Pablo Rosario set to replace Alan Varela in FC Porto's Reboleira trip | OneFootball

Among the latest signings brought in to strengthen FC Porto, Pablo Rosario quickly came to play a role that goes far beyond the position for which he had initially been recruited. Conceived as a defensive midfielder and a direct alternative to Alan Varela, the Dominican has shown remarkable versatility in the Dragons’ starting eleven, to the point that he has already performed duties in practically every area of the pitch – with the exception of goal and the most advanced positions. Against Tondela, for example, he finished the match as a left-back and was directly involved in the build-up to the moves that led to both goals.

At a time when FC Porto still kept alive the ambition of going further in the Europa League, the Dominican international began earning minutes and is now preparing to replace Alan Varela in Reboleira, in a match in which the blue and whites take another decisive step in the title race. The aim is to collect points and, as quickly as possible, wrap up a triumph that has eluded them since 2021/2022, the season in which the club reached 91 points – a tally that the team coached by Francesco Farioli can still match if it wins the four matches it has left to play until the end.

In the visit to Estrela da Amadora, the goal remains to pick up points and secure, as soon as possible, the title that has slipped away since 2021/2022, the campaign in which the club set the record of 91 points – a mark that the side led by Francesco Farioli can still reach if it triumphs in the four games remaining until the end.

The Argentine’s suspension once again puts Pablo Rosario in the spotlight in the league, but the truth is that the midfielder has already earned an important place in the team’s rotation: he is Farioli’s 12th most-used player, with 2,738 minutes spread across 38 matches. Alan Varela, for his part, has 43 appearances and only a few more minutes (2,851), figures that highlight the growing trust placed in Rosario.

The midfielder’s best spell in the league came between matchdays 15 and 20, a period in which he was a starter and completed five consecutive matches. In the middle of that run, he was also Farioli’s initial choice for the Portuguese Cup against Famalicão (4-1) and played the full 90 minutes against Viktoria Plzen, in the seventh matchday of the UEFA Europa League league phase, reinforcing his usefulness in different competitive contexts.

At the stadium where FC Porto carries a painful memory – the 2-0 defeat last season, which worsened Martín Anselmi’s already troubled spell -, Pablo Rosario will have the mission of ensuring balance in midfield. A particularly important role at this stage of the season, when the contribution of the midfielders to attacking output has been evident, especially at a time of lesser inspiration from the strikers. His reading of the game, positioning and adaptability could therefore once again prove decisive.

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