What sets André Villas-Boas and Farioli apart in FC Porto’s flying start | OneFootball

FC Porto remains unbeaten at the start of the new season, already racking up seven consecutive victories. The debut of Francesco Farioli has been remarkable, highlighted especially by the stoppage-time win against RB Salzburg in Austria, which placed him alongside president André Villas-Boas in an almost exclusive record.

According to the specialized platform Playmaker, only two coaches in FC Porto’s history have managed to win their first seven games. They are Farioli and Villas-Boas.

Villas-Boas also maintained a unique performance by extending that winning streak for another four matches in 2010/11. Farioli’s new goal is now to reach 11 consecutive victories and match the feat of the current president of the blue and white club. Thus, Farioli’s challenge has arrived: to reach the mark of 11 games and ‘imitate’ the achievement of the club’s top leader.

This FC Porto team, led by Francesco Farioli, has only recorded wins in 2025/26, a contrast to the difficulties shown in the previous season.

Victories over Vitória SC (3-0), Gil Vicente (0-2), Casa Pia (4-0), Sporting (2-1), Nacional (1-0), Rio Ave (3-0), and RB Salzburg (1-0) have raised the optimism of the fans, especially since FC Porto is already leading the league alone, with a three-point advantage over Sporting and four over Benfica.

In goal, Diogo Costa – who seems to have regained his form – has conceded only one goal, an own goal by Nehuén Pérez against Sporting, so the goalkeeper’s record is not entirely spotless.

Offensively, FC Porto has already scored 16 goals, approaching Villas-Boas’s start in 2010. In that season, after seven games, Porto had scored 18 goals and conceded four. In terms of goal difference, the 2025/26 FC Porto has a positive balance of 15, while the 2010/11 team had 14.

What separates Villas-Boas and Farioli?

With Villas-Boas, the winning streak ended on October 4, with a draw away to Vitória SC (1-1), in the 12th game of the season. Before that match, the Dragons had beaten Benfica (2-0) in the Super Cup, Naval (1-0), Genk (0-3 and 4-2), Beira-Mar (3-0), Rio Ave (2-0), Sp. Braga (3-2), Rapid Vienna (2-0), Nacional (2-0), Olhanense (2-0), and CSKA Sofia (0-1).

It’s worth noting that Farioli took charge amid a squad overhaul, while Villas-Boas at that time had players capable of deciding matches instantly, such as Hulk, James Rodríguez, or Radamel Falcao. It's important to note that Farioli found a team in transition, whereas Villas-Boas had high-impact names at his disposal.

To match the record of 11 consecutive wins at the start of the season, Francesco Farioli will have to overcome Arouca, Red Star, Benfica, and Celoricense.

The toughest test should be the derby against Benfica, scheduled for October 5 at Estádio do Dragão, managed by José Mourinho. If he wins the match against the rival, the FC Porto coach will be very close to matching Villas-Boas’s record, especially since the next opponent is Celoricense, who play in the Campeonato de Portugal, in a third-round Portuguese Cup match.

Europa League in sight

Alongside the fight for the national title, Francesco Farioli also has ambitions in the Europa League, where he could follow in Villas-Boas’s footsteps and bring another European trophy to FC Porto, 15 years later.

The Porto club is considered one of the contenders for the competition, occupying seventh place in the Opta predictions before the competition begins. The model indicates a 42.8% chance of reaching the quarter-finals and a 5.3% probability of winning the title.

The English side Aston Villa appear as the main favorites, with a 23.3% probability of winning the Europa League.

Only time will tell if Farioli’s explosive start will have the same outcome as the FC Porto led by Villas-Boas in 2010/2011.

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