Vítor Pinto: Samu should cry less, make rivals cry more | OneFootball

FC Porto experienced another frustrating night in the Europa League, marked by a "bizarre" conceded goal, lack of composure, and above all, another missed penalty by In Vítor Pinto's analysis, it was highlighted that in the championship, FC Porto has been synonymous with control and defensive efficiency, sustaining itself with "14 clean sheets," a fact that sometimes decides matches by the narrowest margin.

Conversely, in the Europa League, the story is different: only two clean sheets in seven games and conceded goals that have directly influenced the standings. The journalist recalled that there are matches where the conceded goal "costs points," highlighting recent games where the team failed to maintain the defensive solidity shown domestically.

Anxiety playing against 10 and the weight of the missed penalty

The game was also conditioned by the competitive context: with one player more, FC Porto ended up "clearly demonstrating a lack of calm at various moments," observes Vítor Pinto. This analysis points to a problem that goes beyond the tactical plan, being mainly mental and related to the management of decisive moments.

The penalty once again put Samu-aghehowa.26468/latest”>Samu "should have his head in the right place" and ended up shooting "without any sense," referring to a hasty and poorly controlled decision.

The player's reaction at the end was also commented on. Vítor Pinto related the episode to how individual errors take on a media and emotional dimension, suggesting that

Despite the draw and the new stumble, the competitive outlook can still favor FC Porto. Vítor Pinto explained that the draw could be "more or less penalizing" depending on the results of other teams in that round. The team was in seventh place, with Sporting de Braga right behind, in a clear race for a top-8 spot that guarantees direct access to the round of 16.

However, there is an external factor to consider: the teams that can surpass FC Porto face each other, which can mitigate the damage and keep the team in the desired position. Matches like Roma–Stuttgart and Braga–Nottingham Forest (with Braga's victory) can contribute to FC Porto "still finishing this round in the top eight".

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