FC Porto held to first Europa League draw against Utrecht | OneFootball

FC Porto recorded a 1-1 draw this Thursday on Utrecht’s ground, in a match corresponding to the 4th round of the Europa League.

After a rather uninspiring first half, with few dangerous chances, the second half proved decisive: Miguel Rodríguez scored in the 49th minute and Borja Sainz restored parity in the 66th, a situation that also “left the Dragons with a numerical advantage due to the expulsion of the Dutch goalkeeper.”

With an extra player, the team managed by Farioli sought victory but ended up settling for a share of the points, a result that temporarily places FC Porto in 9th place in the Europa League standings, with 7 points.

A lot of dominance, little inspiration

For this match, coach Francesco Farioli made eight changes compared to the team that started the game against SC Braga. Martim Fernandes, Prpic, Zaidu, Eustáquio, Pablo Rosário, Gabri Veiga, Gul, and Borja Sainz took the places of Alberto Costa, Kiwior, Francisco Moura, Alan Varela, Rodrigo Mora, Froholdt, William Gomes, and Samu, all of whom were on the bench.

The match started at a high pace, though somewhat chaotic, dominated by midfield duels with neither team clearly taking the initiative. Even so, it was FC Porto who created the first chance in the 12th minute: after a good combination, Eustáquio set up Gabri Veiga who, already inside the box, shot wide.

As time went on, the Dragons gained territorial dominance, pressing high and making it difficult for their opponents to transition quickly. FC Porto had more possession but struggled to break through the Dutch low block in the final third; in one of the rare forays, Borja Sainz appeared on the left and set up Gabri Veiga, whose shot was safely saved by Barkas.

Before halftime, Eustáquio had a clear opportunity but was dispossessed by Utrecht’s defense; the hosts’ best response was a shot from El Karouani that went just wide. The 0-0 at halftime reflected the lack of creativity from the “blue and whites” and Utrecht’s offensive incapacity.

And suddenly everything changed

In the second half, Ron Jans made a change, bringing on Cathline for Murkin. Utrecht pushed their lines higher and began playing with greater aggression, a change that proved decisive. In the 49th minute, a set-piece from a wide free kick created space for Miguel Rodríguez, who struck powerfully to make it 1-0, leaving FC Porto stunned.

Trailing, Farioli replaced Pepê with William Gomes, but it was Utrecht who continued to threaten, again from a set-piece – Horemans’ header went just wide.

The turnaround came in the 66th minute: after winning the ball high up the pitch, Borja Sainz capitalized on the rebound from a Gul shot to equalize, and shortly after Barkas was shown a red card following a clash with Gabri Veiga.

With a numerical advantage, FC Porto dominated territorially and pinned Utrecht back into their defensive half; Gabri Veiga threatened, but his effort was stopped by goalkeeper Brouwer. Near the end, Brouwer again denied a powerful shot from Borja Sainz.

Until the final whistle, Porto pressed in search of the winning goal, but to no avail. This draw, the first in the Europa League this season, leaves FC Porto with 7 points and in 9th place in the table, a position that may still change depending on the results of the other matches in the round.

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