Porto was expected to face a difficult task against Malaga in their first knockout match at the Estadio do Dragao, but while Porto dominated the match and created a number of chances, an offside goal from Joao Moutinho made the difference.
With an advantage guaranteed well before their second leg match kicks off in Spain, Porto will first have to focus on the domestic league on Saturday as Rio Ave comes to town.
Nuno Espirito Santos' side is fifth in the Portuguese League and a victory on Saturday could further secure their Europa League spot for next season.
Dating back to 1981, which was the only time Rio Ave defeated Porto away, the Vila Condenses have lost every match away to Porto with the exception of two draws along the way. The latest was during the 2004/05 season when Gaucho gave Rio Ave the lead, but Luis Fabiano evened things up in the 72nd minute.
Both these sides met in September when they drew 2-2. A first half goal from Miguel Lopes, who is no longer with the squad having been dealt in the Izmailov trade with Sporting, gave Vitor Pereira's side a lead heading into halftime. Ricardo Tarantini's two wonder strikes in the final 15 minutes gave Rio Ave a precious lead, but Colombian striker Jackson Martinez came to the rescue for Porto in the 89th minute.
This time around, Nuno Espirito Santo knows that it will not be easy, but he is confident in how his side has performed this season.
"It is not going to be our most difficult game, but we know that it will be very difficult," said the former Porto goalkeeper.
"Playing at the Estadio do Dragao at this phase in the league, knowing what we have done up until now will give us a lot of confidence. It is obvious that we can not overlook Porto's dominance at home, but we need to remain the same team we have been up until now."
Vitor Pereira's side will once again get a chance to put pressure on Benfica since the Lisbon side will only take the field on Sunday.
Going by how Rio Ave performed in their first meeting this season, Pereira is not taking anything for granted.
"Away from home, Rio Ave is a very dangerous side," Pereira told reporters on Thursday.
"In nine matches away from home, they have six victories, that has to count for something. From their last six matches, they only have one loss. They have collective quality, as well as individual quality and they have shown that throughout the season."
Previous Matches
09-29-12 Rio Ave 2-2 Porto
05-12-12 Rio Ave 2-5 Porto
01-14-12 Porto 2-0 Rio Ave
02-06-11 Porto 1-0 Rio Ave
08-29-10 Rio Ave 0-2 Porto
Prediction
With eleven matches remaining in the current campaign, and 33 points up for grabs, every point becomes extremely important. For Porto, being even on points with Benfica makes it even more important because any little slip up, could see either team fall behind.
After a draw at home against Olhanense, Porto bounced back as expected against Beira Mar in a match that saw James Rodriguez return to action. Taking on a Rio Ave side that has been a pleasant surprise this season may be a more difficult task than Beira Mar.
The visitors have a better record away from home with six victories, one draw and two defeats. One of those defeats was in September against Braga, and the latest was in December, away to Beira Mar. Since then, Rio Ave has two victories and one draw away from home.
Scoring at the Dragao will be concern number one, but if Olhanense was able to pull it off, why would Rio Ave feel inferior? After all, Olhanense is in a relegation battle.
Porto will be coming off a Champions League match that will have tested the fitness of some of the players. Recovering them for this match on Saturday should not be difficult, but getting the same effort is a different story.
Vitor Pereira said it himself that his players were fatigued and he would face a difficult task of recovering them in time, so Rio Ave will need to take advantage of that.
Seeing Porto lose points again in a matter of three weeks is not something many would expect, even the biggest anti-Porto fans would see it as very unlikely, but who would have thought Olhanense would steal points at the Dragao?
This will be an interesting match for both sides, but clearly more important for Porto. Could Porto fans be in for another disappointing result as they witnessed just a few weeks ago?
Porto 2-1 Rio Ave
