Match

Benfica vs Rio Ave: prediction and stats

Primeira LigaRegular Season - 32Kick-off on May 2, 2027 at 03:00 PM (UTC)Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz), Lisboa

BenficaRio Ave

The Footlab AI model makes Benfica the favourite at 83%, against 12% for a draw and 5% for Rio Ave. The most likely score is 2-0.

Footlab AI's cards found the right outcome in 54.8% of the 2,440 matches already evaluated, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy

Probabilities recomputed on Oct 15, 2026. The full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.

Who will win Benfica vs Rio Ave?

Benfica is a heavy favourite: 2,451 Elo points against 2,054, a 397-point gap.

83%12%5%
Benfica winDrawRio Ave win

Computed by the Footlab AI model from our own data only, with no AI analysis.

See the probabilities after AI analysisThe AI adds press reports and last-minute absences, in the Footlab AI app. Sign-in required.

Probable lineup for Benfica vs Rio Ave

Computed by Footlab AI from our own data only: recent lineups, squads and known absences. It does not take the press or last-minute absences into account.

Benfica

4-2-3-1
  1. 14V. Pavlidis
  1. 25G. Prestianni
  2. 36João Palhinha
  3. 27Rafa
  4. 18L. Barreiro
  5. 10H. Sudakov
  1. 44Tomás Araújo
  2. 26S. Dahl
  3. 6A. Bah
  4. 2C. Lenglet
  1. 24Samuel Soares

Rio Ave

4-2-3-1
  1. 11J. Blesa
  1. 7Diogo Bezerra
  2. 5A. Ntoi
  3. 79M. Patricio
  4. 54G. Liavas
  5. 80S. Clemmensen
  1. 20João Tomé
  2. 39Gustavo Mancha
  3. 17M. Vrousai
  4. 23F. Petrasso
  1. 32Vitor Hugo

Computed on October 15, 2026 at 10:56 PM (UTC).

See the lineup updated by the AIPress reports and last-minute absences, in the Footlab AI app. Sign-in required.

What is the recent form of both teams?

Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Benfica have 12 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat; Rio Ave have 4, 4 and 7.

The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.

Benfica
DateOpponentScoreCompetition
Oct 15, 2026Celtic(home)4-1UEFA Europa League
Oct 11, 2026Guimaraes(home)2-0Primeira Liga
Sep 20, 2026FC Porto(away)1-3Primeira Liga
Sep 16, 2026AC Milan(away)2-0UEFA Europa League
Sep 13, 2026GIL Vicente(home)3-1Primeira Liga
Rio Ave
DateOpponentScoreCompetition
Oct 11, 2026Nacional(home)3-2Primeira Liga
Sep 19, 2026Alverca(away)0-1Primeira Liga
Sep 14, 2026Estrela(home)3-3Primeira Liga
Sep 6, 2026Santa Clara(away)0-4Primeira Liga
Aug 28, 2026Sporting CP(home)0-4Primeira Liga

What does the head-to-head say?

Across the last 6 meetings: 4 Benfica wins, 2 draws, 0 Rio Ave wins.

DateScoreCompetition
Jan 17, 2026Rio Ave 0-2 BenficaPrimeira Liga
Sep 23, 2025Benfica 1-1 Rio AvePrimeira Liga
Mar 16, 2025Rio Ave 2-3 BenficaPrimeira Liga
Oct 27, 2024Benfica 5-0 Rio AvePrimeira Liga
May 17, 2024Rio Ave 1-1 BenficaPrimeira Liga
Jan 14, 2024Benfica 4-1 Rio AvePrimeira Liga

Last archived meeting: Rio Ave vs Benfica on Jan 17, 2026

How many goals should we expect?

Benfica score 3.2 and concede 0.8 goals per match over their last 15; Rio Ave score 1.2 and concede 1.8. The model gives a 69% probability of over 2.5 goals and 45% for both teams to score.

ClubGoals scored / matchGoals conceded / matchClean sheetsBoth teams scoredOver 2.5 goals
Benfica3.20.869/1512/15
Rio Ave1.21.836/158/15

Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.

Where do both teams sit in the table?

Benfica sit 2nd in Primeira Liga (19 points from 8 matches) and Rio Ave sit 14th (7 points from 8 matches).

2026-27 standings
#ClubPWDLGFGAPts
2Benfica861124719
14Rio Ave82158177

A question about Benfica vs Rio Ave?

Ask Footlab AI: lineups, absences, player form, stats, how the match could unfold.

Sign-in required. No odds displayed, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.

How does Footlab AI compute this prediction?

The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. When bookmakers publish odds for the match, their consensus is built into the calculation: that is what proved most accurate on past matches. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy

Frequently asked questions

Who is the favourite for Benfica vs Rio Ave?
The Footlab AI model makes Benfica the favourite at 83%, against 12% for a draw and 5% for Rio Ave.
Where and when is Benfica vs Rio Ave played?
Benfica vs Rio Ave is played on May 2, 2027 at 03:00 PM (UTC) at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz), in the Primeira Liga.
Will there be over 2.5 goals?
The Footlab AI model gives a 69% probability of at least three goals in this match.
How reliable is this prediction?
Footlab AI's cards found the right outcome (home win, draw or away win) in 54.8% of the matches already evaluated, against 33.3% for random guessing, a level comparable with the bookmakers' favourite. The comparison with bookmakers and the breakdown by competition and Elo gap are published on the accuracy page.

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Next match: Benfica and Rio Ave

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