Rio Ave vs Benfica Predictions, Betting Tips & Lineups - Eagles to Bounce Back
Rio Ave faces Benfica in a crucial Primeira Liga match on January 17, 2026. Benfica, led by dynamic striker Vangelis Pavlidis who has scored 17 goals in 17 appearances, enters the game as favorites. Despite recent struggles with not keeping clean sheets, the Eagles are predicted to win to nil, capitalizing on Rio Ave's inconsistency and the absence of star player Andre Luiz. Both teams have compelling narratives, but Benfica holds the upper hand in recent form and head-to-head statistics.
- Rio Ave haven’t won back to back games since March 2023
- Benfica have conceded 7 goals in their last 4 matches
- I am backing Vangelis Pavlidis to score in the Primeira Liga
Rio Ave vs Benfica Preview
Rio Ave failed to score in home defeats to Porto, Estoril, Guimaraes and haven't won consecutive games in close to three years.
Benfica are overdue for a clean sheet and Vangelis Pavlidis rarely goes two games without a goal, the Eagles to win in Vila do Conde.
HTH - Benfica Dominant
Benfica first met Rio Ave in 1979 and have shown their superiority, building a 72-5 advantage alongside 13 draws.
The Eagles won 12 straight from 2018 to 2024, two of the previous four encounters ending in 1-1 draws.
Rio Ave Reliant on Two Brazilians
Rio Ave have struggled to string wins together this season, the northern club now failing to win back to back games in more than two years.
Two Brazilians have led the way in the Primeira Liga during the current campaign. Andre Luiz and Clayton have combined to score 17 goals and register nine assists, no other player with more than two in either category.
The Vila do Conde club beat Casa Pia 3-1 in their previous match. Clayton assisted Luiz twice alongside a goal to Brandon Aguilera, eight of their 12 shots on target.
Manager Sotiris Sylaidopoulos said: “We're happy with the victory, I think we deserved it because we played a good game. We created some dynamics that we practiced, and it's not just the victory that counts, but how we achieved it.”
Benfica Eliminated in Both Cups
Benfica recently went 11 games without defeat, but their inability to keep clean sheets since Christmas has proved costly.
Jose Mourinho’s side suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Braga in the League Cup semi-finals. Vangelis Pavlidis reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 64th minute but they couldn’t go on with it and saw Nicolas Otamendi sent off late on.
The Eagles went out of the Portuguese Cup on Wednesday following a hard fought 1-0 loss at Porto. They had 1.65-0.82 xG with Pavlidis missing a glorious opportunity to equalise in the 90th minute.
Mourinho highlighted the chance after the game, saying: "It's not easy to play against Porto at the Dragão stadium, and especially not to do it the way we did. We deserved more. The missed goal in the 90th minute illustrates what I'm saying.”
“We didn't have problems in the game, we controlled it well despite all the absences, with forced substitutions… the boys were very good. We lacked the goal, which we could have scored, without ten goal opportunities, but enough to have a different result."
Predicted Lineups & Team News
Rio Ave (3-4-3) Cezary Miszta; Francisco Petrasso, Jonathan Panzo, Jakub Brabec; Joao Tome, Andreas Ntoi, Jairo Aguilera, Marios Vrousai; Ole Pohlmann, Clayton, Dario Spikic
Theofanis Bakoulas and Omar Richards remain out with knee injuries. Diogo Bezerra has been signed from Serbian club OFK Beograd, the 23-year-old Brazilian winger a chance to come off the bench.
Andre Luiz has been rumoured to be moving to Benfica but the deal has apparently stalled due to Rio Ave demanding €15 million. He is unlikely to feature here.
Sylaidopoulos discussed the potential loss of the winger, saying: “Andre Luiz is a very important player for us, we're happy to have him here. He's been working hard, he's committed and focused on the team, which is important for us.”
“We know the transfer window is open, there's a lot of noise around, but he remains focused. There's nothing official yet, but it's challenging for us to find solutions if something happens.”
| Player | Position | Status | Reason |
| Theofanis Bakoulas | Centre Back | Confirmed out | Cruciate ligament injury |
| Omar Richards | Left Back | Confirmed out | Knee injury |
Benfica (4-2-3-1) Anatoliy Trubin; Amar Dedic, Tomas Araujo, Nicolas Otamendi, Samuel Dahl; Leandro Barreiro, Manu Silva; Fredrik Aursnes, Georgiy Sudakov, Andreas Schjelderup; Vangelis Pavlidis
Nicolas Otamendi returns from suspension and the captain will be welcomed back into central defence. Bruma is back in training but this one could come too soon.
Andreas Schjelderup produced a positive performance off the bench in Porto and could be rewarded with a start.
Richard Rios picked up a shoulder injury in Porto, Mourinho saying: "Rios' injury is significant, a player with his mentality approaches injury differently. There are players who, with this type of injury, don't hesitate and focus more on the future, making decisions with the future in mind."
"Rios is the type of player who won't think about the future; he'll focus on helping the team when it needs him most, and the team will need him very much in the coming days."
"It doesn't mean he'll play against Rio Ave, that would be superhuman. I think he'll still help us this season."
| Player | Position | Status | Reason |
| Samuel Soares | Goalkeeper | Confirmed Out | Muscle Injury |
| Alexander Bah | Right Back | Confirmed Out | Cruciate ligament injury |
| Nuno Felix | Midfielder | Confirmed Out | Knee ligament rupture |
| Richard Rios | Midfielder | Confirmed Out | Shoulder Injury |
| Dodi Lukebakio | Winger | Confirmed Out | Ankle fracture |
| Bruma | Winger | Doubtful | Achilles injury |
| Henrique Araujo | Striker | Doubtful | Thigh injury |
Verdict
Rio Ave are set to be without star player Andre Luiz who is on the verge of a move to Benfica.
Vangelis Pavlidis has scored 17 goals in 17 Primeira Liga appearances this season, the striker to fire the Eagles to victory in Vila do Conde.
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