Faroli or Mourinho? Managers eye starring role in Porto v Benfica showdown | OneFootball

Tomorrow night, Estádio do Dragão will host another Classic, bringing Benfica and Porto face to face. However, in this eternal clash between rivals, the new protagonists, besides the players, are José Mourinho and Francesco Farioli, and both coaches, at different stages of their careers, want to give their best.

While football jargon says a Classic is always 50/50, there are numbers that show things aren’t quite like that. Looking at the statistics, the Dragons have a more favorable record than the Eagles and, so far, Farioli, at just 36 years old, already shows some experience when it comes to big matches.

Counting the matches he managed with Ajax and Porto, the Italian has yet to lose any game against direct rivals. Leading the Amsterdam side, the Italian defeated PSV and Feyenoord twice each, both at home and away. In Portugal, Farioli made his Classic debut with a win at Alvalade, against Sporting (2-1).

As for José Mourinho, with a remarkable career in Portuguese and international football, he has a positive record when it comes to Classics. In the six occasions he faced direct rivals, the Special One collected four wins, one draw, and lost only once—in extra time of the 2003/04 Portuguese Cup final—where, curiously, he went on to win the league and the Champions League.

Two coaches who promise a great show, in a match that, by itself, is synonymous with football and plenty of emotion. Remember, the match is scheduled for Sunday night, October 5th, at 21:15, at Estádio do Dragão. Both teams are already preparing for the duel, each with their own concerns. In Benfica’s case, the Eagles are dealing with a virus.

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