Rio Ave vs Famalicão – News and Probable Lineups

Rio Ave will host Famalicao at Vila do Conde for their 1000th match in the Portuguese top division during matchday 24 of the ongoing Primeira Liga season.

Desiring to celebrate this milestone with a win, the home side aims to end a dismal streak of six consecutive losses, while the visitors from Vila Nova have had a seesaw performance in their last five games, alternating between victories and defeats.

Match overview

Rio Ave made their first appearance in the Portuguese top flight on August 26, 1979, participating in 31 seasons and achieving 297 victories, 295 draws, and 407 losses over their 999 games.

Having experienced spells in the lower leagues historically, the Vilacondenses made a quick return to the Primeira Liga in the 2022–23 season and have since finished 12th once and 11th twice, although they are currently in genuine danger of relegation.

Positioned 15th in the top-flight standings, just a couple of points clear of the playoff zone, the Vila do Conde team has suffered a notable dip in form recently, with only one win in their last 10 league appearances (D1, L8), which includes a streak of six defeats.

Last weekend, they faced a predictable defeat at the hands of leaders Porto at the Estadio do Dragao, but head coach Sotiris Silaidopoulos might find some solace in his side’s improved discipline as they only conceded once.

The Greek manager emphasized post-match that his team “only need one good result to lift the mood and confidence”, hoping for a breakthrough on Sunday; another defeat would match their second-longest losing run in the top division.

However, the Vilacondenses have struggled to hit the back of the net in five of their last six fixtures, managing only one goal during that period, while they conceded a daunting 15 goals, presenting Silaidopoulos with challenges to rectify both offence and defence as he tries to steer his team away from relegation.

Meanwhile, Famalicao aims for a European spot after securing a 2–0 victory against Casa Pia last weekend, thanks to goals from Mathias De Amorim and Antoine Joujou around halftime.

This win marked Vila Nova’s fourth success in seven matches in 2026 (L3), propelling them to sixth place in the standings, seven points off the top four and five behind fifth position. They have netted 29 goals while allowing 21, reflecting a reasonable balance defensively and offensively.

However, Famalicao has faced issues on the road recently, failing to score and losing their last two away matches, including a heavy 5–0 defeat to Gil Vicente and a narrow 1–0 loss against Sporting Lisbon.

With four wins from 11 league away games (D3, L4), Vila Nova will approach Sunday’s match with hope considering the hosts have suffered six defeats in their 11 home fixtures this season (W2, D3).

The visitors have also enjoyed recent success against Rio Ave, remaining unbeaten in their last 11 league encounters (W4, D7), although they’ve only secured one win in five visits to Vila do Conde in that span.

Team News

Rio Ave will be without midfielder Brandon Aguilera, ruled out for the rest of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained against Arouca on matchday 20.

Goalkeeper Cezary Miszta is nearing a return from a lower back injury but remains uncertain, which means winter acquisition Ennio van der Gouw is expected to continue in goal.

For Famalicao, long-term absentee Oscar Aranda is still in recovery from a knee injury, and right-back Rodrigo Pinheiro might miss a fifth consecutive match.

The visitors also face suspensions for Justin De Haas, Pedro Bondo, and Gustavo Sa, all sidelined due to accumulated yellow cards.

Additionally, Joujou is vying for a starting spot after contributing as a substitute to secure victory against Casa Pia last weekend.

Rio Ave probable starting XI:

Van der Gouw; Vrousai, Brabec, Mancha, O Richards; Nikitscher, Ntoi; Bezerra, Pohlmann, Spikic; Tamble

Famalicao probable starting XI:

Carevic; R Soares, Realpe, Ba, Garcia; Van de Looi, De Amorim; Smile, Days, Joujou; Elisor

Rio Ave has shown some improvement recently, and a determined performance on Sunday may result in a favorable outcome, especially given that their opponents will be missing several key players due to suspensions.

Nonetheless, with seven of the last 11 league matchups between these teams ending in draws — including the earlier fixture this season — another stalemate wouldn’t be surprising.