A key match in Primeira Liga as both teams are battling for the top positions. With Rio Ave in 5th position and Benfica placed 2nd, this promises to be an exciting meeting. Read on to find out more!
Rio Ave form and stats
When playing at home in the Primeira Liga, Rio Ave have managed 4 wins, 5 draws and suffered 3 defeats from 12 games. Three draws from their last three home games means a steady supply of points here at Estádio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube, but a victory now would be sweet for Rio Ave.
Rio Ave travelled for their previous game, a trip to Porto that ended 1-1. In the match before that, Rio Ave hosted Belenenses and drew the game 0-0.
Rio Ave has scored 16 league goals at home this season, in 12 matches. 12 goals have been conceded.
Benfica form and stats
Rock solid. That's the only way to describe the travels of Benfica so far, with 10-1-1 (wins-draws-losses) so far. Those are Primeira Liga statistics.
It's another away game for the visitors, as they travelled to Vitória FC (placed 12th) in their previous outing. The Primeira Liga match ended in a draw 1-1. A draw for Benfica before that, at their own venue hosting Moreirense (1-1).
With an average of more than two away goals per league game away, Benfica are regular goalscorers on their travels. It's not easy to score on Benfica as they have only conceded 7 goals from these away games.
Head 2 Head
The most recent history between these sides is the Benfica - Rio Ave 2-0 played earlier this season. Head-2-head stats last ten meetings: one - one - eight (Rio Ave wins - draws - Benfica wins). As for goals, six matches ended with three or more goals (over 2,5), four had two or less.Top Goalscorers
  C. Alves Morais 15 goals |  L. Fernandes 14 goals |   M. Taremi 8 goals |
Rio Ave missing players
Benfica missing players
| Rio Ave | Benfica | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 24 | 12 | 3 | Played | P | 4 | 12 | 24 |
| 10 | 4 | 0 | Won | W | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| 8 | 5 | 2 | Drew | D | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | 3 | 1 | Lost | L | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 32 | 16 | 2 | Scored | S | 9 | 24 | 52 |
| 23 | 12 | 3 | Conceded | C | 3 | 7 | 14 |
| 92% | 92% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 67% | 58% | 67% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 75% | 75% | 79% |
| 29% | 25% | 0% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 50% | 42% | 46% |
| 21% | 25% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 50% | 25% | 33% |
| 12% | 17% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 25% | 17% | 17% |
| 46% | 50% | 67% | BTTS | BTTS | 25% | 42% | 33% |
| 33% | 33% | 0% | Clean Sheets | C S | 75% | 58% | 58% |
| 29% | 25% | 33% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 0% | 8% |
| 4.7 | 6.4 | 4.7 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.8 | 5.2 | 7 |
| 4.7 | 3.6 | 5 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
| 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.7 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 246 | 142 | 29 | Total Shots | T S | 39 | 159 | 357 |
| 74 | 45 | 9 | Shots on Target | S O | 16 | 53 | 120 |
| 43% | 36% | 22% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 56% | 45% | 43% |
- Benfica has the fewest conceded goals (14)
- Benfica has the fewest conceded goals (7) away
- Benfica has the fewest conceded goals in the first half (8)
- Benfica has the fewest conceded goals in the second half (6)
- Benfica has the fewest dropped points from leading position (0)
- Benfica has the most clean sheets (14)
- Benfica has the most clean sheets (7) away
- Benfica has the most points (31) away
- Benfica has the most scored goals (52)
- Benfica has the most scored goals in the second half (34)
- Benfica has the the best goal difference (+17) away
- Benfica has the the best goal difference (+38)
- Benfica have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded.
- Benfica have scored in all their away matches so far.
- Benfica have won significantly less corners away then at home.
- Benfica haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
- Rio Ave has the most matches under the total-line (17)
- Rio Ave 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 | Porto | 24 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 10 | 34 | 60 |
| 2 | Benfica | 24 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 52 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 7 | 38 | 59 |
| 3 | Sporting Braga | 24 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 41 | 26 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 46 |
| 4 | Sporting CP | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 42 |
| 5 | Rio Ave | 24 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 38 |
| 6 | Vitória SC | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 40 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 37 |
| 7 | Famalicão | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 | 40 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 21 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 19 | -2 | 37 |
| 8 | Moreirense | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 34 | 32 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 2 | 30 |
| 9 | Santa Clara | 24 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -7 | 30 |
| 10 | Gil Vicente | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 25 | 29 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 16 | -4 | 30 |
| 11 | Boavista | 24 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 23 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | -4 | 29 |
| 12 | Vitória FC | 24 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 27 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 16 | -10 | 28 |
| 13 | Belenenses | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 38 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 19 | -19 | 26 |
| 14 | Tondela | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 15 | -10 | 25 |
| 15 | Maritimo | 24 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 24 |
| 16 | Paços de Ferreira | 24 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 34 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 20 | -16 | 22 |
| 17 | Portimonense | 24 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 34 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 22 | -18 | 16 |
| 18 | Desportivo Aves | 24 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 23 | 47 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 28 | -24 | 13 |