Rio Ave vs Estrela da Amadora – News and Probable Lineups

Following a crucial victory in their battle for survival last Monday, Rio Ave aims to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since October as they face Estrela Amadora in round 26 of the Primeira Liga this Sunday.

The Tricolores, traveling to the Estadio dos Arcos, are seeking to break their winless streak in this venue since May 2009 after failing to win any of their last four visits, while also aiming for their first away win of the year.

Match overview

New signing Jalen Blesa put in another impressive performance last Monday, scoring the decisive goal in a tight 1-0 victory against Tondela at the Estadio Joao Cardoso.

In only his fifth appearance since transferring from Cesana during the winter transfer window, Blesa’s well-coordinated team goal in the 70th minute meant that Diogo Bezerra’s penalty miss earlier in the match did not affect the outcome as Rio Ave secured all three points.

Between January 17 and February 22, Rio Ave faced six consecutive losses, conceding 15 goals and managing to score just once during that period, before playing to a goalless draw with Famalicao at the Estadio dos Arcos on March 1.

The recent result at the Estadio Joao Cardoso marks a significant step towards maintaining their top-flight status, with Sotiris Sylaidopoulos’s team now sitting in 13th place in the Primeira Liga table, level on points with Casa Pia in 14th and two points above the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Estrela Amadora’s defensive issues surfaced once again last Sunday when they drew 2-2 with Gil Vicente after coming from behind to briefly lead 2-1 with less than 30 minutes remaining.

Jovane Cabral equalized in the 54th minute after Murilo Souza opened the scoring in the first half, and after Abraham Marcus completed the comeback with a goal in the 67th minute, Santi Garcia responded for Gil Vicente just two minutes later, leading to a shared result.

Estrela Amadora has now gone four matches without a win, earning only two points from a possible 12 and securing just one victory in their last 10 encounters across all competitions since the year’s start.

Central to their struggles has been a lack of defensive solidity, with Estrela conceding the fifth-most goals in the Primeira Liga (43), currently placing them 12th in the standings, just one point and one place above their opponents this Sunday.

As the Tricolores aim to bounce back this weekend, they are matched against a side that has remained unbeaten in seven of their last nine clashes, recording five wins and two draws since January 2009.

Team News

Rio Ave will be without Costa Rican midfielder Brandon Aguilera, who has missed the last five matches due to a cruciate ligament injury.

Nelson Abbey was substituted due to injury against Tondela in the previous fixture and is doubtful for Sunday’s match, while French defender Julien Lomboto is expected to miss his fifth consecutive game.

On the other side, Estrela will continue to be without Sydney van Hooijdonk and Jefferson Encada, both of whom missed the recent match against Gil Vicente after injuries sustained against AVS in February.

Marcus had to leave the field due to injury shortly after scoring against Gil Vicente, and if he is unable to recover in time, Santos loanee Billal Brahimi may take his place in attack.

They are joined on the injury list by 23-year-old Leandro Antonetti, who will sit out his third straight match due to a muscle issue picked up in February.

Rio Ave probable starting XI:

Gold; Vrousai, Brabec, Mancha, Richards; Nikitscher, Ntoi; Bezerra, Blesa, Spikic; Ulysses

Estrela Amadora probable starting XI:

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

Fresh off their win against Tondela, Rio Ave returns home filled with renewed confidence, eager to establish a winning streak as the season progresses. Estrela has yet to secure an away victory this calendar year, and while we anticipate a competitive match, we are expecting Sylaidopoulos’s side to clinch all three points.