FC Porto host Sporting this Wednesday: title race boost or Dragão dead end | OneFootball

This could already be the title-deciding match. Or almost. It's true that we're still only at the 15th of 22 rounds in the first phase of the Placard Handball Championship, but with Sporting having won all their matches so far, and both FC Porto and Benfica having two draws and one loss – with Benfica having one game in hand, precisely against the green and whites, to be played on the 19th – if the lions win tonight at Dragão Arena, they will deal a major blow to the standings of what is also known as Andebol 1. They would be three points ahead of the blue and whites and four ahead of Benfica, and this number would rise to six for both rivals if they win again at Luz. Assuming Ricardo Costa's men don't slip up elsewhere, in this scenario they would enter the second phase – where clubs carry over 50% of their points – able to afford one loss and one draw. Moreover, in the event of a tie on points at the end, the champion is the team that won the first round, which in this case would go to the lions.

Let's take it step by step and, for now, focus on tonight's challenge. “It's a very important game, because we've already had two less positive results. Especially at home, it's important to give a good response. It's also important because this first phase carries weight at the end of the season,” admitted Rui Silva, one of the longest-serving FC Porto players, now in his 11th consecutive season.

“It's an enticing match and we are fully confident that we're going there to win,” said Diogo Branquinho, former FC Porto winger. “We're going there to win with our strengths and to cement the main goal of the season, which is to be champions and, next year, to continue in the Champions League,” concluded the left winger.

FC Porto hasn't won since 2024

“We've had difficulty beating Sporting, but after the response we gave in Alvalade, despite the loss, I fully believe we can win,” said Rui Silva. The dragons' last victory over Sporting was on April 27, 2024 (37-35), and in the nine matches since then, the Lisbon side has won eight and drawn one.

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