Rio Ave vs Sporting Covilha Predictions

• Rio Ave won each of the last five H2H meetings.
• Rio Ave are unbeaten in six of their last eight home games.
• Covilha won just one of their last ten away games.
• Four of Covilha’s last five away defeats came by a 3+ goal margin and without reply.

Rio Ave are dancing into 2022

After missing out on survival by just a point in the top-flight last season, Rio Ave have taken to second-tier life with great enthusiasm and as such, they look set to end the calendar year in the promotion positions.

While Rio Ave picked up fewer than half of their points haul at home (44%), they are expected to brush aside relegation candidates Covilha in this year-ending clash. Encouragingly, Rio Ave won each of the last five H2H meetings, three times by a 2+ goal margin.

Covilha could fall short

The visitors won their most recent game to end a ten-game winless run, but the confidence gained by a 1-0 victory over rock-bottom Varzim is of limited relevance as they welcome arguably top-flight quality opponents in promotion-chasing Rio Ave.

Compounding matters for Covilha is their woeful away form, only three sides picked up fewer road points than Covilha’s six (W1, D3, L4) while only Academica conceded more than the visitors’ 15 away league goals.

Visiting manager Leonel Pontes is yet to beat Rio Ave after three personal meetings, two of which came with Sporting Lisbon B (D2, L1). I predict that this is too big of an ask for Pontes’ strugglers and as such, I am backing a straightforward home win at a value price.

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