Porto are buzzing, but Farioli wants cool heads at the Dragão | OneFootball

Amid applause and an atmosphere of genuine euphoria, the team was welcomed on arriving in Amadora, already close to the end of Sunday night. As they left the Estádio do Dragão, the players responded to that support with honks from their cars. Francesco Farioli himself had his vehicle surrounded by the crowd and responded with waves of thanks. It was a symbolic moment of great importance for the group, even if the celebration ended there.

From today, upon returning to Olival after a day off, the message is clear: the squad must switch off from the wave of enthusiasm that swept through the Porto nation after the win in Reboleira and Sporting’s draw in Vila das Aves, and focus on hosting Alverca, a match that, in the event of victory, could seal the long-awaited league title, something that has eluded the Dragons since 2022.

Francesco Farioli is pleased with the atmosphere around the team, but he does not want that expectation to turn into pressure on the players ahead of such a decisive game as the next one against Alverca. Record understands that the Italian coach wants the group fully focused on the clash with the Ribatejo side, who already have their situation in the league settled and can therefore approach the match in a more relaxed way, without the obligation of needing points.

Farioli fully believes that the team will deliver the expected response, in line with what it has shown throughout the season, and will therefore have every chance to settle the title race on Saturday, although the league standings would still not be mathematically closed.

If they confirm the capture of their 31st national title now, the Dragons will try to match the points record they already hold, dating back to the 2021/22 season. At that time, the team coached by Sérgio Conceição finished the competition with 91 points.

The Dragon does not falter when deciding at home

Farioli’s Francesco Farioli side have achieved better results away from home and have even dropped fewer points than on their own pitch, but history shows that whenever Porto have the chance to settle the title at home, they do not usually fail. The last time that happened was in 2020. A 2-0 win over Sporting ended the league debate, with the particularity that it was played behind closed doors due to Covid-19. In 2011/12, it was also the Lions who left the Dragão defeated in the title celebration match.

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