As the Portuguese football league heats up, Benfica is gearing up to face Riba d’Ave on Tuesday at 21h00 in an advanced match of the 18th round of the national 1st Division championship, held at the Pavilhão do Parque das TÃlias in Riba d’Ave. Following a string of lackluster performances, including two draws against Sporting (2-2) and OC Barcelos (3-3), and a disappointing loss to Oliveirense (2-3) in their last four outings, the pressure is on for Benfica to get back to winning ways. These recent results have taken a toll on their standing in the league, leaving them four points adrift of leaders Sporting and three points behind FC Porto, who still have a game in hand.
The upcoming match against Riba d’Ave, who currently sit just two points above the relegation zone, is a crucial one for Benfica. In a pre-match interview, Benfica’s Portuguese international, João Rodrigues, acknowledged that Riba d’Ave is a “very competitive team that needs points, given their complicated position in the championship,” but he also emphasized that Benfica has an identical need for points. “We also need points, having come from two championship games where we didn’t manage to win,” he said. “So, it’s essential we return to winning in this competition. We don’t have room for error, and our goal is to finish in the top position in the regular season. This will be a very important game for that objective.”
Rodrigues expects a tough match ahead, given Riba d’Ave’s history of making their home turf a challenging venue for visiting teams. “Riba d’Ave makes their home ground a complicated pitch,” he cautioned. “We’ve won there before in the Portuguese Cup, but this will be a different game, certainly very complicated.” Recognizing that Benfica can’t afford to drop any more points, Rodrigues stressed that each game from now on must be approached with the intensity of a final. “We’ve already lost points we didn’t expect to, so we’ll have to face each game as if it’s a final,” he said.
The rest of the 18th round will unfold on Wednesday, with several key matches taking place, including:
- Sporting vs. Juventude Pacense at 19h00
- FC Porto vs. HC Braga at 20h00
- SC Tomar vs. Murches at 21h00
- Oliveirense vs. Juventude de Viana at 21h00
- OC Barcelos vs. Sanjoanense at 21h30
- Candelária vs. Valongo at 22h00
As the league continues to intensify, every match counts, and Benfica’s clash with Riba d’Ave is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting midweek round of fixtures.