Polish prodigy dazzles Porto fans with electrifying runs | OneFootball

Above-average personality and, above all, courage with the ball: the signs left by Oskar Pietuszewski during FC Porto's trip to Choupana the previous week convinced Francesco Farioli to trust him with a starting position once again against Rio Ave. The Dragons' number 77 was in the starting lineup on Sunday, in the match against the Vila do Conde team, and his performance spoke for itself: an assist for the only goal of the match, scored by Victor Froholdt, which secured three crucial points in the blue and white team's title race.

The inclusion of the winter signing in the starting lineup brought to Porto what had been missing on the offensive flanks: the willingness for individual duels. That's how the play for the 1-0 against Rio Ave was born: Gabri Veiga isolated Pietuszewski on the left, and the former Jagiellonia player overcame Jakub Brabec's marking with relative ease. Not everything went perfectly for the young 17-year-old winger: he finished the match with two successful dribbles out of seven attempts. However, this number also indicates the audacity that sets him apart – he was the player who most sought one-on-one situations in the game.

The demanding fan base of FC Porto has already reacted enthusiastically to each move by the Polish prodigy, and his boldness only surprises those who didn't know him. "In January, I warned some colleagues and friends that Oskar would surprise at FC Porto… Now, they've sent me messages and acknowledged I was right," explained Tomás Silva, a former teammate of Pietuszewski at Jagiellonia, in statements to the newspaper A BOLA. "At the time, I was very clear: I said that when FC Porto needed someone to open up the games, he was the right man. So, I'm not surprised. Oskar is not afraid to take charge and go forward. He wants the ball and, whenever he can, he will push forward," said the Portuguese midfielder, currently playing for Dobrudja Dobrich in Bulgaria.

"We have a good relationship. When I found out he was already in Portugal, I wished him good luck and offered to help with anything. And, of course, he'll have to pay for dinner when I'm with him there. I speak very highly of him," joked Tomás. On a more serious note, he issued a warning: "If I didn't know him and someone told me he's 17, I wouldn't believe it. That maturity is good, but at the same time, people mustn't forget that Oskar is indeed only 17 years old. He's just arrived at a big club and a new country. It's important to be patient."

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