It's game two of the Npfl season and everything to play for. Read our full preview!
Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.
Rivers United form and stats
The home team returns to Liberation Stadium after sharing the points with Kano Pillars (placed 10th) on their last time out; the Npfl game ended 0-0. Before that, Rivers United had a home game versus Bendel Insurance which ended with a victory 1-0.
Last season, Rivers United's league statistics were 8 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses, resulting in a 5th position in the Premier League. Over these 22 matches they scored 18 goals and conceded 17. Playing at home last season Rivers United managed 7-3-1 (win-draw-lost) with 12 goals and 4 conceded.
Heartland form and stats
This game can not go any worse than the last one, a Npfl home defeat versus MFM with 0-1 on the scoreboard. Before that, Heartland secured a home win against El Kanemi Warriors with the score 2-0.
Let's have a look at how Heartland performed last season in the Premier League: They landed a 6th position in the league table after playing out 9 victories, 4 draws and 9 defeats. In total they scored 25 and conceded 22 goals in these matches. The numbers for away games only are: Won 2 - drew 2 and lost 7 with 4/10 goals scored/conceded.
Head 2 Head
Last five meetings between the teams: Rivers United won 3, Heartland won 2 and 0 draws. 3 games with over 2,5 goals, 2 matches with two goals or less.Rivers United missing players
Heartland missing players
| Rivers United | Heartland | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Played | P | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Won | W | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Lost | L | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Scored | S | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Conceded | C | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | BTTS | BTTS | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 100% | 0% | 0% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 100% | 0% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners For (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners Against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Yellow Cards (avg) | Y C | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Red Cards | R C | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rivers United | Last season | Heartland | |||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 22 | 11 | Played | P | 11 | 22 | ||
| 8 | 7 | Won | W | 2 | 9 | ||
| 7 | 3 | Drew | D | 2 | 4 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Lost | L | 7 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 12 | Scored | S | 4 | 25 | ||
| 17 | 4 | Conceded | C | 10 | 22 | ||
| 91% | 91% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 82% | 91% | ||
| 50% | 36% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 27% | 59% | ||
| 18% | 18% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 18% | 36% | ||
| 0% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 14% | ||
| 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 9% | ||
| 36% | 27% | BTTS | BTTS | 18% | 41% | ||
| 45% | 73% | Clean Sheets | C S | 27% | 32% | ||
| 27% | 9% | Failed to Score | F T | 73% | 36% | ||
| 4.1 | 5.2 | Corners For (avg) | C F | 2.4 | 4.4 | ||
| 3.7 | 2.3 | Corners Against (avg) | C A | 6 | 4.8 | ||
| 1.6 | 1.3 | Yellow Cards (avg) | Y C | 3.4 | 2.5 | ||
| 0 | 0 | Red Cards | R C | 0 | 1 | ||
- Heartland have conceded at least twice as many corners as they have won away.
- Heartland have conceded at least twice as many goals as they have scored away.
- Heartland have won significantly less corners away then at home.
- Rivers United have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded at home.
- Rivers United have scored at least twice as many goals at home as Heartland have scored away.
- Rivers United have won at least twice as many corners as they have conceded at home.
- Rivers United have won significantly more corners at home than away.
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Plateau United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Abia Warriors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Wikki Tourist | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Ifeanyi Uba | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | MFM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Akwa Starlets | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Akwa United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Delta Force | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Warri Wolves | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Kano Pillars | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Rivers United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Jigawa Golden Stars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 17 | Adamawa United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 18 | Heartland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| 19 | Lobi Stars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| 20 | Katsina United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| Last season | Total | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Enugu Rangers | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 40 |
| 2 | Lobi Stars | 22 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 22 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 35 |
| 3 | Enyimba | 22 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 33 |
| 4 | MFM | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 22 | 20 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 32 |
| 5 | Rivers United | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 31 |
| 6 | Katsina United | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 16 | -1 | 30 |
| 7 | Wikki Tourist | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 17 | -2 | 30 |
| 8 | Sunshine Stars | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 29 |
| 9 | Bendel Insurance | 22 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 28 |
| 10 | Kwara United | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 14 | -5 | 27 |
| 11 | Niger Tornadoes | 22 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 17 | -7 | 21 |
| 12 | Remo Stars | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 19 | -7 | 20 |