Rui Borges sets strategy for Rio Ave v Sporting, clear aim | OneFootball

This Friday marks Sporting’s return to work. At the start of preparations for the trip to Vila do Conde, Rui Borges’ men can only approach the match in one way: score early against Rio Ave to put pressure on Benfica in their game with Braga.

The battle between the two Lisbon clubs has been intense and is livening up the final championship standings. The fight for second place in the league grants a spot in the play-off for next season’s Champions League, an essential factor for the clubs’ finances. At the moment, with the same number of points in the table, Benfica hold the advantage in the head-to-head record.

The entire structure of the Alvalade club is fully aligned when it comes to the details of the match, as it believes that even the smallest detail could make the difference. In that sense, an early lead in Vila do Conde is seen positively, since recent history shows that, in their last three league slip-ups, the Lions only scored in the second half of those matches.

With the change to the league regulations this season, the Lions and the Eagles will start their respective matches at the same time. Therefore, if Sporting score and build a comfortable lead by half-time, their red-clad rivals will no longer be able to take a wait-and-see approach against Braga.

The objective of scoring early is also reinforced by Sporting’s recent record in the league. Their most comfortable wins, including the 5-1 over Vitória de Guimarães and the 4-2 against Santa Clara, came after the team had scored three goals in the first half. In the 1-2 defeat to Benfica, however, and in the 1-1 draws with AVS and the 2-2 draw with Tondela, the goals only came in the second half.

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