Pepê’s influence goes beyond goals, winning over the FC Porto manager | OneFootball

Pepê has become a key player for FC Porto under the management of Francesco Farioli, and the statistics confirm his importance to the blue and white team.

The 28-year-old winger has started 29 times this season, making him the most used forward by the Italian coach. Only three players in the squad have more starts: Diogo Costa (32), Victor Froholdt (30), and Jan Bednarek (30). Among the forwards, he surpasses Samu (27) and Borja Sainz (25), although the Spaniard, who came from Norwich, has two more appearances in total.

The Brazilian international missed only three of the Dragons’ 35 matches in 2025/26; two of them – against Casa Pia and Sporting, in rounds 3 and 4 of the league – were due to an eye injury. The only absence due to a coaching decision was in the home match against Estoril, on matchday 12, a game Porto won 1-0.

Strengths beyond goals Pepê’s influence goes beyond offensive production: Farioli values the pressure the player puts on opponents, his defensive commitment, and tactical intelligence, qualities that have earned public praise. Ahead of the second-round classic against Sporting (1-1), the coach said: “I’ve already said that, many times, when we celebrate a defensive performance, we give credit to the defenders, but we forget the work of the forwards. The most important thing is to be able to create good scoring opportunities and not concede chances. It doesn’t matter who puts the ball in the back of the net. The most important thing is to create and not concede. I am very grateful for the work that Borja Sainz and Pepê have done since the start of the season. They have carried a great weight on their shoulders during many games. My words for them are only of gratitude.”

One step away from matching 2024/25 In terms of goals and assists, Pepê has three goals and six decisive passes this season. He hasn’t scored in over two months – his last goal was in the Portuguese Cup tie against Famalicão (4-1) – and he hasn’t celebrated in the league since the first two rounds, against Vitória de Guimarães (3-0) and Gil Vicente (2-0). Last season, he recorded six goals and four assists; he therefore needs just one more direct contribution to equal that total.

On Sunday, against Rio Ave (8:30 pm), Pepê is expected to start for the 11th consecutive league match.

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