FC Porto beat FC Arouca 2-0 and go clear at the top of Liga Portugal | OneFootball

FC Porto beat FC Arouca 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão and moved clear at the top of the Liga Portugal standings, with a two-point lead over Sporting, Santa Clara and Marítimo. In the clash between the only two teams that had won their first two matches, the national champions dominated from start to finish and had chances to build a more emphatic scoreline. Arruabarrena, however, saved 10 of Porto’s 12 shots on target, only being beaten by Gabri Veiga in the 67th minute and Borja Sainz in the 86th.

Francesco Farioli brought in Alberto Costa and André Silva in place of Nehuén Pérez and Deniz Gül, who had started in Vila do Conde. Even so, the first chance fell to two players who kept their places in the lineup: William Gomes found space, Pepê got free, but the Arouca goalkeeper rushed off his line and stopped the move. Vasco Seabra’s side responded with better organization, and FC Porto did not threaten again until close to the half-hour mark, when a long-range strike from Gabri Veiga was tipped behind for a corner by Arruabarrena.

In the 33rd minute, William Gomes won the ball back in the final third, drove through the middle and once again came up against an inspired Arruabarrena, who prevented the goal with an excellent save. Near half-time, in his 250th match for FC Porto’s first team, Diogo Costa made a comfortable stop to gather a header straight at him. Then, in the closing moments of the first half, Victor Froholdt once again forced the Arouca keeper into action, this time with a header from a Gabri Veiga cross.

Pepê then fired over right after the restart, before Alberto Costa put the ball in the net after getting the better of Arruabarrena in the air. João Pinheiro, however, gave a foul against the Portuguese defender, and the score remained level. FC Porto did not ease off, and in the 57th minute the post denied Pepê the opening goal.

A minute later, William Gomes tested Arruabarrena again. In the 59th, Jakub Kiwior unleashed a powerful shot and even found the back of the net, but the referee ruled it out again, this time for offside. The 46,285 fans at the Estádio do Dragão only had to wait five more minutes: William Gomes burst down the left, set up Gabri Veiga, and the Spaniard, with a striker’s finish, made it 1-0 to spark huge celebrations in the stands.

Arruabarrena then produced another top-class save to keep FC Arouca in the game, after Deniz Gül, Borja Sainz and Inbeom Hwang had come on. Porto’s second goal came close, but the visiting goalkeeper once again came out on top. Shortly afterwards, Borja Sainz made no mistake and doubled the lead, finishing off a Pepê assist. Before the end, Nehuén Pérez came on for Jan Bednarek, and Froholdt also went close to scoring, but Arruabarrena, Arouca’s standout player, denied him once more.

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