Rui Borges springs a surprise in his squad for Porto v Sporting | OneFootball

Major classic in Invicta between Sporting and Porto, counting for the 21st round of Liga Portugal Betclic. The Sporting delegation is already in the North of the country and is led by President Frederico Varandas. Among the new faces on the travelers' list is a young player from the B team.

The trip from Lisbon to Vila Nova de Gaia went smoothly. Sporting is staying in that area before the duel at Estádio do Dragão, overlooking the Douro and the city of Porto. This time, Frederico Varandas accompanied the team from the very beginning, as a sign of closeness and support in the hours leading up to the match scheduled for this Monday at 8:45 pm.

The delegation also includes Rafael Nel, a forward from the B team who once again earns the trust of the technical staff. His call-up is justified by the unavailability of Fotis Ioannidis, who is still injured, leaving Luis Suárez as the only natural striker in the main squad.

The departure from Alvalade took place around 5:00 pm, in an atmosphere marked by the support of hundreds of fans. With chants, flags, flares, and green smoke, Sporting fans encouraged the team before the journey. The arrival in the North was recorded about three hours later, with Sporting fans already waiting to show their support again.

Sporting returns to the field this Monday, February 9, against Porto. The match, counting for the 21st round of Liga Portugal Betclic, against the team coached by Francesco Farioli, will be played at 8:45 pm at Estádio do Dragão.

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