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

It will take time and consistency to prove 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 first two goals for the Dragons at Arcos and scored the third, marking his debut goal for the club and being chosen as the MVP at the end of the match.

We speak of a return because, despite 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 presented on Friday.

His integration into the Dragons did not start under the best conditions. 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 in that competition did not help. Only in the pre-season, with Farioli in charge, did Veiga have the opportunity to assimilate ideas and processes and, at the same time, readapt to the rhythm of European football after two seasons in Saudi Arabia.

With physical fitness among his greatest qualities, the young Spanish international has been trying to recover the levels displayed at Celta de Vigo, demanded by FC Porto's football. Against Rio Ave, this aspect was once again evident.

The 23-year-old midfielder won four out of five duels he contested, surpassing, for example, his teammate Froholdt in this regard. Besides 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 promised so much at Celta. In the 2022/23 season, for example, he benefited from getting closer to the area: he scored 11 goals and made 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 position and kept it in the following game against Nacional. The Spaniard regained his place during the visit to Vila do Conde, after gaining some rhythm in the match against the islanders, and with the performance he delivered, he will force Mora to work harder. Nevertheless, due to FC Porto's dense 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.