FC Porto struggle to find the net despite more shots on target | OneFootball

FC Porto did not start 2026 on the right foot. They won three out of four matches played—except for the draw in the Czech Republic—but have shown a sharp decline in offensive output, especially in terms of effectiveness. Against Plzen, Vitória, Benfica, and Santa Clara, the team managed by Farioli scored only one goal—and in Guimarães, it was only from a penalty—reducing their average goals per game to less than half.

Until the end of December, they were scoring 2.15 goals per match; now the average is just one. Their aim has not been the same, and that has made the difference, because the number of shots on target has remained practically unchanged compared to the first half of the season, and was even higher on Thursday (eight), despite having a numerical advantage throughout the second half.

At the end of the game, Diogo Costa and Bednrek, the captain and one of the locker room leaders, pointed out the problem. “Very honestly, as has been the case in recent games, we’ve been lacking in the final third. We’re making poor decisions inside the box and taking too long to play the final man through,” said the goalkeeper, with the center-back mentioning the need for “more quality in the final third.” Even Farioli admitted that the team “did not attack with their usual quality.” The work that needs to be done is clear, but time is not on their side. The day after tomorrow, there’s already a match against Gil Vicente.

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