FC Porto: Big match and packed stadium on return to the Dragão | OneFootball

Twenty-eight days after the derby with Benfica, the Estádio do Dragão opens its doors once again and promises a full house as FC Porto returns home. At 8:30 PM (Sport TV), the blue and whites host SC Braga in the tenth round of a championship they lead with 25 points – the same as Sporting, who have one more game – and with a 12-point advantage over tonight’s opponent.

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In the period between the first two FIFA breaks of the season, the team led by Francesco Farioli secured victories over CD Nacional (1-0), Rio Ave (3-0), and Arouca (4-0), as well as a home draw with Benfica (0-0), totaling eight goals scored and keeping a clean sheet. On the Minho side, SC Braga suffered defeats to Gil Vicente (1-0) and CD Nacional (1-0) at home and recorded away draws with Vitória SC (1-1) and Sporting (1-1).

After the second international break, FC Porto eliminated CD Celoricense (4-0) in the Portuguese Cup and won in Moreira de Cónegos (2-1). Meanwhile, SC Braga knocked out GD Bragança (1-0) in the Portuguese Cup, eliminated Santa Clara in the League Cup (5-0), and convincingly beat Casa Pia (4-0) at the Pedreira.

In 138 previous league matches between the two teams, the blue and whites have triumphed on 94 occasions, drawn 24 times, and lost 20 times, with 279 goals scored and 115 conceded. In Invicta, Braga has only managed to win four times: 1948 (0-1), 1959 (1-2), 2005 (1-3), and 2020 (1-2). Of the remaining 65 encounters in Porto, 57 went to the Dragons and eight ended in a draw.

The most memorable duel between the two clubs did not take place on Portuguese soil. On May 18, 2011, in the first European final between Portuguese clubs, FC Porto under André Villas-Boas defeated SC Braga led by Domingos Paciência and claimed the Europa League title. In Dublin, Ireland, Radamel Falcao scored the only goal of the decisive match (1-0).

FC PortoIn the preview of “a game that will demand the best version of FC Porto,” Francesco Farioli described SC Braga as “a team in very good form, one of the most in-form teams” in Portuguese football and emphasized that “the key is to do things well, with precision, energy, commitment, and passion.”

“We have to be prepared and compete a lot,” the coach recalled on the eve of the clash, describing a duel “between two teams playing face to face and who will want to play all over the pitch, with many duels and many combinations” that will require the Dragons “to be ready to compete with intensity.”

When asked about recent performances, Francesco Farioli was clear: “The narrative going around, honestly, is not correct. How many people actually watch our games? It’s very easy to destroy what we do. We have to be patient to find the right moments and adapt to what the games demand, as they require different approaches, but above all, we must always stay alert to what we have to do. We are on the right path, but there are always things to improve.”

Luuk de Jong has gradually returned to the pitch, regaining fitness, running almost pain-free, and has already started touching the ball, but will not be fit to compete before the next international break; Nehuén Pérez is also confirmed out due to injury.

Refereeing team

The Refereeing Council of the Portuguese Football Federation has appointed Fábio Veríssimo, from the Leiria Football Association, as the referee for the match. The assistants will be Pedro Martins and Hugo Marques, with Gustavo Correia as the fourth official. VAR will be handled by Tiago Martins, with Cláudia Ribeiro as assistant.

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