FC Porto beat Académico 3-0 to make it four wins from four | OneFootball

FC Porto have made it four wins in four matchdays and sit alone at the top of the league. The Dragons beat Académico 0-3 this Saturday in Viseu, in a match in which Francesco Farioli highlighted the team’s efficiency in converting “the first chances” they created, saying they were “very clinical”. In his assessment, the Italian coach spoke of a “good result, three more important points and another clean sheet”, also stressing the importance of preserving the spirit shown in 2025/26: “This spirit helped us last season and in these first four matchdays we have seen that same spirit, which we have to maintain and even improve in order to raise the level,” added the Italian coach.

The assessment of the 90 minutes “Today, especially in the first half, we were very clinical, we converted the first chances we created. After that, it is never ideal to have to make substitutions still in the first half and at half-time because of injuries, and that affected the rest of the game. In the second half we managed the game and only dropped the intensity in the last five minutes, during which we allowed a few shots. In the second half we were less brilliant, but it was a good result, three more important points and another clean sheet.”

Académico’s strategy “There was certainly a difference in their approach, they changed a few things. We prepared for a press that we only faced once at the start of the game, but the players always knew where to find superiority and advantages. After the second goal, they went back more to what they usually do, with a high press. The game was well prepared by Bruno Pinheiro, who tried to surprise us, but the players had the quality to find good solutions.”

The injuries to Jan Bednarek and Zaidu “We will have to assess them both, it is difficult to make predictions. Zaidu’s looks serious, Bednarek may have twisted his knee. We will have to see. Unfortunately, these are things that are part of football. Jan is a centre-back and is always very exposed to contact. We cannot do anything special other than trying to protect him, as we did today. We have alternatives and when those alternatives come on they have to prove they are at the right level.”

Martim Fernandes deployed on the left “Martim Fernandes played in that position many times last season and the decision was made for that reason.”

Francisco Moura came off weakened “Yesterday Francisco could not train because he had a fever and other symptoms. After the warm-up, he had to stop. It was a very early substitution in the game and we did not want to continue with a player who had been weakened.”

Another match without conceding “There are no secrets, it is everyone’s hard work. What André Silva, William Gomes and Pepê do at the start of the press is incredible. When a team puts this effort on the pitch and has this mentality and this desire, it is something that makes me proud. This spirit helped us last season and in these first four matchdays we have seen that same spirit, which we have to maintain and even improve in order to raise the level. It is part of our DNA, but we also have one of the best goalkeepers in the world there to make good saves when needed. Everything helps us.”

The first goal and the alleged foul “The images are very clear, there is no point discussing these things.”

The Champions League getting closer “We are going into the last clear week we are going to have. After that, the international competitions begin and we go back into the rhythm of three games a week. Freshness will be very important, but for now we are going to close the transfer window. It has been a long summer and this has been a much-talked-about subject, but we have to keep working well, keep the team connected and everyone at this pace and intensity, because we want to keep doing things well.”

The final stretch of the transfer window “The last few days will be crazy, that is normal, but it is not just for us, it is for everyone. We have to stay very focused on the players who are with us and then we will see what happens. We know what we need, it is very clear, but we have to see what we can do and what is going to happen. My focus is on the pitch and on the players who are with us. If players come in to make us better, they will be welcome.”

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