FC Porto make Women's First Division debut against Valadares Gaia | OneFootball

The historic debut in the women’s top flight is about to happen. Daniel Chaves underlines the need to “start with a win, especially since there are only 18 matchdays.” In the opening round, FC Porto host Valadares Gaia — “one of the best teams in the competition in recent years” — in Pedroso, in a match scheduled for Saturday at 5pm, live on FC Porto TV and Canal 11. The coach and Daniela Santos also make a joint appeal for the “vital support of the fans to secure the victory.”

The centre-back says she is “very excited” about the start of this journey in a “difficult context,” in which she hopes to “improve a lot.” Daniela Santos assures that the team will take to the pitch with “ambition, grit, a desire to win and commitment to the Club in order to achieve a good result.”

Daniel Chaves

Starting the league with a win “In such a short league campaign, it is extremely important for us to start well. We want to begin the women’s league in the best possible way and mark our debut with a win, especially since there are only 18 matchdays, which has a big impact on this start. It is very important to take the first three points in this opening round.”

The opening-round opponent “We expect to face an opponent that, despite the major overhaul in the squad, comes off a very positive season — with a good league finish and reaching the League Cup final — and has a lot of experience in the league. They are truly one of the best teams in the competition in recent years, but for us it is crucial to start the league in the best way, and we will fight for the three points.”

The role of the fans “I expect the same from the fans as in every game so far: that they show up and are very positive with us. We are now entering a different phase of the project, with greater demands and in which the difficulties will be greater, so their support is vital for us to have a positive season.”

Daniela Santos

The start of a new stage “We are very excited. We know the context is difficult, but we want to improve a lot and, for that to happen, we have to be at our best level. We are very happy and hope to achieve a good result this weekend.”

What to expect from the debut “We will show our ambition, our grit, our desire to win and our commitment to the Club in order to achieve a good result.”

The encouragement of Porto fans “I hope they continue to support us, because the strength they give us is vital for us to win. The match is not far away and the weather will be good, so it is the ideal setting for them to come and support us.”

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