Rio Ave are set to host Famalicao at the Estadio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube on Friday evening for matchday eight of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga season.
The hosts are 12th in the table with seven points from seven outings, while the visitors sit seventh in the standings with 12 points from their first seven games.
Match preview
Since being promoted as Liga Portugal 2 champions in 2021-22, Rio Ave have enjoyed two positive campaigns back in the top flight, placing 12th in 2022-23 and 11th last term.
Despite an improvement in their overall league standings over that two-year period, Rio Ave actually moved closer to the relegation zone last season, finishing just five points above the relegation playoff spot compared to 14 points the previous year.
That was largely due to the remarkable number of draws Rio Ave recorded last season, drawing 19 of their 34 fixtures, seven more than the next-highest tally of 12.
Luis Freire's side secured the majority of those draws in the closing stages of the 2023-24 season, going unbeaten in their final 12 matches, with 10 of those ending level.
Freire would have aimed to turn those draws into victories to climb the table in 2024-25, but instead, they have shifted to defeats, losing four of their seven matches so far.
Rio Ave now head into this one without a victory in their last three, losing two and drawing one, a streak that Freire will be desperate to put an end to on Friday.
Famalicao could provide the perfect opportunity for Rio Ave to do exactly that, with the visitors also struggling in recent outings, having failed to win any of their last four matches.
After starting the season with three consecutive victories, keeping clean sheets in each of those wins, Armando Evangelista will be disappointed with his team's inability to secure a win in their next four fixtures.
Notably, Famalicao have failed to score in their last two games, drawing 0-0 with both Moreirense and Nacional, but they should be confident of ending that drought as they face a Rio Ave defence that has conceded 12 goals, the second most in the division.
Those results have seen Evangelista's side slip to seventh in the table, but with ambitions of finishing higher than eighth, where they have placed in each of the last three campaigns, he will ultimately be pleased with his team's overall start to the season.
Team News
The hosts have avoided any fresh injury concerns in recent outings, giving Freire the advantage of a fully fit and available squad to choose from.
Following a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Braga in their last outing, Freire is likely to make several changes to his starting lineup for this game, with Demir Ege Tiknaz, Fabio Ronaldo, and Ahmed Hassan all expected to start after being brought on early in the second half of that match.
As for the visitors, Leonardo Realpe is not available for selection due to a thigh injury that is expected to keep him sidelined until later this month.
Sorriso is also a doubt after the forward was taken off after just 10 minutes in their 0-0 draw to Nacional last time out, leaving Gil Dias likely to come into the starting team.
Rio Ave possible starting lineup:
Jhonatan; Pantalon, Santos, Panzo; Vrousai, Tiknaz, Novais, Ronaldo; Morais, Hassan, Pohlmann
Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Zlobin; Calegari, Mihaj, De Haas, Pinheiro; Youssouf, Topic; Dias, Sa, Aranda; Gonzalez
We say: Rio Ave 1-1 Famalicao
Both sides have struggled for wins in recent matches, with the hosts currently three games without a victory and the visitors winless in four, suggesting this match could likely end in a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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