Rio Ave welcome Benfica at Estadio dos Arcos, Vila do Conde on Sunday, Dec 20 at 6:00 PM in a Primeira Liga fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 1 point split them in the table.

Rio Ave come into this fixture out of form (1W 2L recently). Benfica, meanwhile, arrive in mixed form (1W 1D 0L) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks.

Despite playing at home, Rio Ave face a side that has dominated this fixture historically. Benfica have won 8 of 10 encounters, with 2 draws. Their last encounter ended in Benfica won 2–0. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.2 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Rio Ave a slight edge, but Benfica are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.