Farioli rings the changes: only two players have over 3,000 minutes | OneFootball

The squad management that Francesco Farioli has been carrying out in recent weeks – clearly visible in the match the day before yesterday in Stuttgart, where the starting eleven saw eight changes compared to the classic at Luz – has proven beneficial for FC Porto, who remain well positioned in all three competitions they are fighting for until the end of the season. Compared to Sporting and Benfica, the Dragons currently have the advantage of having played fewer matches (40, versus 42 for Sporting and 46 for Benfica) and, on an individual level, the most used players in Porto’s squad have accumulated fewer minutes than their counterparts at their rivals.

If we exclude the goalkeeper Diogo Costa from these calculations, FC Porto has only one outfield player above 3,000 minutes – midfielder Froholdt (3,030) – followed by Bednarek (2,978) and winger Pepê (2,644) among the most used. At Sporting, there are four players with more than 3,000 minutes: Trincão (3,376), Hjulmand (3,272), Luis Suárez (3,206), and Gonçalo Inácio (3,158). At Benfica, Otamendi is approaching 4,000 minutes (3,809) and, excluding goalkeeper Trubin, there are still three outfield players with more than 3,500 minutes: Samuel Dahl (3,787), Pavlidis (3,698), and Aursnes (3,635).

Farioli has stated several times that, for the type of football he wants – with maximum energy and intensity – he needs “fresh legs,” and he will continue to prioritize this in the upcoming matches, starting tomorrow against Moreirense, where another revolution in the blue and white starting eleven is expected (Martim Fernandes, Kiwior, Alan Varela, Froholdt, Gabri Veiga, Pepê, Deniz Gul, and Pietuszewski are expected to return to the starting lineup).

Afterwards, he will again manage efforts in the second leg of the European tie, scheduled just three days before a crucial match in Braga, which could open the way for FC Porto to win the national title. This will be followed by a two-week break for international commitments, a moment that can be used for several squad members to recover, although this will not be the case for players like Bednarek, Kiwior, or Froholdt, who will be involved in the decisive playoffs for qualification for the 2026 World Cup with their respective national teams (Poland and Denmark).

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