Gil Vicente vs Rio Ave

Gil Vicente opened their Primeira Liga campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Rio Ave at the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, a game settled by a stoppage-heavy penalty deep into the second half. It was a tense, cagey affair that only really sprang to life once one side went down to ten men. Rio Ave actually started the brighter of the two, with Roland Galčík almost punishing a defensive mix-up involving Buatu inside the first ten minutes, but the sides went in level at the break. The game turned just after the restart when Andreas Ndoj was sent off in the 47th minute, leaving Rio Ave to defend a man down for the rest of the contest. Carlos Eduardo and Tidjany Touré both went close for the hosts, the latter rattling the post in the 77th minute, before Héctor Hernández made the breakthrough count from the spot in the 87th minute, with keeper Ennio van der Gouw getting a hand to it but not enough. It's the ideal start for Luís Pinto's Gil Vicente, banking three points at home on opening day. For Rio Ave and Sotiris Silaidopoulos, it's a tough way to begin the season, undone by a red card and a costly late penalty.