Portuguese season is heading towards its finale and Rio Ave find themselves in relegation trouble with 3 rounds left to play.

They could’ve felt more comfortable if it wasn’t for the match against Porto, which is scheduled to follow the game vs. St.Clara. With Boavista a threat, Rio simply can’t afford to lose this fixture tonight. They are currently separated by an odd point and failure to take anything today might lead to Boavista taking over and pushing Rio into relegation playoff.

St. Clara have finished the season since a few weeks now and have been winless since April 11th, when they defeated struggling Nacional 5-1. They’ve lost 3 and drawn 2 in the last 5 rounds, including the most recent 0-1 defeat to Famalicao, who needed those 3 points like a breath of fresh air being stuck in relegation waters.

Hosts have an amazing list of 3 suspended players for tonight, featuring fullback Sagna, central midfielder Nene and first choice goalkeeper Marco Pereira.

Rio Ave have minor squad issues of their own, but definitely of less significance than St. Clara’s.

Both sides would be relatively content to share points tonight. Nothing positive in store for Rio Ave’s main rival Boavista, who take on Sporting in their match and are expected to lose. Hence for Rio a draw on the road against unmotivated St.Clara would be a strategically decent achievement.