Farioli's FC Porto one game from matching Conceição's defensive mark | OneFootball

FC Porto began the season by winning the Super Cup against Torreense in Coimbra (1-0) and, from that point on, set the tone for a thoroughly prepared start to the campaign, with a 100 percent winning record and an equally flawless defensive performance. Then, in the first three league rounds, they always won 2-0: first at home to Alverca, then in Vila do Conde against Rio Ave and, this Sunday, against Arouca, again at home.

With this record, the blue-and-whites have managed, for the fourth time in their history, to concede no goals in the first four official matches of a season. They have matched what they had already achieved on three previous occasions, all in this century, in the 2017/18, 2014/15 and 2010/11 seasons.

In addition to already having won a trophy at the start of this season, the opening run in the league has already given the reigning national champions sole possession of first place. Coached by Francesco Farioli, the team had also started the league in 2025/26 without conceding in the first three rounds: they beat Vitória 3-0 (home), Gil Vicente 2-0 (away) and Casa Pia 4-0 (home). The first goal conceded in 2025/26 came in the fourth match of the season, in a 2-1 win over Sporting at Alvalade… and it was even an own goal, by Nehuén Pérez.

One match away from the 2015 and 2018 marks

Farioli’s FC Porto are one game away from matching the sides of Sérgio Conceição in 2017/18 and Julen Lopetegui in 2014/15, seasons in which the Dragons did not concede any goals in their first five official matches.

In 2017/18, FC Porto, in their first season with Conceição at the helm, began the campaign with five league wins, all without conceding: 4-0 against Estoril (home), 1-0 at Tondela, 3-0 at home to Moreirense, 1-0 at Braga and 3-0 at home to GD Chaves. They only conceded in the sixth official match, and three times at that, in a 3-1 home defeat to Besiktas in the opening round of the Champions League group stage.

In 2014/15, with Lopetegui in charge, the blue-and-whites also did not concede in their first five official matches. In the league, they beat Marítimo 2-0 (home), Paços de Ferreira 1-0 away and Moreirense 3-0 at home. In between, they won both legs of the play-off for qualification to the Champions League group stage against Lille: 1-0 away and 2-0 at home. It was only in the sixth match that they conceded, in a league draw away to Vitória in Guimarães (1-1).

The team coached by Farioli can therefore match the defensive record from the start of those two seasons if they do not concede away to Académico de Viseu, and could even set a new record if, in addition to that match, they also keep a clean sheet at home to Moreirense.

Two of those seasons ended with the title, under Conceição… and Villas-Boas

The reigning national champions also find encouraging historical signs in two of the previous three seasons in which they did not concede in their first four official matches.

In 2017/18, FC Porto under Sérgio Conceição were crowned national champions, in a title-winning season that also had the effect of preventing Benfica’s “penta”.

In 2010/11, the season in which their coach was the current president, André Villas-Boas, FC Porto were not only national champions, but also won the Portuguese Cup, the Super Cup and the Europa League, missing out only on the League Cup. That season, they began by beating Benfica 2-0 in the Super Cup in Aveiro, followed by clean-sheet wins away to Naval in the league (1-0), away in Belgium against Genk (3-0, in the first leg of the Europa League play-off) and 3-0 at home to Beira-Mar in the league. They would concede their first goals in the fifth official match of the season, in a 4-2 win over Genk in the second leg of the Europa League play-off.

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