Rio Ave vs CF Estrela da Amadora

Five rounds into the new Primeira Liga season, Rio Ave and Estrela da Amadora arrive with contrasting needs. Rio Ave sit 17th after a rocky start, while Estrela have climbed to 9th on the back of their first win of the campaign. Three points would ease pressure on the home bench, while the visitors will want to prove that result was no fluke. Rio Ave's form has been shaky — losses to Gil Vicente and FC Porto sandwiched a 2-0 win at Estoril, followed by a heavy 4-0 defeat to Sporting CP. Jalen Blesa and Tamble Monteiro scored in that Estoril win and are the men to watch. Estrela arrive full of confidence after edging Nacional da Madeira 3-2, with Ianis Stoica, Marcus and Antonetti all on target. Rio Ave holds the historical edge in this fixture, though recent meetings — including last season's tight 2-1 home win — have been far closer. Our prediction: 2-1