Nacional vs Rio Ave: prediction and stats
Primeira LigaRegular Season - 25Kick-off on March 7, 2027 at 04:00 PM (UTC)Estádio da Madeira, Ilha da Madeira
The Footlab model makes Nacional the favourite at 45%, against 28% for a draw and 28% for Rio Ave. The most likely score is 1-1.
This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy
Probabilities recomputed on Aug 24, 2026 — the full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.
Who will win Nacional vs Rio Ave?
A very open match: only 16 Elo points separate Nacional (1,982) and Rio Ave (1,998).
What is the recent form of both teams?
Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Nacional have 5 wins, 4 draws and 6 defeats; Rio Ave have 6, 4 and 5.
The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2026 | Guimaraes(away) | 0-1 | Primeira Liga |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Estoril(home) | 2-0 | Primeira Liga |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Santa Clara(away) | 2-2 | Primeira Liga |
| Jul 23, 2026 | Estrela(away) | 0-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Leganes(home) | 0-0 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Estoril(away) | 2-0 | Primeira Liga |
| Aug 15, 2026 | FC Porto(home) | 0-2 | Primeira Liga |
| Aug 9, 2026 | GIL Vicente(away) | 0-1 | Primeira Liga |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Tondela(home) | 3-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Jul 19, 2026 | Al-Ahli Jeddah(home) | 2-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
What does the head-to-head say?
Across the last 6 meetings: 2 Nacional win(s), 3 draw(s), 1 Rio Ave win(s).
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | Nacional 4-0 Rio Ave | Primeira Liga |
| Aug 17, 2025 | Rio Ave 1-1 Nacional | Primeira Liga |
| May 10, 2025 | Nacional 3-3 Rio Ave | Primeira Liga |
| Dec 29, 2024 | Rio Ave 2-1 Nacional | Primeira Liga |
| Jul 31, 2024 | Rio Ave 1-1 Nacional | Friendlies Clubs |
| Apr 10, 2022 | Nacional 2-0 Rio Ave | Segunda Liga |
How many goals should we expect?
Nacional score 1.1 and concede 1.1 goals per match over their last 15; Rio Ave score 1.4 and concede 1.3. The model gives a 47% probability of over 2.5 goals and 52% for both teams to score.
| Club | Goals scored / match | Goals conceded / match | Clean sheets | Both teams scored | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nacional | 1.1 | 1.1 | 6 | 4/15 | 3/15 |
| Rio Ave | 1.4 | 1.3 | 4 | 8/15 | 8/15 |
Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.
Where do both teams sit in the table?
Nacional sit 7th in Primeira Liga (4 points from 3 matches) and Rio Ave sit 10th (3 points from 3 matches).
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Nacional | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 10 | Rio Ave | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Verdict, probable XI and verified absences
The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.
Open the full match card in the app
No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.
How does Footlab 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. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the favourite for Nacional vs Rio Ave?
- The Footlab model makes Nacional the favourite at 45%, against 28% for a draw and 28% for Rio Ave.
- Where and when is Nacional vs Rio Ave played?
- Nacional vs Rio Ave is played on March 7, 2027 at 04:00 PM (UTC) at Estádio da Madeira, in the Primeira Liga.
- Will there be over 2.5 goals?
- The Footlab model gives a 47% probability of at least three goals in this match.
- How reliable is this prediction?
- The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.