Gabri Veiga back to his best since his Celta de Vigo days | OneFootball

It will take time and consistency to confirm it, but FC Porto’s victory over Rio Ave in Vila do Conde seems to have marked the definitive return of Gabri Veiga. The Spanish midfielder assisted the Dragons’ first two goals at the Arcos and scored the third, netting his first goal for the club and being chosen as MVP at the end of the match.

We speak of a return because, despite some other good performances at the start of the season, the number 10 had not yet shown, in blue and white, a version as consistent as the one he displayed on Friday.

His integration at Dragão did not begin under the best circumstances. The former Al Ahli player was signed before the Club World Cup, at a time when the atmosphere at the club was far from ideal, and the early elimination from that competition did not help. Only in pre-season, already with Farioli in charge, did Veiga have the opportunity to absorb ideas and processes and, at the same time, readapt to the pace of European football after two seasons in Saudi Arabia.

With his physical attributes among his greatest strengths, the young Spanish international has been trying to recover the performance levels he showed at Celta de Vigo, as demanded by FC Porto’s style of play. Against Rio Ave, this aspect was once again clearly evident.

The 23-year-old midfielder won four out of the five duels he contested, surpassing, for example, his teammate Froholdt in this regard. In addition to the goal and assists, the number 10’s stats in advanced areas—10 accurate passes out of 14 attempts in the final third—support the idea of the reemergence of the player who showed so much promise at Celta. In the 2022/23 season, for example, he benefited from getting closer to the box: he scored 11 goals and provided four assists. The 2025/26 record, after five matches, is also positive: one accurate shot and three decisive passes.

Before the derby with Sporting, Gabri Veiga suffered an acute lower back pain that kept him out of that match. Rodrigo Mora took the starting spot and kept his place in the following game, against Nacional. The Spaniard regained his place on the visit to Vila do Conde, after getting some minutes in the home match against the islanders, and, given his performance, will force Mora to work harder. Even so, due to FC Porto’s busy schedule, some rotation is expected, at least in terms of minutes.

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