As Rio Ave meets arch-rivals Benfica on January 17th, 2026 at 21:30:00 UTC, excitement is mounting. They meet in the context of the Portugal. Liga Portugal.

Rio Ave will look to leverage their home support. Their tactical discipline is more effective on home turf.

Benfica comes into this match with a clear away strategy. They approach away games with pragmatism and grit.

Playing on home soil could make all the difference.

The clash could be a chess match of tactical minds.

Leaders on the pitch will be critical.

It might require extra effort to break the deadlock.

Our analysis indicates a 70 % chance of success for our prediction.

The outcome remains uncertain — just the way fans like it. This contest between Rio Ave and Benfica could be one to remember.