Porto host Gil Vicente needing a win to keep their lead at the top | OneFootball

Four days after the 1-1 draw at Doosan Arena against Viktoria Plzen – a result that complicated direct qualification for the Europa League round of 16 – FC Porto returns to Estádio do Dragão with the aim of "redeeming" themselves against Gil Vicente.

The blue and whites know that only a victory will allow them to restore the comfortable seven-point lead over the second-placed team in the Primeira Liga, Sporting, who on Saturday won 2-1 against Arouca in Serra da Freita, thanks to two more goals from Colombian international Luis Suárez, the last one coming six minutes into injury time. That victory was, according to reports, "hard-fought".

On the other side is the team that was the surprise at the start of the 2025/26 season in Portuguese football but eventually lost some momentum. Nevertheless, Gil Vicente arrives motivated after a "home" victory over Nacional by 2-1, which ended a "dark" cycle of seven consecutive "slips".

Despite recent sporting difficulties, the team led by César Peixoto remains in fourth place in the Primeira Liga – the last position that ensures participation in European competitions – with 31 points, one more than Sporting de Braga (who hosts Alverca) and Moreirense (who defeated Santa Clara 1-0).

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