National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Rio Ave or Santa Clara that keep their silverware dream alive.
The hosts Rio saw competitive action as recent as four days ago, playing in the Segunda Liga. Thankfully the previous game, versus Feirense, was also a home game here at Estádio do Rio Futebol Clube. The away team is better rested.
Rio Ave form and stats
Rio Ave participated in League Cup the last season, where they reached the group stage.Rio Ave have secured 6 points from their first three home games in the Segunda Liga. A decent catch, still with room for improvement.
The Rio fans got no joy from their last match, a Segunda Liga game also here at Estádio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube: A 0-4 defeat against Feirense. As you see from the result above, Rio suffered greatly in their last game. Thankfully the team has a new chance to prove themselves in this one.
In the game before, an away victory in the Segunda Liga match versus Estrela Amadora with a 5-2 scoreline.Rio Ave are traveling soon after this match as the Taça De Portugal match at Vitoria de Sernache awaits in four days.
Goals decide football matches and Rio are scoring many of them at home; 7 on target from 3 league matches. Rio are struggling defensively, conceding on average more than two goals per home game (6 from 3 played).
Santa Clara form and stats
Santa was sent out of League Cup in the group stage last season.No Primeira Liga points yet away for Santa Clara, from their first 3 matches. Three might be a magic number, but there's been little wizardry in Santa's last three away games as they have all been lost.
Santa lost away at Portimonense (1-2) in their previous game and are perhaps starting to feel homesick. The attacker Lincoln got a match rating of 7.32 in that game. Lincoln hit one key pass and dribled passed the opponent 1 of 1 times.
Preceding that, the 0-5 home loss versus Benfica.A new game in only four days for Santa, the Primeira Liga home match versus Sporting Braga. Busy days.
Santa are seemingly not capable of scoring regularly on their travels in the league. They have only managed 1 goal from 3 away games. For Santa Clara, more than two goals on average per game end up in their own net.
Head 2 Head
Head-to-head data (for the previous ten meetings): Rio won four games, three matches ended with a tie and Santa Clara managed three wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: four / sixTop Goalscorers
  G. de Souza 4 goals |  P. Lobo Peixoto Mineiro Mendes 3 goals |  J. da Costa 2 goals |
Rio Ave missing players
Santa Clara missing players
| Rio Ave | Santa Clara | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 12 | Played | P | 11 | 25 | ||
| 9 | 4 | Won | W | 1 | 8 | ||
| 8 | 3 | Drew | D | 1 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 5 | Lost | L | 9 | 10 | ||
| 32 | 12 | Scored | S | 7 | 32 | ||
| 30 | 16 | Conceded | C | 17 | 29 | ||
| 88% | 83% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 91% | 84% | ||
| 72% | 75% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 73% | 68% | ||
| 40% | 42% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 55% | 52% | ||
| 20% | 17% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 20% | ||
| 12% | 8% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 12% | ||
| 44% | 33% | BTTS | BTTS | 45% | 36% | ||
| 24% | 25% | Clean Sheets | C S | 18% | 44% | ||
| 44% | 58% | Failed to Score | F T | 45% | 36% | ||
| 5.2 | 4.2 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.5 | 4.8 | ||
| 5.6 | 4.8 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5.5 | 5 | ||
| 2.3 | 2.8 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 2.4 | 2.9 | ||
| 9 | 6 | Red cards | R C | 2 | 5 | ||
| 10.6 | 9.8 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 11.1 | 12.1 | ||
| 3.8 | 3.2 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.5 | 4.1 | ||
| 34% | 31% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 17% | 32% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Feirense | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
| 2 | Rio Ave | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| 3 | Benfica II | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 4 | Mafra | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Penafiel | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| 6 | Sporting Covilha | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 7 | Leixoes | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Porto II | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Casa Pia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 10 | Trofense | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 11 | Nacional | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -1 | 7 |
| 12 | Chaves | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 13 | Estrela Amadora | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 5 |
| 14 | Academico Viseu | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -5 | 4 |
| 15 | Varzim | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -4 | 3 |
| 16 | Farense | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -5 | 2 |
| 17 | Academica | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 2 |
| 18 | Vilafranquense | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -6 | 2 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Benfica | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 15 |
| 2 | Estoril | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | Porto | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | Sporting CP | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| 5 | Portimonense | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 6 | Boavista | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 7 | Sporting Braga | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Gil Vicente | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Pacos de Ferreira | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 7 |
| 10 | Vitoria Guimaraes | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 11 | Maritimo | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -2 | 6 |
| 12 | Vizela | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | -6 | 5 |
| 13 | Arouca | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -6 | 4 |
| 14 | Santa Clara | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | -10 | 4 |
| 15 | Moreirense | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -2 | 3 |
| 16 | Tondela | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 17 | Famalicao | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -4 | 3 |
| 18 | Belenenses | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -5 | 3 |