Louletano vs Rio Ave prediction

Louletano host Rio Ave in the Round of 64 of the Taca de Portugal looking to extend their positive cup run. The home side navigated their earlier ties effectively, recording away victories against FC Serpa by 2-1 and Castrense by 1-0, though their most recent match overall brought a 1-0 loss away to Vitoria de Sernache.

Rio Ave arrive after a high-scoring 3-2 home victory against Nacional, which snapped a difficult run of results. While that recent win demonstrated their offensive potential, defensive vulnerabilities have been evident after conceding 14 goals across their last five matches, alongside consecutive away defeats without scoring against Santa Clara and Alverca.

With Louletano generally involved in lower-scoring contests and Rio Ave seeking stability away from home, this knockout clash may prove closely contested. Backing Rio Ave to either advance in normal time or take the tie to extra time provides solid coverage against a competitive host.