Pablo Rosario set to replace Alan Varela for FC Porto at Reboleira | OneFootball

Among the latest signings brought in to strengthen FC Porto, Pablo Rosario quickly took on a role that goes far beyond the position for which he had initially been recruited. Originally seen as a defensive midfielder and a direct alternative to Alan Varela, the Dominican has shown remarkable versatility in the Dragons’ starting eleven, to the point that he has already filled in across practically every area of the pitch – with the exception of goalkeeper and the most advanced positions. Against Tondela, for example, he ended the match at left-back and was directly involved in building the moves that led to both goals.

At a time when FC Porto were still keeping alive their ambition of going further in the Europa League, the Dominican international kept earning minutes and is now preparing to replace Alan Varela in Reboleira, in a match in which the blue and whites take another decisive step in the title race. The aim is to pick up points and, as quickly as possible, wrap up a triumph that has eluded them since 2021/2022, the season in which the club reached 91 points – a tally that the team coached by Francesco Farioli can still match if they win the four games they have left to play until the end.

Objective: 91 points

In the visit to Estrela da Amadora, the goal remains to collect points and secure, as soon as possible, the title that has slipped away since 2021/2022, the season in which the club set the record of 91 points – a mark that the team led by Francesco Farioli can still reach if they win the four remaining matches before the end.

The Argentine’s suspension once again puts Pablo Rosario in the spotlight in the league, but the truth is that the midfielder has already earned an important place in the team’s rotation: he is Farioli’s 12th most-used player, with 2,738 minutes spread across 38 matches. Alan Varela, for his part, has 43 appearances and only a few more minutes (2,851), numbers that highlight the growing trust placed in Rosario.

The midfielder’s best spell in the league came between matchdays 15 and 20, a stretch in which he started and completed five consecutive matches. In the middle of that run, he was also Farioli’s first-choice option in the Portuguese Cup against Famalicão (4-1) and played the full 90 minutes against Viktoria Plzen on matchday seven of the UEFA Europa League league phase, further underlining his usefulness in different competitive contexts.

At the stadium where FC Porto carry a painful memory – the 2-0 defeat last season, which worsened the already troubled spell of Martín Anselmi -, Pablo Rosario will have the mission of providing balance in midfield. A particularly important role at this stage of the season, when the contribution of the midfielders to attacking output has been evident, especially at a time of reduced inspiration from the strikers. His reading of the game, positioning and adaptability could therefore once again prove decisive.

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