José Mourinho predicts a tough game for Benfica against Rio Ave | OneFootball

José Mourinho acknowledges that Rio Ave will pose challenges. In a preview given to BTV, the Benfica coach answered some questions, offering praise to the Eagles’ next opponent. The match against Rio Ave is scheduled for January 17, at 8:30 p.m.

"It’s a team that is doing well, calm, with a position in the table that doesn’t have to worry about looking down, but rather looks up," commented the 62-year-old coach. The “Special One” also spoke about the technical and tactical qualities of the league’s 10th-placed team, which promise to give the Eagles a headache.

"It’s a physical team, with quality attackers, with fast players, that usually defends with a line of five and counterattacks dangerously, they played a great match in Barcelos. They are an opponent with enough arguments to give us a tough game".

For this match, Richard Ríos will not be available. The Colombian midfielder suffered a dislocation in his right shoulder during last Wednesday’s classic, will not undergo surgery and will miss the upcoming games against Juventus and Estrela da Amadora.

Benfica’s next match is scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026. The game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. and will be played at Rio Ave Stadium, in Vila do Conde. The duel is valid for the 18th round of Liga Portugal Betclic, where the Eagles want to finish the competition at least in a Champions League qualifying spot.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.