looking to pick up where they left off right before the international break in Saturday's meeting at De Kuip in matchday 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City officially announce that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Girona will be bidding to make it three straight wins in La Liga for the first time this season when they welcome Espanyol to Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk An in-form Las Palmas will be aiming to make it five wins from their last six matches in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Mallorca on Saturday night. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Following four straight defeats leading into the international break, Aston Villa will return to action on Saturday, when Crystal Palace pay a visit to Villa Park. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly set a £100m asking price for Enzo Fernandez amid interest from Real Madrid. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Saudi Pro League action will return to the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium this weekend when Al Khaleej play host to the defending champions Al-Hilal on Saturday evening. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atletico Madrid will be aiming to make it five straight wins in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign against Alaves at Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Robert Lewandowski is a mesmerising goal scorer, but it turns out that's not his only talent. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace may be without two of their key creators when they kick off on Saturday afternoon, as an ailing Premier League campaign resumes away to Aston Villa.