With a top-half finish still a possibility, Rio Ave should be raring to go on Friday night, however the visit of Benfica looks set to be a challenging assignment.
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Rio Ave extended their remarkable unbeaten run in the Primeira Liga to 11 matches on Saturday afternoon, when they visited the home of relegation-threatened Portimonense and emerged with a draw after a thrilling four-goal match. However, the visitors had opportunities to secure a better result.
Despite the impressive 11-game unbeaten streak, Luis Freire's side has only managed to win two of those Primeira Liga matches, which explains why Friday's hosts are in 10th place in the standings, 24 points behind Vitoria de Guimaraes, who occupy the final European qualification spot.
Having lost their Primeira Liga title to arch-rivals Sporting Lisbon this season, Benfica alleviated some of their disappointment with a resounding 5-0 victory over seventh-placed Arouca on Sunday, marking their biggest win since a 6-1 thrashing of Vizela on February 18.
As they approach the final weekend of Primeira Liga fixtures, Benfica are securely in second place in the league table, trailing champions Sporting by eight points and holding a comfortable 10-point lead over third-placed Porto, who are fighting to secure an automatic spot in the Europa League.
Prediction: Rio Ave+1.25
Rio Ave vs Benfica stream and TV listing
Equatorial Guinea:RTP África
Greece:Cosmote Sport 9 HD
International:Score808 808ball
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