Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the Portuguese Cup semi-final clashes will be played on Thursday at the "Jose Alvalade" stadium in Lisbon, where the local Sporting will host Rio Ave. I suggest betting on the outcome of this match with good odds.
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Match preview
The Lisbon "Lions" are having an excellent season and are currently in superb form. Over the weekend, the team faced Estrela away and secured a 3-0 victory, scoring all three goals after the break. This victory was their fifth in a row across all competitions and their fourth in the Portuguese championship.
After 27 rounds, the team is in first place in the standings, with 65 points. However, Benfica is only three points behind, racking up wins one after another and waiting for the leader to slip. In the Portuguese Cup, the team advanced past Gil Vicente with a 1-0 win in the previous round.
For their part, Rio Ave was not considered a relegation candidate at the start of the season, rather they aimed to secure a mid-table position. Under the leadership of Augusto Gama, the team performed at a decent level in the first half of the championship, creating a comfortable gap from the danger zone.
Currently, "Rioavistas" are in 12th place, with a six-point advantage over 16th-placed ABC. However, the team's recent results are disappointing, having lost their last three league matches. While a loss to Benfica is understandable, setbacks against Famalicao and Casa Pia raise concerns about a potential relegation battle. In the previous round of the Portuguese Cup, they defeated S. Joao Ver 2-1.
Probable lineups
- Sporting: Silva – Inacio, Diomande, Essugo – Reis, Felicissimo, Debas, Fresneda – Kenda, Gyokeres, Trincao
- Rio Ave: Miszta – Panzu, Abbey, Ntoi, Vrushaj – Tykhonaz, Zamora, Polman – Kiko, Clayton, Luis
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the league, the teams have played twice already, with Sporting winning both times, scoring three goals each match
- The "both teams to score" bet has come through in two out of five matches
- The "total over 2.5" option has been successful in three out of five encounters
Prediction
The favorite in this match is obvious, but the bookmakers' odds are frankly low – 1.19 for Sporting to win. We suggest taking "Sporting to win with a handicap (-2.0)" at odds of 1.80.
