Rio Ave vs Benfica Prediction: The Eagles Worthy Of All Three Points!

Rio Ave welcome Benfica to the Estádio dos Arcos for their 26th round of the Primeira Liga and will be seeking to cause an upset in this clash by recording a shocking victory against their opponents, who've been a force to be reckoned with this season.

Let's have a look at the latest Portuguese Primeira Liga predictions between Rio Ave vs Benfica, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Rio Ave

Form: WWLWL

Going into this game, the Vilacondenses maintained their composure in their outing against Santa Clara as they romped to a comfortable 2:0 win. In that game, they managed 61% of ball possession, registering 7 shots on target, and from those shots, they only accounted for one goal from Leonardo Acevedo in the 77rd minute, with the other goal in the 50th minute being gifted as an own goal.

Prior to that, in their home game against Gil Vicente, they managed to snatch a 2:1 victory despite being reduced to 10 men in the 54th minute after Amine Oudrhiri received his marching orders, and this win comes after losing convincingly to Braga on the road (2:0).

Their last five matches have seen them maintain a solid form, recording two losses and three wins to accumulate 9 points in return, with their defense surrendering as few as 4 goals.

They are currently placed in 8th place with 33 points, level on points with 9th-place Famalicao, while their bid for a European spot is hampered by a 7-point deficit.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 3-5-2

Jhonatan; William, Santos, Pantalon; Costinha, Graca, Guga, Gomes, Ronaldo; Pereira, Boateng

Benfica

Form: WWWWW

Skipping the formalities in their match at home against Vitoria de Guimaraes saw them get to a dominant first-half display to score three goals, coming from none other than João Mário, who bagged a brace, and Gonçalo Ramos, and with their names on the scoreboard, it was enough motivation to see the Eagles record a commanding 5:1 triumph.

The Eagles have been in exceptional form under the guidance of Roger Schmidt, whose expertise can be evident through the 9-match winning streak they are currently on while going unbeaten in 11 games in the Primeira Liga with the last defeat they recorded being posted in December of last year against Braga on the road (3:0). 

Aiming for their first league title, which they last held three years ago, they find themselves in the driver's seat in the standings this season as they currently occupy first place with 68 points while maintaining a ten-point lead over second-place FC Porto, who have been resilient in their pursuit to dethrone them from their position.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Vlachodimos; Bah, Otamendi, Silva, Grimaldo; Chiquinho, Luis; Mario, Silva, Neres; Ramos

Match Facts

• Rio Ave has won three straight home games in the Primeira Liga.
• Benfica are on a nine-match winning run in the Primeira Liga.
• When playing at home, Rio Ave averages 1.14 goals per game, while Benfica averages 2.03 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

Rio Ave has triumphed twice in the last 41 meetings, Benfica has won 31 times, and there have been 8 draws, with a goal difference of 91-35 in favor of Benfica.

Expert Betting Tips

Rio Ave have performed admirably in their last two matches and will be hoping to replicate the same performance against a side that has been in exceptional form this season, letting no obstacles get in their way of achieving their goal, and they know that trying to walk away with a resounding result here at home will prove to be a challenging feat.

For Benfica, this will be another walkthrough given they have won 10 consecutive games against Rio Ave to display their overt superiority in this fixture, and anything other than a win will surely come as a surprise.

Benfica have scored an individual total of over 2.5 goals in four of their last seven meetings against Rio Ave, and the same trend should be expected here.

• Total 2 - Over 2.5 for 2.40
• Both Teams To Score - No for 1.74
• Corners - Under 10 for 2.37