Rio Ave vs Nacional - prediction, team news, lineups

Rio Ave are aiming for a resurgence pursuing a alteration astatine the helm arsenic they invited chap strugglers Nacional to Vila bash Conde for matchday 8 of the Primeira Liga run connected Sunday.

Sotiris Sylaidopoulos was dismissed pursuing the Vilacondenses’ gameweek 7 decision astatine Alverca, with erstwhile Arouca brag Vasco Seabra taking implicit the reins, and his archetypal duty comes against visitors who person mislaid each of their past 5 matches.

Match preview

Rio Ave endured a topsy-turvy run nether Sylaidopoulos successful his archetypal play astatine the club, but the Greek manager was afforded capable clip to dependable the ship, with a much resilient decorativeness to the 2025-26 run helping the broadside unafraid endurance comfortably and decorativeness 12th successful the standings.

However, the 47-year-old was not fixed arsenic overmuch leeway this word aft managing conscionable 1 triumph successful his side’s opening 7 matches portion suffering 5 defeats, leaving the Vila bash Conde outfit 16th successful the Primeira Liga table.

Although Rio Ave ended their losing commencement to the league run with an awesome triumph astatine Estoril Praia connected matchday three, they person since collected conscionable 1 constituent from the consequent five, which came successful a thrilling gully with Estrela Amadora.

The Vilacondenses’ struggles stem from a deficiency of cutting borderline successful the last third, with lone bottom-placed Estoril (three) and Casa Pia (three) uncovering the nett little often than the Riovilistas, who person managed conscionable 5 strikes successful the Primeira Liga this season.

Interestingly, Rio Ave’s 5 defeats successful 2026-27 person each travel successful matches successful which they failed to score, drafting a blank against Gil Vicente, Porto, Sporting Lisbon and Santa Clara earlier their latest setback, a 1-0 reverse astatine Alverca that sealed Sylaidopoulos’s departure.

Seabra takes implicit pursuing an awesome commencement to the play astatine Arouca, but helium present faces a important situation with his caller side, who volition beryllium looking to extremity a seven-game winless tally astatine location successful the league (D3, L4) connected Sunday.

Nacional person besides had a alteration successful enactment of their own, with Alexandre Santos replacing the dismissed Joao Giao aboriginal past month, though the assignment has yet to spark an betterment successful results.

Despite collecting 4 points from their opening 2 fixtures, the Alvinegros person since mislaid each of their past 5 matches, including some games nether Santos, suffering a 3-1 decision to Alverca earlier being thrashed 4-0 by Famalicao conscionable earlier the planetary break.

That dense nonaccomplishment against the Vila Nova outfit further exposed Nacional’s antiaircraft frailties, with the visitors having conceded astatine slightest doubly successful each of their past 4 outings, portion lone Casa Pia (16) and this weekend’s hosts (15) person shipped much goals successful the part this term.

There is small encouragement to beryllium recovered successful their distant record, fixed the Madeiran nine person managed conscionable 1 triumph successful their past 16 league matches connected the roadworthy (D5, L10), a tally stretching backmost into the erstwhile campaign, erstwhile they finished 14th successful the table.

Currently 15th successful the standings, Nacional indispensable find a mode to apprehension their descent to debar being dragged into a relegation battle, though they tin gully encouragement from their triumph implicit Rio Ave successful the astir caller gathering betwixt the sides, adjacent if the Funchal-based visitors are winless successful their past 8 league trips to Vila bash Conde (D4, L4).
 

Rio Ave Primeira Liga form:

Nacional Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Rio Ave are expected to stay without goalkeeper Cezary Miszta, who has been sidelined by a backmost occupation since the commencement of the season, portion chap semipermanent absentee Brandon Aguilera continues his betterment from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Midfielders Diogo Nascimento and Ryan Guilherme person besides been dealing with injuries, with the October planetary interruption providing further clip for their recovery. However, their availability for Sunday's lucifer remains uncertain.

Vítor Hugo made his debut successful extremity past clip out, and the caller manager could proceed with the summertime signing betwixt the posts, perchance leaving Ennio van der Gouw connected the seat erstwhile again.

Meanwhile, Nacional are expected to stay without Liziero, Filipe Soares, Wesley Gasolina, Ulisses Wilson and Leo Santos, each of whom are continuing their respective recoveries from injury.

Matheus Dias volition besides play nary portion successful this fixture aft receiving a reddish paper successful the decision to Famalicao, leaving him suspended for Sunday's encounter.
 

Rio Ave imaginable starting lineup:

Hugo; Tome, Petrasso, Garcia, Amaral; Nikitscher, Ntoi; Bezerra, Blessa, Gaicik; Tamble

Nacional imaginable starting lineup:

Marin; Ze Victor, Goncalves, I Fernandes, De la Cruz; Labidi, Djalo, Kokolo; Baeza, Song; Ruan

We say: Rio Ave 1-1 Nacional

Both sides participate this brushwood abbreviated connected confidence, suggesting determination whitethorn beryllium small to abstracted them successful presumption of attacking quality, truthful we expect a stalemate, adjacent if the hosts person plentifulness to beryllium nether their caller manager.
 

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