Rio Ave vs Belenenses Predictions

• Rio Ave have won 5 of their last 6 matches against Belenenses.
• Both teams have scored in 3 of the pairs’ last 4 meetings.
• Rio Ave are unbeaten in their last 6 league games, picking up 4 wins and 2 draws.
• Belenenses have lost 3 of their last 6 matches but have only failed to score in 2 of those six outings.

Rio Ave are in great form and look confident going forward

Rio Ave won 2-1 at Tondela last time out while Belenenses secured all 3pts at home against Maritimo courtesy of a 1-0 win, so the gap between the pair remains at 12pts heading into Saturday’s clash. The hosts are the form favourites this weekend having won four and drawn two of their last six matches in the Primeira Liga, with Belenenses picking up three wins and suffering three defeats during that same period.

Rio Ave have a very good record against Belenenses, especially over recent seasons, with Saturday’s hosts winning five of the duos’ last six meetings. Both teams have scored in three of the pairs’ last four encounters and four of Rio Ave’s and three of Belenenses’ last five matches have seen both teams score, so you can see why we have backed a 2-1 win for Rio Ave on Saturday.

The hosts have won four times at home so far this season while the visitors have already lost six times on the road, with Rio Ave averaging 1.45 points per home game and Belenenses averaging just 1.00 points per away game. Rio Ave score an average of 1.45 goals per home game and concede an average of 1.09 goals while Belenenses score an average of 0.91 goals per away game and concede 1.73 goals, which is why we have backed a final scoreline of 2-1 in favour of the hosts this weekend.

Belenenses have played well of late but their away record is poor

Both teams have scored in 55% of Rio Ave’s home matches in the Primeira Liga this season, and the same can be said about 45% of Belenenses’ away trips. Over 2.5 goals have been produced in 55% of Belenenses’ away games, and all of the above adds further weight to our prediction for a 2-1 home win on Saturday.

Rio Ave have only kept clean sheets in 27% of their home matches and Belenenses have managed to keep their opponents out in 27% of their away games, so we’re not expecting either side to keep a clean sheet on Saturday. The hosts have only failed to score in 18% of their home games and a majority of their wins this season (6) have been via a 1-goal margin, while Belenenses have lost four times by a margin of just 1-goal.

We’re confident that both teams will score on Saturday and we have predicted a final scoreline of 2-1 in favour of the hosts. Rio Ave are in fine form right now and will be confident that they can add to Belenenses’ six away defeats. The visitors have been playing well of late but are guilty of being ‘hit and miss’ and when they go up against an in-form Rio Ave side, we expect Belenenses to return to the losing ways that have dogged them for large parts of this campaign.