Diogo Costa stars in derbies, keeps Dragão fortress unbreached | OneFootball

Diogo Costa finds in Sporting a rival that, more than confronting him, highlights the competitive spirit of the Porto captain. Since taking over the Dragons' goal, number 99 has built a path against the Lions that combines personality and champion traits.

Twelve matches (three on neutral ground): six wins, four draws, and only two losses describe the journey of a goalkeeper who does not back down against the Lisbon rival – on the contrary, it is in these games that he stands out the most. In the league, he maintains some advantage over the Lions: in nine encounters in the League, he achieved three wins, recorded four draws, and suffered two losses – both at Alvalade, with the same result (2-0), in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

At Dragão, his goal remains a fortress: at home, Diogo has not yet been defeated by Sporting. In four matches, he has one victory – a clear 3-0 in August 2022, with goals from Evanilson, Uribe, and Galeno – and three draws, showing that the classics with the Lions are sometimes fierce, but tend to favor the Porto goalkeeper. Another relevant fact: Diogo Costa has won all the finals he played against Sporting. Two decisions, two trophies lifted – the Portuguese Cup 2024 and the Super Cup 2024 – a calling card of his aptitude for the big stages.

The most recent of these achievements, the Super Cup, had epic contours: in the debut of Vítor Bruno, FC Porto overturned a 3-0 deficit to triumph 4-3 in a whirlwind of emotions in Aveiro. Calm in the midst of the storm, Diogo helped hold the team together when everything seemed to be falling apart. The main threat for tomorrow is identified: Luis Suárez, the Lions' agitator, capable of testing the solidity of the best defense in the League.

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