Rio Ave vs Sporting Lisbon Prediction & Betting Tips - League Cup

Prediction published on 04/12/2022, 05:00  by Ioannis | Modified on 04/12/2022 at 05:00 in Football Predictions

Rio Ave are pitted against Sporting Lisbon for the second round of the Portuguese League Cup. Their group also consists of Maritimo and Farense, who were both defeated in the first round. With regards to Rio Ave, they were aided by an early Maritimo red card in their latest matchup, to eventually beat them 1-0. The hosts are now on a three game winning run, having kept clean sheets in all of these victories. In fact, all of Rio Ave’s last five games have featured 1-0 scorelines, with four of them going their way. Their record on home turf is also impressive, having managed thirteen wins in seventeen games, notably beating Porto and narrowly losing to Braga amongst others. On the downside, Rio Ave have tended to struggle in their recent home encounters with Sporting, winning just one in their previous eight. 

Sporting Lisbon appeared unfazed by the absence of some of their players for the Qatar World Cup, dismantling Farense 6-0 to kick off their League Cup fortunes on a triumphant note. It was the third consecutive victory for Ruben Amorim’s side, who look like they have put their disappointing Champions League exit behind them to focus on what lies ahead. On the road however, Sporting’s form has left a lot to be desired of late. They have won just two of their last seven away games, conceding defeat in four of those. They are likely to push for the win here however, as only top spot teams progress to the next stage, while they surely will be motivated by the fact that they have won six of their last eight away meetings at Rio Ave.