Porto not at their best, but win to extend lead at the top | OneFootball

Porto left Tondela with an important victory, even without impressing this Sunday (7th). At Estádio João Cardoso, Farioli’s team was inconsistent, faced some scares, but was efficient enough to build a 2-0 lead at the start of the second half.

The away win, combined with the draw in the Lisbon derby, extended the Dragons’ lead at the top of the Portuguese Championship to five points. Tondela, meanwhile, remains stuck in third-to-last place.

The match started with pressure from Porto. Just 6 minutes in, Francisco Moura crossed from the left, the defense partially cleared, and the ball deflected off Juan Rodríguez, forcing Bernardo Fontes to make a great save. Shortly after, in the 12th minute, the Brazilian goalkeeper was called into action again, blocking Samu’s angled shot after a through pass from Pepê.

Tondela also had their moments. Jordan Pefok caused trouble in the 29th minute, turned in the box and shot, but Diogo Costa saved without much difficulty. In the 34th minute, Rodrigo Mora even found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Tondela responded at the start of the second half, when Brayan Medina scored with a header, but the play was also ruled out for a foul.

The match was decided in just a few minutes. In the 48th minute, after a corner taken by Rodrigo Mora, Kiwior headed the ball, Bernardo Fontes saved, but Samu pounced on the rebound to open the scoring.

Two minutes later, Porto extended their lead: Bernardo Fontes hesitated on the clearance, William Gomes was quicker, stole the ball and slotted it into the empty net, making it 2-0.

Tondela still tried to react, almost surprising with a long-range shot from Hugo Félix in the 66th minute, which forced a quick recovery from Diogo Costa. Samu nearly scored a third in the 79th minute, with a shot that was deflected and went just wide of the post.

It wasn’t a brilliant performance from the leaders, but it was a mature one. Porto knew how to take their chances and left Tondela more comfortable at the top of the table – while the home side remain deeply embroiled in the fight against relegation.

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

📸 MIGUEL RIOPA - AFP or licensors