Rio de Janeiro vs Alverca – News and Probable Lineups

In round 28 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Rio Ave will face Alverca at the Estadio dos Arcos this Saturday, showcasing two teams in very different forms.

While Alverca aims to break a streak of nine matches without a victory, the home team is determined to achieve their fourth consecutive win for the first time since April 2022.

Match overview

Before the international break, Rio Ave displayed remarkable determination by coming from behind to clinch a 2-1 win against Estoril Praia on March 21.

Estoril Praia took the lead with Ferro’s 16th-minute goal, but Jakub Brabec equalized in the 54th minute, and Jalen Blesa completed the turnaround with a penalty in the 74th minute.

After losing six consecutive matches between January 17 and February 22, Rio Ave has now gone four matches unbeaten, including a goalless draw with Famalicao on March 1 followed by three wins against Tondela, Estrela Amadora, and Estoril Praia.

This improvement is largely due to their defensive resilience, with Sotiris Sylaidopoulos’ side allowing just two goals and securing two clean sheets in their last four games, a stark contrast to their previous 23 matches where they managed only two clean sheets.

Having fluctuated throughout the season, Rio Ave now looks poised to vie for a top-half finish as they sit 10th in the Primeira Liga with 30 points from 27 fixtures, just two points shy of ninth-placed Vitoria de Guimaraes as they approach the final stretch of the season.

In sharp contrast, Alverca was thoroughly dominated by title contenders Sporting Lisbon in their last match, suffering a 4-1 defeat at the Complexo Desportivo FC Alverca on March 22.

Sporting Lisbon’s scoring came from Luis Javier Suarez, Geny Catamo, and two goals from Pedro Goncalves, while Marko Milovanovic managed a late goal for Alverca in the 83rd minute.

After starting the year with consecutive wins over Famalicao and Moreirense, Alverca has been winless in nine Primeira Liga matches, recording three losses and six draws, conceding 17 goals while netting eight during this stretch.

As a result of these disappointing results, Custodio Castro’s squad is now close to the relegation zone with their current position at 12th in the league standings, tied on 29 points with Arouca in 11th and seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Facing a challenging match this weekend, Alverca will aim to gain momentum against a rival they have struggled against in their last three encounters, seeing two losses and a draw since November 2019.

Team News

Rio Ave will be without Costa Rican midfielder Brandon Aguilera Zamora, who has missed the last seven matches while recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

Newly signed Blesa has quickly become a crowd favorite; since his transfer from Cesena, the Spanish striker has scored five goals in seven appearances and will be looking to contribute once more.

Blesa is expected to lead the line, supported by Diogo Bezerra and Croatian forward Dario Spikic, while Marios Vrousai, Jakub Brabec, Gustavo Mancha and Nelson Abbey are likely to form the defensive line.

On the other hand, Alverca’s Castro will not have access to Stephane Diarra and Spanish midfielder Tomas Mendes due to muscle injuries.

Joining the injury list is 20-year-old Francisco Chissumba, who will miss his fourth consecutive match since sustaining an injury against Tondela on February 13. Ganaian midfielder Sabit Abdulai has also been out since January.

Rio Ave probable starting XI:

Van der Gouw; Vrousai, Brabec, Mancha, Abbey; Nikitscher, Ntoi; Bezerra, Pohlmann, Spikic; Injury

Alverca probable starting XI:

Gomes; Naves, Gomez, Meupiyou; Touaizi, Rhaldney, Lincoln, James; Figueiredo, Chiquinho, Lima

After a string of lackluster displays, Rio Ave seems to have regained momentum as the season draws to a close, and they are favored to continue their successful run against an Alverca side that has struggled without a win for nine matches.