FC Porto are more of the same, and that's no bad thing | OneFootball

It would not be surprising to see FC Porto turn up for a decisive match this season exactly as they did against Aston Villa. At the Estádio do Dragão, the presentation game served to confirm one idea: the dragons did not want to adopt an artificial identity just to follow the trend that calls for total transformation during friendlies. That confidence is only possible when there is a strong identity, one that is believed in so firmly that there is no need to resort to major changes.

While some teams use pre-season to showcase different solutions, FC Porto stays on its path. Watching the blue and whites, there is a sense of reconnecting with a familiar team — and that, naturally, is not a problem. High pressing and set pieces remain clear trademarks of the national champions. The results achieved through persistence with those tools make it hard to see reinvention as a priority.

FC Porto have also found a striker suited to the characteristics of their approach. Aston Villa took a risk in trying to build from the back, but ended up exposing themselves to the pressing of André Silva, the standout signing and the only debutant in the starting eleven. The forward’s intensity even led him to make sliding tackles inside the penalty area and allowed him to win back the ball in very advanced areas.

That constant presence in the final third increased the frequency of situations that suit Porto. After a long throw from Zaidu, the concentration of players in the box created the conditions for William Gomes (5') to receive the ball and open the scoring. The dragons again took advantage of a rehearsed set-piece routine from a free kick, with all the players lined up in a way that showed the importance attached to that type of play. Pepê (41') put FC Porto back in front, responding to Luka Lynch’s goal (12'), which came after two ineffective attempts by Zaidu to clear the ball.

The second half offered little of interest. The use of Cláudio Ramos, which could be a sign of a possible starting role in the Super Cup, did not end up being a meaningful test, given how little he was required to do. The Italian coach also managed the substitutions cautiously, without bringing on youngsters looking to win a place in the first-team squad. Even so, there was time for Nehuén Pérez, hampered by a serious injury last season, and for the debut of Hwang In-beom. In a penetrating move, the South Korean showed technique and intent as he looked to set up Borja Sainz.

The Super Cup is approaching and FC Porto do not seem to have any reason to worry about the challenge for the season’s first trophy, against Torreense. The dragons will show up with a game plan they know inside out and that does not require much rehearsal.

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