Sporting CP ran away with a 0-4 Primeira Liga win over Rio Ave, putting the result beyond doubt before half-time with a four-goal burst and a clean sheet.

Match Summary

The visitors needed only five minutes to take control. F. Goncalves finished from I. Doumbia's assist, and Sporting CP kept coming. G. Catamo made it two before the game was 20 minutes old, with F. Goncalves the provider this time.

L. Suarez then turned a strong start into a one-sided scoreline. He scored in the 26th minute to make it three, then added another before the interval, M. Araujo supplying the assist. Rio Ave had no answer in that spell. By the break it was already 0-4, and the second half became a matter of holding what Sporting CP had built.

After the restart there were no further goals. L. Suarez picked up a yellow card early in the half, and T. Nikitscher was booked for Rio Ave around the hour mark. Sporting CP saw out the remainder without adding to the tally or conceding.

Key Moments

The early scoring burst mattered because it forced Rio Ave to chase from a long way out. Once F. Goncalves and G. Catamo had the visitors two up inside 19 minutes, the home side were playing catch-up against a team already in front.

L. Suarez's two first-half goals were the swing that closed the contest. His second arrived before half-time and left Rio Ave four down. They never recovered.

Rio Ave's attacking numbers explain the quiet second half. Six shots and none on target meant there was no late twist, even after Sporting CP stopped adding goals.

Match Statistics

Sporting CP also led the useful numbers. They held 61 percent of possession to Rio Ave's 39 and produced 11 shots to 6, with five on target against none. Expected goals sat at 1.4 for the visitors and 0.5 for the hosts. Corners were closer, three to two in Sporting CP's favour. Each team received one yellow card, and there were no red cards.

See also

• Rio Ave vs Sporting CP live score
• AltBets live scores
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• Match recaps