Match Report
Rio Ave went into the game 12th in the table on 38 points; Boavista sat 18th on 24 — a 14-point gap. Boavista had been over-performing their table position on recent form: 8th in the league over the last five rounds against 18th overall. Per game in the league, Rio Ave were scoring 1.15 and conceding 1.62, Boavista 0.71 and 1.74, against a competition average of 1.28 goals per team per game.
Defeat had followed defeat for Rio Ave — four in succession. Three consecutive defeats weighed on Boavista.
The head-to-head ledger counts 20 games: 13 Rio Ave wins, 3 for Boavista, 4 draws, at 2.25 goals per meeting. Historically tight: 35% of the meetings went beyond two goals.
Estádio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube in Vila do Conde staged the fixture, a ground that holds 12,815. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Boavista led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 0-2.
Goal scorers
Boavista: Jonathan Panzo (17' og), Ilija Vukotić (74')