Vitória S.C. v Rio Ave: top-half tilt meets visitors' upturn | OneFootball

Vitória S.C. host Rio Ave in Liga Portugal on Saturday, 25 April 2026 at Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques, with the hosts looking to consolidate the top half from 8th on 39 points and the visitors seeking to build on 12th place and 34 points.

Vitória S.C. edged the reverse fixture 1-0 in December and arrive with momentum after a 5-0 home win over Tondela, a draw at AVS and a 1-0 success at Gil Vicente. Rio Ave are unbeaten in three, winning away at Estoril and Santa Clara before drawing 2-2 with AVS.

Season trends point to clear routes. Vitória S.C. average 1.2 goals per game and have nine clean sheets, with 453 open-play crosses delivered at 19.43% accuracy. That wide supply could test a Rio Ave back line that has conceded 50 goals and kept five clean sheets.

In attack, Rio Ave have been efficient, hitting the target with 54.59% of attempts across the campaign. Clayton leads their league scoring with 10 goals, while André Luiz adds end product and service with seven goals and five assists. For Vitória S.C., Samu has six league goals and Noah Saviolo has supplied four assists.

A home win would lift Vitória S.C. to 42 points and could nudge them further up the table. Victory for Rio Ave would take them to 37 points and may haul them closer to the top half, easing mid-table pressure with the run-in approaching.