FC Porto start handball league with 42-20 win over AA Avanca | OneFootball

FC Porto got off to the best possible start in the national handball championship by beating AA Avanca 42-20 at the Adelino Dias Costa Municipal Pavilion. Antonio Martínez stood out with 12 goals and was the top scorer for the blue and whites, who claimed their first three points of the season.

The match began with Porto largely in control. Ricardo Brandão scored the first goal and, five minutes later, the Dragons were already 6-1 ahead, with Antonio Martínez responsible for three of those goals. Despite the absences of Diogo Rêma and captain Daymaro Salina due to physical issues, the team coached by Carlos Martingo showed great defensive solidity and went into halftime leading 22-8.

Other notable moments included the debuts of Xavier Barbosa, who faced his former team, Guilherme Borges and Pedro Antunes. The 18-year-old goalkeeper saved a seven-meter throw just seconds into his first-team debut.

Squad rotation continued in the second half, after already being evident in the opening 30 minutes. Antonio Martínez kept showing his efficiency and, by the 40th minute, had already scored 11 goals, as many as AA Avanca had managed up to that point (30-11). FC Porto controlled their lead until the final whistle and sealed an emphatic 42-20 win.

The next fixture will be in Galicia for the Iberian Super Cup. In the semi-finals, scheduled for 4:45 pm on Friday at the Vigo Exhibition Institute, Porto will face FC Barcelona, Spanish champions and Spanish Cup winners (Porto Canal). The other semi-final will pit Sporting against CD Bidasoa.

Match sheet

AA AVANCA-FC PORTO, 20-42National Handball Championship, Matchday 129 August 2026Adelino Dias Costa Municipal Pavilion, Avanca

Referees: Mário Coutinho and António Oliveira

AA AVANCA: Rafael Azevedo and José Pinho (gk); João Carrelha, Criprian Popovici, Reylan González, Henrique Relvas, Denis Podolskyy, Lourenço Santos, Edmilson Garcia, Rafael Andrade, Tiago Sousa, João Saraiva, Gonçalo Vieira, Rodrigo Francisco, Pedro Silva and João ResendeCoach: Pedro Silva

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