By Melody Gross )
Villa-condensation points urgently needed; Green and white with no wiggle room for missteps: The game is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Sunday
Rio Ave and Sporting face each other, this Sunday, for the 35th time in Vila do Conde, at the Estadio dos Arcos, which was inaugurated on October 13, 1984, precisely with a match between these two teams, where the Vila Condenses team emerged victorious, 3-2.
Statistically speaking, favoritism falls on the shoulders of the Alvalade team, which achieved 19 wins, 10 draws and five defeats in the aforementioned 34 matches as a guest of Rio Ave, but football is not a science, and therefore all the results. It is possible in a match where the possibilities of scoring goals are enormous, considering that Sporting, this season, have failed to score in only one match, against Braga, in the League Cup final.
The two teams reach the round of 23 with a large distance between them, and Rio Ave, which is currently ranked 16th (21 points), does not have much to lose in this match, and this could make it the task of the players under the leadership of Rui Freire, who do not see the match as a burden on their shoulders, but it is Rather a chance to do something “funny” against a sports team not far from the top, in second place (they have one less league game, against Famalicao), with 55 points they have won points out of a possible 63 (they have drawn one match with Braga, and lost two others , specifically with Benfica and V. Guimarães).
It should be noted that the refereeing team appointed for this match consists of: Andre Narciso (AF Setubal), assisted by Vasco Marquez and Luis Vegas, while David Silva plays. Fourth ruling. In VAR/AVAR there will be Antonio Nobre and Nelson Pereira, respectively.
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Rio Ave
You have to go back to September 18, 2016 to know Rio Ave's last victory over Sporting. At that time, at the end of the fifth round, which ended with a score of 3-1, goals were scored by Tarantini, Helder Geddes and Gil Dias, and Bas Dost scored the goal for the Lions. Nuno Capucho and Jorge Jesus were the coaches of Rio Ave and Sporting respectively.
In this calendar year, in seven matches played, Villa Condenses won only two matches, drew three and lost two others, having faced Benfica (1-4) and FC Porto (0-0), with a special note that they did not have His net conceded goals in the aforementioned period on four occasions.
The Rio Ave team needs points to make a big jump in the standings and leave the uncomfortable sixteenth place (which qualifies it for the pitfall match), as it has only three points more than Chavez, who is in second-to-last place.
Games called “greats” always have a high-level character, but it is also an additional motivational factor for players who want to do well in a game where the vision is greater.
It is important to highlight that Luis Freire faced some setbacks in reception against Sporting: Aderlan Santos and Boateng completed a series of five yellow cards and, therefore, are serving a one-match ban, and Tanlongo, on loan from Sporting, was also banned from playing. Playing according to the regulations, while goalkeeper Cesare Misza sprained his right ankle this week during training, joining Andre Pereira in the medical department, as the latter recovers from surgery on his nose.
System: 3x4x3
Potential team: Jonathan; Jose Sa and Patrick William W Miguel Nobrega; Costinha, Amen, Adrian that it Fabio Ronaldo; Joao GracaYakubu Aziz and Amr Embalo.
punish: Aderlan Santos and Boateng.
injured: Cesare Mesza and Andre Pereira.
At risk of exclusion: Jose.
Number: Yacoub Aziz
He appears to be very close to his best and is beginning to delight the Villa Condens fans, enhancing the image he had already created at the club before his departure to Chinese football. He has scored in the last two matches – the win over Rio Ave (1-0) and the defeat against Famalicao (1-2) – and promises to do everything he can to keep his sights set on welcoming the Lions. If he gets a good serve, whether in sustained attack or deep, the Ghanaian has all the conditions necessary to shock the green and white defence.
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What Rio Ave coach Rui Freire said: “I think challenge is the key word. challenge. It's an opportunity for us too, but it's a challenge. Hey Sporting It was a very good tournament. It was the best team so far Operate, with a very finishing attack, a team that usually scores a lot of goals, both at home and away. Defensively, they are also stable. It's a moral thing, it comes first. Or second, in this case, with the same points Benfica. It is an opportunity for us to show value, competence, organization and show the quality of our players. We show all of this to our audience as well. The home worker is important. I think Vila-Condenses and Rio-Avistas will also benefit from home advantage.
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Rio Ave coach reviews the challenge facing the Lions in reference to the 23rd round of the league
Sporting
Weather conditions indicate that it will be windy and rainy at match time in Vila do Conde, but Ruben Amorim has plans A and B up his sleeve to achieve one goal: win.
Sporting enters an intense tournament burdened with varying decisions: five matches in 14 days! We're talking about decisions, matches that are seen as true finals, all with no margin for error, where a small misstep could be fatal to Leo's aspirations.
The Alvalade team arrives at Vila do Conde in one of the most successful stages: in the last six matches of the tournament, the green and white scored no less than 28 goals, and among their ranks was the competition's top scorer: Victor Guerques (16 goals). ), a striker who gives defenses a hard time. Interestingly, Rio Ave has not yet fallen victim to the Swede, who missed the first round match due to physical problems.
It is known that the margin of error for Al-Assad is zero, as it remains in second place, equal on points with Benfica (55 points), but with one match less with Famalicao, which, remember, was postponed due to the lack of police, in a process that led to the situation of many Police officers are on medical leave, with the class participating in protest demonstrations.
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There is no new date yet; The sports bus has already left Famalicão and headed to Lisbon
The thirst for titles in Alvalade is much more than that, and after losing the League Cup to Braga (0-1), the Lions qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League (meeting again with Atalanta, who were already (opponents in the group stage of the aforementioned competition)) They will play in the round of 16 of the Portuguese Cup, against Benfica, and compete for the national title, whose primary goal in the current era was Ruben Amorim.
Paulinho is the main absentee from the team list. The attacker is still counting on A Post-traumatic tendonitis in his right foot, while Saint-Just's heart was already ready for action, he was on the bench for Young Boys, in the first leg of their play-off to reach the last 16 of the Europa League – which Sporting played guaranteed.
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The striker stays off the pitch and misses Rio Ave; Weak hope in the derby on the 29th for the Portuguese Cup
While Fresinda and Rafael Pontillo are part of the B team's entourage, with the aim of the match with Pero Pinheiro, in the third round of the maintenance phase of League 3, with the aim of gaining more minutes in the competition. Remember, the first one hasn't been played since November 9 of the year, when he was off to undergo surgery on his left shoulder, while the 21-year-old centre-back was the Lions' winter reinforcement and needed to get into the dynamics of the Lions' game.
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The midfielder and right-back will not be among Ruben Amorim's bets at Vila do Conde and will gain a competitive rhythm in the secondary team that will play on Sunday with Peru Pinheiro in League 3.
System: 3x4x3
Potential team: Aden. Eduardo Quaresma, Coates and Gonzalo Inacio; Jenny Catamo, Morita, Hjulmand and Nuno Santos; Pedro Gonçalves, Geoqueris and Trincao
injured: Paulinho.
At risk of exclusion: Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Santos and Edwards.
Shape: GeoQuerys
He is relentless in his search for a goal, and would certainly want to redeem himself for missing some scoring chances in the last match, against Young Boys, even missing a penalty kick (saved by the goalkeeper). He has scored 29 goals in 32 matches and has shown that he is insatiable when it comes to goals. There are already a few qualities to what the 25-year-old Swede, the most expensive player in Alvalade's history (at €20 million, plus four for goals), offers for the team.
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The Swedish striker shot the ball past Swiss goalkeeper von Palmos
What Sporting coach Ruben Amorim said: “We don't know which matches are the most important. All factors play a role in our thinking about the tournament. Looking at the match with Rio Ave, everyone expects Sporting to drop points. The focus now is on winning our match, because we cannot lose… We maintain our place and show That no matter what happens, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, we can win.
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The opening meeting is Sunday at 8:30 p.m