Diogo Costa stars in derbies, keeps Dragão fortress unbreached | OneFootball

Diogo Costa finds in Sporting a rival that, more than simply confronting him, brings out the competitive spirit of the Porto captain. Since taking over the Dragons’ goal, number 99 has built a record against the Lions that combines personality and the traits of a champion.

Twelve encounters (three on neutral ground): six wins, four draws, and only two losses describe the journey of a goalkeeper who does not back down from the Lisbon rival—on the contrary, it is in these matches that he stands out the most. In the league, he maintains a slight advantage over the Lions: in nine clashes in the Liga he has claimed three victories, recorded four draws, and suffered two defeats—both at Alvalade, with the same scoreline (2-0), in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

At the Dragão, his goal remains a fortress: at home, Diogo has yet to be defeated by Sporting. In four matches, he has one win—a clear 3-0 in August 2022, with goals from Evanilson, Uribe, and Galeno—and three draws, showing that the classics with the Lions are sometimes hard-fought, but tend to favor the Porto goalkeeper. Another relevant fact: Diogo Costa has won every final he has played against Sporting. Two finals, two trophies lifted—the Taça de Portugal 2024 and the Supertaça 2024—showcasing his flair for the big stage.

The most recent of these triumphs, the Supertaça, had epic contours: in Vítor Bruno’s debut, FC Porto overturned a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in a whirlwind of emotions in Aveiro. Calm amid the storm, Diogo helped steady the team when everything seemed to be falling apart. The main threat for tomorrow has been identified: Luis Suárez, the Lions’ agitator, capable of testing the solidity of the best defense in the Liga.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.