Dragão fight back to beat Trissino, top Roller Hockey Champions League | OneFootball

At the Dragão Arena, FC Porto once again showed their champion’s grit by defeating the combative Trissino 4-3, a result that earned them not only three points but also the sole leadership of Group A in the Champions League.

The start was intense: less than a minute had passed when Gonçalo Alves opened the scoring with a long-range shot that brought the crowd to their feet. It looked like a calm night was ahead, but hockey rarely follows predictable scripts.

For several minutes, Porto controlled the game, but just before halftime, the match took a turn. In a matter of seconds, Trissino shifted from containment to efficiency: Álvaro Morais equalized and Jordi Méndez turned the game around, stunning the stands.

After the break, FC Porto pressed on and Gonçalo Alves had the chance to equalize, but Stefano Zampoli saved the penalty and kept the Italians ahead. Against the run of play, Jordi Méndez scored again to make it 1-3.

Paulo Freitas’ team did not give up. Rafa pulled one back to make it 2-3 during a period when the Italian goalkeeper seemed to be everywhere, with saves, posts, and direct free hits denying the equalizer—until it finally came.

Pol Manrubia, opportunistic, redirected the ball right in front of the goal after an assist from Rafa, restoring parity with eight minutes left. Shortly after, Carlo Di Benedetto made it 4-3, sealing a victory built on character and persistence.

Paulo Freitas: “We didn’t play a good game, but the win is what matters”

The FC Porto coach analyzed the match: “Above all, this is a game that’s valuable for the three more points earned in this competition. We clearly didn’t play a good game. We started well, winning, but then we switched off. Yesterday [Wednesday, after the 0-0 draw between Reus and Igualada] we realized we had secured qualification for the Final 8, but we can’t switch off like this. In the first half we were a disjointed team, lacking ideas and not playing collectively, and they capitalized on our mistakes. In the second half, we had to chase the game and adopt a different attitude, but we kept making wrong decisions. Fortunately, we managed to equalize and then win. It was an entertaining game that’s valuable for the result and the three points.”

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On a European night at Dragão Arena, FC Porto once again showed their champion’s spirit. Against a combative Trissino, the blue and whites suffered, fought back from behind, and ended up smiling with a 4-3 victory that means more than just three points—it also gives them the sole lead in Group A of the Champions League.

The start was pure Porto—intense, direct, determined. The clock hadn’t even reached the first minute when Gonçalo Alves brought Dragão Arena to its feet with a long-range shot that only stopped in the back of the net. A start that promised a calm night… but hockey rarely respects predictable scripts.

For several minutes, Porto controlled the pace and space. However, close to halftime, the game turned unexpectedly. In just a few seconds, Trissino went from containment to efficiency: Álvaro Morais equalized and Jordi Méndez completed the turnaround, momentarily freezing the stands.

Returning from the locker room, FC Porto pushed their opponent back. The equalizer was at Gonçalo Alves’ feet, but Stefano Zampoli saved the penalty and kept the Italians ahead. As if that weren’t enough, and against the run of play, Jordi Méndez scored again to make it 1-3.

But this Paulo Freitas team doesn’t give up easily. Rafa reignited hope with the 2-3, during a period when the Italian goalkeeper seemed to multiply himself between the posts. Saves, posts, denied direct free hits—the equalizer always seemed just around the corner… until it arrived.

Pol Manrubia, opportunistic, redirected the ball right in front of the goal after an assist from Rafa and brought the score level with eight minutes to go. Dragão Arena believed—and so did the team.

The comeback came shortly after, with Carlo Di Benedetto making it 4-3, sealing a victory built on character and persistence.

The FC Porto coach analyzed the match: “Above all, this is a game that’s valuable for the three more points earned in this competition. We clearly didn’t play a good game. We started well, winning, but then we switched off. Yesterday [Wednesday, after the 0-0 draw between Reus and Igualada] we realized we had secured qualification for the Final 8, but we can’t switch off like this. In the first half we were a disjointed team, lacking ideas and not playing collectively, and they capitalized on our mistakes. In the second half, we had to chase the game and adopt a different attitude, but we kept making wrong decisions. Fortunately, we managed to equalize and then win. It was an entertaining game that’s valuable for the result and the three points.”

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