Nikitscher header sparks Rio Ave rise into top 10 | OneFootball

Rio Ave beat Santa Clara 2-0 in Liga Portugal at Estádio de São Miguel, climbing from 12th to 10th.

In the 50th minute, Tamás Nikitscher glanced in a header from Marius Vrushaj's corner to break the deadlock.

The visitors' advantage doubled when Sidney Lima diverted into his own net (61.). From there, Rio Ave managed the game and limited clear chances.

Ennio Van der Gouw kept the sheet clean with smart saves either side of the interval, denying Gustavo Klismahn and, late on, Vinicius, as Santa Clara pushed for a response.

Armando Teixeira turned to his bench just before the hour, introducing Gonçalo Paciência and Brenner, and the hosts carried more threat down the flanks. Paciência steered a late header narrowly wide as pressure built, but the visitors held firm.

Santa Clara saw more of the ball, finishing with 53.8% possession and 13 attempts, four on target. Rio Ave registered four attempts and hit the target three times, making their efficiency count.

Next, Santa Clara visit Casa Pia. Rio Ave host AVS.