Farioli battles Choupana ghosts as FC Porto top the league | OneFootball

Among the most disappointing campaigns for FC Porto in 2024/25, the visit to Choupana stood out. On January 17, the Dragons, then managed by Vítor Bruno, returned to the match that had been interrupted by fog on January 3. Despite the defeat against Sporting in the semi-finals of the League Cup, all attention was focused on the league: there was a possibility that FC Porto could return to the top of the table for the first time since May 2022, when they were crowned champions.

A series of reassuring victories had fueled that expectation, but it was dashed by Tiago Margarido’s team. Nacional won 2-0, building their lead in the first half, in a weak performance from the blue and whites. That was just the prologue to the worst period of the season: two wins in eleven matches, during which Martín Anselmi replaced Vítor Bruno.

Almost thirteen months later, the reality is practically the opposite. FC Porto travel to Choupana tomorrow as league leaders, four points ahead of Sporting, although they are not at their best form – still, far from a crisis. So much has changed that a defeat (the first against Casa Pia) and a draw with the Lions now constitute, in fact, the worst run in the competition, if two games can be considered as such. From the match a year ago, only Diogo Costa, Martim Fernandes (if he recovers), Alan Varela, Mora, Pepê, and Deniz Gul could feature again at Choupana.

Farioli, aware that the past does not play, has nevertheless shown respect for the club’s memories and, in doing so, has laid some ghosts to rest, as seen in the convincing win in Barcelos – another tough moment in 2024/25 – the unbeaten record in the four classics already played, and a more comfortable campaign in the Europa League. More relevant for the players, certainly, will be Nacional’s home record against the big teams this season: they lost 4-1 to Sporting – after trailing at halftime – and Benfica only managed to secure three points (2-1) in stoppage time.

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