**Pre-season chess match between two sides hunting rhythm ahead of their big campaigns.** Rio Ave and Nottingham Forest arrive with identical records — **2W 2D 1L** — suggesting both are somewhere between sharp and searching. 🎯

Rio Ave ground out a tidy **3-0 away win at Portimonense** and held their own in a 2-2 draw with Al-Ahli at home. Nottingham Forest's win streak (3-0 over Blackburn, 2-0 at Notts County) was interrupted by a 1-1 stalemate with Bournemouth — a sign the attacking edge needs tuning.

Key storylines:

- **Nottingham Forest's attacking tempo** will be tested against a Rio Ave side that's shown defensive solidity in patches
- Rio Ave hunting another strong road performance after that Portimonense demolition
- Both teams circling the pitch looking for final-third precision heading into competitive action

Expected lineups:

- **Rio Ave**: Kieza, Boateng, Mhíres, Geraldes, Perosevic, Simoes (and others from squad)
- **Nottingham Forest**: Soto, Murillo, Jota, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Elanga (and others from squad)

Prediction:

**2-1 Nottingham Forest.** Forest's recent sharpness edges out a Rio Ave side still finding gear. 🔴