Taça De Portugal: Buckle up for the Benfica - Rio Ave clash

There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.

Benfica form and stats

Benfica participated in Taça De Portugal the last season, where they reached the semi-finals and lost against Sporting CP.

Home games in the Primeira Liga have been a walk in the park for Benfica so far, with 24 points won from 9 matches; 8 wins, 0 draws and 1 loss. On the other hand, in the Taça De Portugal, Benfica has performed like this (both home and away): 3 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses. Benfica haven’t lost a game in 13 attempts regardless of arena, a great achievement. Their last loss was the fixture versus Porto, 143 days ago. Benfica has won so many consecutive home games (seven in a row) that they struggle to remember the last time points were lost here at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. We remember; it was Porto.

Benfica's previous game was a Primeira Liga match also played at home, ending 2-1 versus Desportivo Aves. The home side are looking to build on that result. A strong away win before that one, visiting Vitoria Guimaraes and winning 1-0.

The home team are expected to win this game about three out of four times, according to the bookmaker odds. When checking the database for Benfica home games with this odds we find two games with a similar winning chance. Resulting in 2 wins, 0 draws and 0 defeats. Looking at the victories, 1 match were won by at least two goals.

There will be little rest for Benfica after this match as they are travelling to Sporting CP for a Primeira Liga game in only three days.

Benfica are showing their attacking force in their league home games this season, scoring more than 2,5 goals per game on average (24 goals in 9 games). Defensively Benfica have been outstanding, conceding less than half a goal on average per home game in the league (3 in 9 games). For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above.

Rio Ave form and stats

Rio Ave's mission in Taça De Portugal last season failed in the 8th finals.

3 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses. That’s the product of Rio Ave playing as the away team in the Primeira Liga this season. When we have look at the Taça De Portugal statistics, we find 3W-0D-0L. This is both home and away.

The Rio Ave goalkeeper Paulo Vitor Fagundes dos Anjos is collecting clean sheets like a laundry worker. It's been 283 league minutes without conceding a goal, and counting.

Rio Ave play their second away game in a row, but can be confident going into this one after the 1-0 victory visiting Santa Clara. Preceding that, the 0-1 home loss versus Maritimo.

You'll want to know how Rio Ave managed when outsiders such as today. Our database found five similar matches resulting in 0 away wins, 1 draw and 4 home wins.

The visitors have scored 7 goals from 8 away games in the league, an average of less than one per game. As opposed to that, Rio Ave have seen the ball go into their own net 8 times on the road.

Head 2 Head

Head-to-head totals (for the last ten meetings): Benfica won 8 games, 1 match ended with a draw and Rio Ave has 1 win. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: 5 / 5

Top Goalscorers

L. Fernandes 12 goals

C. Alves 10 goals

M. Taremi 5 goals

Benfica missing players

Rio Ave missing players