Today´s match day weather in Lisbon is warmer with clouds in morning and with maximum temperature of 32 degrees. Perfect for match day with summer holidays and friday evening. Sporting won the game 3-1. They showed brilliant team work.
Sporting CP played brilliantly last season and won the Liga Portugal record 18th time. But last week in the Portuguese Super Cup final against FC Porto, they lost the game. Manager, player and fans were very dissapointed with the loss. Match against Rio Ave is the first game of Liga Portugal. Ruben Amorim is hopeful to win the Championship this season as well. Sporting had few signing this summer. Most of their squad is intact. Several players have returned after loan spell in different club.
Rio Ave was the team with the most draws last season. Last season they finished 11th. This season, the squad underwent a major revolution, bringing in a total of 17 new players. Many new features await coach Luís Freire. Despite these changes, the preseason suggests that Freire will try to maintain the same tactical basis as last season. However, he may tweak the game style slightly.
Match: Sporting Vs Rio Ave
Date: 09-08-2024, Friday.
Time: 8 pm, Lisbon time.
Location: Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal.
Sporting won the match with 2-1.
“We always have pressure, but obviously we really want to win this game due to all the constraints that occurred in the Super Cup. Of course my concerns are completely different to those I had if we had won the Super Cup, but we wouldn’t stress anything about winning. We would win another title, yes, the week would have been much better and the confidence would be much greater, but it doesn’t change anything. When this game starts, this is the one that will be important and we really want to win to continue on our path”.
-SportingCP Manager Rúben Amorim.

Some Facts:
- In the last 28 seasons, Sporting lost on the opening day once: 1-0 against Paços de Ferreira, in 2010/11.
2. Away from home, Rio Ave have only won one of their last 29 games.
SportingCP vs Rio Ave Head-to-Head and Key Numbers :
- There have been 67 meetings between Sporting and Rio Ave.
- The hosts have won 41 of those games while the visitors have won just nine times.
- There have been 17 draws between the two teams including their most recent matchup which ended 3-3.
- The hosts are undefeated in their last eight games in this fixture.
- The visitors are without a clean sheet in their last 17 games in this fixture, a run dating back to 2016.
- The Lions are undefeated in their last 10 Primeira Liga openers.
Sporting CP vs Rio Ave Prediction:
Sporting are favorite to win the opening game. However, one can´t underestimate the defence and reselience of Rio Ave.
Stay updated with the latest football news on https://thefootyalert.com.
Some Images from the match:






Looking forward for the match today !