FC Porto dodge play-offs, lighten fixture load ahead of hectic March | OneFootball

FC Porto’s comfortable victory over Rangers (3-1), in the eighth and final matchday of the Europa League group stage, gave the Dragons the relief they had been seeking and two benefits that did not go unnoticed by Francesco Farioli.

In addition to securing direct qualification for the Europa League Round of 16—which also means more revenue for the SAD led by André Villas-Boas—FC Porto eliminated two playoff matches from their schedule for this competition, avoiding a potentially overloaded February.

The absence of these two extra commitments allows FC Porto to face February with less pressure as they prepare for what is expected to be an intense end to the season, giving the squad more room for physical recovery.

Free weeks in February before a demanding March

The Dragons will have only four matches in February, all related to the league. There will thus be free weeks for Francesco Farioli to organize training and for the players to recover physically during a long season. As the Primeira Liga becomes more competitive, this break may help consolidate their lead.

FC Porto will start February with an away match against Casa Pia, next Monday, in Rio Maior, at 8:45 pm (Portugal Mainland time). This will be followed by the classic against Sporting at Estádio do Dragão, on February 9 (8:45 pm), a duel that could be decisive in the title race.

To close out the month, although the date is yet to be set, they will travel to Madeira to face Nacional, before hosting Rio Ave. A calmer February precedes an intense March: in addition to the league, FC Porto will have two more competitions to play.

After hosting Arouca in the first week of March, two classics may arise. One is certain: the visit to Benfica at the Luz, for the 25th matchday of the Primeira Liga. Before that, the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals could take place, against AVS or rivals Sporting. After the match against the Eagles, the month ends with games against Moreirense and Sporting de Braga, both teams positioned in the upper part of the table.

Alongside the domestic schedule, FC Porto will also have two matches in the Europa League Round of 16, against an opponent to be drawn from the group consisting of Scotland’s Celtic, Germany’s Stuttgart, Bulgaria’s Ludogorets, and Hungary’s Ferencváros. The opponent will be determined in the draw on February 27, after the playoffs conclude.

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