Preview: Rio Ave vs Nacional - prediction, team news, lineups

Rio Ave will launch their Primeira Liga campaign this Sunday when they welcome Nacional to Estadio dos Arcos for matchday two action.

The Vila Condenses were absent from the opening fixtures after their scheduled meeting with Benfica was cancelled, while the visitors endured a frustrating start to the season.

Match preview

With ample time to prepare for Sunday’s contest, new manager Sotiris Silaidopoulos will hope the break serves him well as he looks to firmly embed his ideas into the Rio Ave set-up following a disappointing conclusion to pre-season.

Appointed in June after the departure of former boss Petit, the Greek tactician made a bright start by winning three of his first four summer friendlies, but subsequent defeats to Gil Vicente and Al-Nassr have likely prompted reflection and fine-tuning ahead of his first competitive assignment.

Although Silaidopoulos has work ahead to mould the side into contenders among the upper ranks, it is worth noting that he is not inheriting them in their darkest hour, considering the club had previously endured a sharp fall to the second tier.

Since sealing an immediate return in 2022-23, Rio Ave have delivered mid-table finishes, placing 11th in the past two campaigns, and in their push for progress, the Vila do Conde outfit have paired a managerial change with calculated moves in the transfer market.

Among the arrivals, striker Clayton has seen his loan move made permanent, while defender Jonathan Panzo has joined on a definitive deal from Nottingham Forest.

That said, Rio Ave have an unbeaten sequence to protect from last term, having rounded off the campaign with a win and two draws, the most recent being a 1-1 stalemate with Gil Vicente on the final day.

Nacional faltered in their own meeting with the same opponent last weekend when both sides faced off at Estadio da Madeira in the opening round of the 2025-26 season.

First-half strikes from Pablo and Luis Esteves condemned the White-and-Black to defeat, prolonging a struggle that dates back to the previous campaign.

Tiago Margarido’s men have now trailed at half-time in each of their last four top-flight outings, losing three, with the only exception being a 3-3 home draw against Rio Ave.

While Nacional will be eager to take something from this encounter once again, their recent visits to Dos Arcos have been far from productive, with defeats in their last two league trips to the ground.

Rio Ave form (all competitions):

Nacional Primeira Liga form:

Nacional form (all competitions):

Team News

Fortunately for Silaidopoulos, he will have a clean bill of health as he leads Rio Ave into his first competitive fixture, and he may stick with the three-man backline deployed last season.

Clayton is expected to spearhead the attack, while new signing Georgios Liavas could feature after joining in midweek.

The visitors, however, are plagued by absentees, with Ivanildo Fernandes, Douglas Nathan, Motez Nourani, Miguel Baeza, Deivison and Lucas Joao all sidelined for Sunday’s challenge.

Meanwhile, Margarido could look to freshen his line-up following the disappointing opener, with Joel Silva likely to be handed a start after making an impact from the bench in that game.

Rio Ave possible starting lineup:

Miszta; Panzo, Ntoi, Athanasiou; Abbey, Aguilera, Bakoulas, Vrousai; Pohlmann, Clayton, Luiz

Nacional possible starting lineup:

Franca; Gomes, Ulisses, Santos, Aurelio; Silva, Dias, Soares; Boia, Ramirez, Witi

We say: Rio Ave 1-0 Nacional

Nacional have struggled in the final third, failing to find the net in their last two top flight matches stretching back to the previous season, and prising anything from a Rio Ave side buoyed by home support appears a daunting task.

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