Desportivo Aves vs Rio Ave Predictions

• 3 of Aves’ last 6 matches have produced under 2.5 goals.
• 3 of Rio Ave’s last 6 matches have produced under 2.5 goals.
• Aves have lost 4 of their last 6 matches.
• Rio Ave have won 3 of their last 4 league games.

Rio Ave look to continue their good run of form

Aves earned their first away win of the season last weekend as they beat Maritimo 2-1 while Rio Ave played out a 2-2 draw at home with Famalicao, but 17pts still separate these two clubs as they fight at opposite ends of the table. Aves prop up the Primeira Liga table and sit 4pts adrift of safety, while Rio Ave occupy 6th spot and could moe into the top five with a win this weekend.

Rio Ave have already beaten Aves 5-1 this season when the pair locked horns for their reverse league fixture in August, but three of both clubs last six outings have produced under 2.5 goals so we are expecting a much tighter and tenser affair on Sunday. Rio Ave head into the match as the clear form favourites having won three, drawn one, and lost two of their last six matches, while Aves have lost four of their last six league games.

The hosts have lost six of their nine home games this season while the visitors have already won four times on the road, so you can see why we have backed an away win this weekend. Aves average 1.00 points per home game and Rio Ave average 1.56 points per away game, with the hosts losing 67% of those matches and Rio Ave winning 44% of theirs.

Aves don’t score or concede many goals in their own backyard

Aves concede an average of 1.11 goals per home game while Rio Ave score an average of 1.00 goals per away game, which is why we have backed a narrow 1-0 final scoreline in favour of the visitors this weekend. 56% of Aves; home games and 78% of Rio Ave’s away games have produced under 2.5 goals so far this season, adding further weight to our prediction for Sunday’s clash.

Both teams have scored in just 33% of Aves’ home games and Rio Ave’s away games and we have backed just one side to score when the pair lock horns on Sunday. The hosts don’t score or concede many goals at home and the same can be said for the visitors, which is another reason we are expecting a tight and tense ninety minutes between the pair.

Rio Ave have kept clean sheets in 33% of their away games while Aves have failed to score in 44% of their away games, with exactly 1-goal being scored in 56% of the hosts’ home matches. A majority of Rio Ave’s wins this season (5) have been obtained with a 1-goal margin, while a majority of Aves’s defeats (13) have also had a 1-goal margin.

We’re confident that under 2.5 goals will be scored in Sunday’s match and we have predicted a final scoreline of 1-0 in favour of Rio Ave. The visitors arrive as the form favourites and will a decent away record in the Primeira Liga this season, while the hosts sit bottom of the table with four defeats from their last six matches.