Hugo Almeida: “I reckon Deniz Gul is favourite to replace Samu” | OneFootball

Suddenly, FC Porto lost its top scorer and main attacking reference. This is a heavy setback for Samu, naturally, and also for Francesco Farioli, who had already lost another striker (Luuk de Jong) in December for a similar reason. Even so, the club doesn’t have much time to lament: the prolonged absence of the Spaniard – who will not play again this season – leaves a gap in the center of the attack, forcing Deniz Gul and Terem Moffi to raise their performance so that the Dragons feel the absence of number 9’s goals as little as possible.

The first, Deniz Gul, has been at the club longer and had already been fulfilling the role of direct substitute for Samu. The other reinforcement, who arrived in the last days of January, is still trying to regain his best physical form – he hasn’t played since November 30 – but was a trusted player for Farioli at Nice. From now on, the burden of FC Porto’s goals will fall on the Turk and the Nigerian, since the blue and white SAD does not intend to sign a striker available on a free transfer. This decision is related both to the profile of the freely available options and to the confidence of the management and coaching staff in the abilities of the players already present, as well as other internal alternatives.

To comment on this internal competition, the newspaper A BOLA spoke with Hugo Almeida, former FC Porto player. “I think Deniz Gul is ahead, especially since he’s almost always the one who comes on when Samu goes off. These situations seem to weaken the team, but the players who have been on the bench will have the opportunity to show their worth. Sometimes, you find an excellent option who manages to deliver, going from a temporary solution to a permanent player,” says Hugo Almeida, former FC Porto and National Team striker, who does not believe that Samu’s injury compromises the Dragons’ title fight: “It doesn’t weaken them. The team was already prepared to play with Samu, but Gul has come in well, has done a good job, and is scoring his goals.”

The former international, now working as a coach, highlights the qualities of the Turk, a “different player” from Samu. “He’s not as physically powerful, but he also likes the physical challenge and to ask for the ball in depth. Samu has been coming deeper to get the ball, so that the wingers can exploit the space in behind. Football is a box of surprises. If the players are there, it’s because FC Porto believes in them,” explains Hugo Almeida.

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