[Cup League] Porto vs Rio Ave

Porto vs Rio Ave

03/04 4:45pm

Porto will receive Rio Ave for the semifinal of the Carlsberg Cup.
This is a game that normally would not have importance to the home team due the less prestige of this cup, the problem is this season Porto is out of Portuguese Cup, out of Champions League and has an hard task to win the Portuguese League, which turn this game
a bit more interesting than in other years.

Porto come from a consistent win at Coimbra and it looks that the team is recovering their moral after the lost against Malaga and a draw at Maritimo for the Portuguese League, however, the performance of the Colombians are not being so good which low the capacity of make goals of this team. We should see that against Academica, the scorers were , Mangala CB , Danilo RB and Castro DMF.

On the other side will be Rio Ave, a team that is the 4th best playing out of their home this season, until Sunday they hadn´t a lost with difference higher than 2 goals and they played few weeks ago at Porto home and they lost 2-1 with a penalty that can raise some doubts. Like I said before, until Sunday.. where they lost 6-1 at Benfica Stadium, it was 4-1 and they had two players sent off, and playing with 9 after minute 70+, they´ve suffered two more goals.

The two players suspended are key players for Rio Ave, Edimar CB and Wires on the midfield, also Rodriguez CB got injured on last game and is not possible to recover him on time.

Is expected that Rio Ave play only on counter attack, because they have no way of assuming a game against Porto, and they will try to take advantage of the quickness of Bébé, Ukra and the rising Egyptian star, Hassan.
The problem will be when they suffer the 1st goal, they will have to open and Porto will take that into consideration.

Porto will not spare almost no one for this game, Mangala is suspended to Braga which will give place to Maicon plays instead of Otamendi, in order to get form for that important game and just Helton GK will give place to Fabiano as usual do on Cup games.

I just have one doubt, that is about Defour, he possible will find a place on the midfield to give some rest to Porto engine.

This is a game where there is no chance of recover the result on a second hand, so, I believe Porto will entry decided to resolve it as soon as possible and that way the goal will appear naturally, forcing  Rio Ave to move their lines a bit up.


   Half with more goals - 2nd @2.05 Bet365