Rio Ave beat Tondela 3-1 in a Club Friendly on Friday evening. The home side took control early and never looked like relinquishing it, even though the visitors had moments of their own. First minute of the match the ball was already moving at a pace that suggested this would be straightforward.
The opening goal came at fourteen minutes, a quick strike that caught Tondela asleep. And here's the thing — the visitors had just settled into a rhythm before the scoreline changed everything. Rio Ave kept their composure and worked the channels with purpose.
After the break, home advantage showed through again. Forty-seven minutes in and the second goal arrived, this time with more patience behind it. The visitors should have responded, but to be fair their structure was too loose to create anything meaningful.
Tondela pulled one back at fifty-four minutes, a moment that briefly lifted the away support. By then though the damage was done. Rio Ave responded immediately, and at ninety-one minutes the fourth goal of the match sealed it.
The numbers tell a similar story. Rio Ave registered 104 attacks against 88 from Tondela, while possession sat at 54-46 in favour of the hosts. Four corners for the visitors compared to none for Rio Ave suggests they spent more time in the final third without creating chances.
Rio Ave's recent form has been steady — two draws and three wins in five matches, including that 3-0 victory over Portimonense. Tondela's run has been harder to read, with two draws and three losses, including that heavy defeat to Famalicão. This result keeps them apart for now.