Portimonense vs Rio Ave

The match, played at Rio Ave's training base in the Algarve, served as a closed-door workout between the two Portuguese clubs. Rio Ave — who compete in the top-flight Liga Betclic — dominated from the outset against their Liga Portugal 2 opponents.

The deadlock was broken by Medina, who found the net to give the vilacondenses a first-half lead. Miguel Patrício doubled the advantage before the interval, and substitute Tamble rounded off the scoring after the break to complete a 3-0 scoreline that reflected Rio Ave's superiority throughout.

According to the club's official match report, the result "translated into the scoreline the superiority demonstrated throughout the match."

Medina's opener settled any early nerves. Portimonense had held firm in the opening exchanges, but once the first goal went in, Rio Ave's rhythm and movement pulled the second-tier side apart. The second goal before half-time effectively killed the contest.

Miguel Patrício was the standout performer in the first half, scoring one and linking well with the midfield. The forward's movement caused constant problems for the Portimonense defence.

Medina opened the scoring and controlled the tempo from midfield, while Tamble came off the bench to add a clinical third, demonstrating the depth Silaidopoulos is building in his squad.

The raw 3-0 scoreline tells a story of dominance that pre-match data from Sports Mole had rated as a 1.9% likelihood — the 0-3 outcome was considered a remote possibility given Portimonense's 43.9% win probability heading in. Rio Ave, who had a 29% chance of winning per the same model, outperformed expectations emphatically.

Rio Ave's pre-season form now reads W-W-W across three friendlies (Vila do Conde selection, Arouca, and now Portimonense), having scored seven goals across those fixtures without conceding.

This was Rio Ave's third pre-season test of the 2026/27 preparation phase. Silaidopoulos used the opportunity to rotate heavily — 10 substitutes were deployed after the starting XI — as he continues to "consolidate processes and observe different solutions," per the club's official statement.

Portimonense, who were relegated to Liga Portugal 2 in 2024, are still building towards the new season. Their pre-season results have been mixed, with a 4-0 loss to Dallas and a 1-1 draw with Radomiak Radom preceding this defeat.

Rio Ave continue their Algarve training camp with a friendly against Saudi side Al Ahli on 19 July, followed by a meeting with Vitória de Guimarães on 23 July.

A straightforward pre-season win for Rio Ave, who looked a class above their second-division opponents. The scoreline was emphatic, but the real value for Silaidopoulos will have been the minutes spread across 21 players. Portimonense have work to do before the new season, but pre-season friendlies are about process, not results.