FC Porto favourites against Rio Ave, who have only won once at the Dragão | OneFootball

The Estádio do Dragão will host the 23rd round of the I Liga next Sunday, featuring the match between FC Porto and Rio Ave. On one side is the league leader; on the other, a team determined to return to winning ways and avoid relegation to the II Liga.

FC Porto comes into this match after a hard-fought and narrow victory against Nacional, while Rio Ave hasn't won since the beginning of January. Despite the defeat, the Vila do Conde team showed a combative and organized performance against Moreirense, thanks to a tactical change introduced by the Greek coach Sotiris Silaidopoulos, who has been the target of strong criticism in recent weeks.

Even with the signs of improvement shown in the previous round, Rio Ave will have to race against time at the Dragão to prevent confirming the third worst record in its history. The task promises to be complicated for the Vila do Conde team, facing an almost impossible mission in Invicta.

In 30 visits to FC Porto's ground, Rio Ave has only achieved one victory, which occurred in 1981/82 (1-2). Since then, the Rio Ave team has only managed to earn points on five occasions during their visits to the Dragão.

Vila do Conde Team on the Verge of a Negative Record

The defeat against Moreirense marked Rio Ave's fifth consecutive loss in the league, a streak not seen in 15 years and representing the sixth occurrence of this kind in 31 participations in the I Liga, the most recent being in 2010/11 under the management of Carlos Brito.

Before this series, Rio Ave had already recorded five consecutive defeats in 2005/06 and 2008/09. The second worst period in the club's history dates back to 1979/80, with seven consecutive defeats, while the worst phase occurred in 1996/97, with 12 consecutive losses – a season in which, despite that, the team avoided relegation.

What Happened in the First Round and Last Year?

In the first round of the 2025/26 season, the match between Rio Ave and FC Porto, held at the Arcos in the sixth round, ended with a 3-0 victory for Porto, with goals from Pablo Rosario, Samu – who will not be present in this match – and Gabri Veiga.

In the last visit to the Estádio do Dragão, on August 24, 2024, Rio Ave lost to the team managed by Martín Anselmi. The goals in that match were scored by Wenderson Galeno and Nico González, players who are no longer part of the Dragons' squad.

The duel between FC Porto and Rio Ave is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 8:30 PM (Continental Portugal time) and will be officiated by referee David Silva.

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