Nacional v Rio Ave: survival fight meets mid-table push | OneFootball

Nacional host Rio Ave in Liga Portugal at Estádio da Madeira on 25 January 2026, with the hosts looking to pull clear of the relegation battle and the visitors eyeing a move towards the top half.

Nacional sit 15th on 17 points and drew 1-1 away to Rio Ave in August. The visitors are 11th with 20 points and have been tough to shift, drawing eight of 18 league matches so far.

Form is mixed on both sides. Nacional's last five in the league read: win, draw, loss, draw, loss. Rio Ave's run shows one win, one draw and three defeats, including a 2-0 home loss to Benfica last time out.

Goalscoring threats are clear. Jesús Andrés Ramírez is fourth on the Liga Portugal scoring chart with 12 for Nacional, while Rio Ave carry a dual threat in Clayton, who has 10 league goals, and André Luiz, who has seven and a team-high five assists.

The match-up could hinge on efficiency versus volume. Nacional attempt more, with 166 shots and 204 open-play crosses at 20.59% accuracy, but their shooting accuracy sits at 42.77%. Rio Ave are cleaner on the ball with 82.16% passing accuracy and finish at 57.14% from 119 shots, though their cross accuracy is 15.00%. Set pieces may matter: Nacional have not scored from a set piece and have conceded six penalties, while Rio Ave have conceded two.

A home win would lift Nacional to 20 points and could create breathing room from the relegation places. Victory for Rio Ave would take them to 23 points and could nudge them towards the top half. A draw would keep both hovering around their current positions.