Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
Porto
Match Time & Date:
18/02/2023
03:30 PM
Prediction: 2-0
Rio Ave
Following a 2-1 win over Sporting in Lisbon, Porto will look to stay in the title race when they take on Rio Ave on Matchday 21. The Dragons are eyeing their sixth consecutive league win, and they are seen as hot favourites to beat Luis Freire’s troops in front of home fans. Sergio Conceicao has no fresh injury worries, but all Wendell, Fabio Cardoso, Evanilson, Gabriel Veron, Otavio, and Francisco Meixedo remain in the treatment room. Despite failing to find the net in the Primeira Liga derby, Iran international Mehdi Taremi will be the man to watch in the home team.
The visitors, on the other hand, desperately needed a win against Estoril, and they managed to get one, with the team regaining a much-needed confidence, but given their modest away record in the 2022/2023 season, we believe that there is a big value in betting on the title-chasing hosts. Both Joca and Amine Oudrhiri are sidelined with injuries, speaking of the away team.
Highlighted Player (Pepe):
Pepe is a professional footballer who plays for Porto as a defender. The Portuguese international played for Maritimo at the start of his senior career and in 2004 he moved to Porto. After making 64 league appearances for the Dragons, he signed a contract with Real Madrid in 2007 and he quickly established himself as a first-team regular.
Pepe is well known for his hard tackles and referees often show him red card. The Real Madrid centre back often played as a defensive midfielder under Jose Mourinho and it has to be noted that he scored five goals in all competitions in the 2013/2014 La Liga campaign.
The Portuguese footballer won his second Champions League trophy with Real Madrid in the 2015/2016 season and later in 2016 he helped A Selecao win the European Championship trophy. Portugal defeated France in the title game and Pepe played an important role in Fernando Santos’ team in the Euro 2016 final. The Real Madrid defender was born in Maceio, Brazil on 26 February, 1983.
Highlighted Team (Rio Ave):
Nicknamed Rio Grande, Rio Ave are a Portuguese club that compete in Primeira Liga. Rio Ave were founded back in 1939 and they welcome their rivals at Estadio dos Arcos, the stadium which can hold up to 12,815 people.
The team’s home shirt is green with white stripes, whilst the colour of their shorts is green. Rio Ave wear white shirts and white shorts when playing on the travels. The club’s biggest success came in the 2014/2015 season when they represented Portugal in the Europa League group stages. Rio Ave finished the process in the last position in Group J, but they did well to record their first ever win in the competition, with the team beating Danish club Aalborg 2-0 at their Estadio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube.
Former Real Madrid full-back Fabio Coentrao is considered one of the club’s most notable footballers. Manchester City first-choice goalkeeper Ederson played for Rio Ave in the past as well.
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