Preview: Rio Ave vs Estrela Amadora - prediction, team news, lineups

Having picked up three huge points in their survival scrap last Monday, Rio Ave will be looking to make it two wins from two for the first time since October when they play host to Estrela Amadora in round 26 of the Primeira Liga on Sunday.

The Tricolores, who journey to the Estadio dos Arcos, where they have failed to taste victory in any of their last four visits since May 2009, will head into the weekend looking to end this dry spell and score their first away win since the turn of the year.

Match preview

New signing Jalen Blesa turned in another eye-catching display on Monday when he netted the only goal of the game to hand Rio Ave an important 1-0 victory over Tondela at the Estadio Joao Cardoso.

Making just his fifth appearance since joining from Cesana in the winter window, Blesa’s well-worked team goal in the 70th minute meant that Diogo Bezerra’s 45th-minute penalty miss bore no consequences as the visitors held on to see out all three points.

Rio Ave has suffered six consecutive defeats between January 17 and February 22, conceding 15 goals and scoring just once across the six games, before playing out a goalless draw with Famalicao at the Estadio dos Arcos on March 1.

The result at the Estadio Joao Cardoso was a huge step towards preserving their four-year stint in the top flight, as Sotiris Sylaidopoulos’s men have moved up to 13th place in the Primeira Liga standings, level on points with 14th-placed Casa Pia and two points above the relegation zone.

On the other hand, Estrela Amadora’s struggles at the back were on show once again last Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Gil Vicente after fighting back from behind to take a 2-1 lead with less than half an hour to go.

Jovane Cabral struck in the 54th minute to cancel out Murilo Souza’s first-half opener, and after Abraham Marcus completed the comeback in the 67th minute, Santi Garcia hit back for Gil Vicente two minutes later to force a share of the spoils.

Estrela Amadora have now gone four consecutive games without a win, picking up two points from a possible 12, and have managed just one victory in 10 matches across all competitions since the turn of the year.

Central to what has been a challenging campaign for Joao Nuno’s men has been their defensive vulnerability, as Estrela have conceded the fifth-highest number of goals in the Primeira Liga (43), leaving them 12th in the league table, one point and one spot above this Sunday’s hosts.

While the Tricolores will be looking to bounce back this weekend, they are up against an opposing side who are unbeaten in seven of their last nine meetings, picking up five wins and two draws since January 2009.

Rio Ave Primeira Liga form:

Estrela Amadora Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Rio Ave will take to the pitch without Costa Rican midfielder Brandon Aguilera, who has missed each of the last five games through a cruciate ligament injury.

Nelson Abbey was taken off due to an injury against Tondela last time out and is a major doubt for Sunday’s game, while French defender Julien Lomboto is set to sit out his fifth consecutive game.

Estrela, meanwhile, remain without the duo of Sydney van Hooijdonk and Jefferson Encada, who missed the game against Gil Vicente last time out after both sustaining injuries against AVS back in February.

Marcus was forced off injured shortly after his strike against the Gilistas last time out, and should he fail to shake off the injury, Santos loanee Billal Brahimi could be given the nod in attack.

They are joined on the club’s injury table by 23-year-old Leandro Antonetti, who is set to sit out his third straight game after sustaining a muscle problem in February.

Rio Ave possible starting lineup:

Gouw; Vrousai, Brabec, Mancha, Richards; Nikitscher, Ntoi; Bezerra, Blesa, Spikic; Ulisses

Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:

Ribeiro; Scholze, Patrick, Lekovic, Langa; Sola, Jansson; Brahimi, Moreira, Cabral; Stoica

We say: Rio Ave 1-0 Estrela Amadora

Buoyed by their victory at Tondela, Rio Ave will return home with renewed confidence as they look to put together a strong run of form heading into the run-in. Estrela are yet to taste victory on the road this year, and while we expect them to put up a fight, we are tipping Sylaidopoulos’s men to come away with all three points.

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