Without Samu’s 20 goals, Porto’s attack loses its edge | OneFootball

There are numbers that speak for themselves. Since Samu suffered his injury, FC Porto’s attacking capability has lost a clear reference point, which helps explain a decline that some want to reduce to a simplistic label. Is it really so hard to understand the impact of losing a striker with 20 goals?

The fact is clear: Samu has been injured since February 9, and since then, the team has played five matches without the forward. Removing from the attack a player with that level of finishing has tangible effects. In football, no matter how much certain interpretations ignore it, goals remain the decisive element.

The supporting numbers provide context. William Gomes has 9 goals, Borja Sainz 7, Deniz Gül 3, Pepê 3, Oskar Pietuszewski 2, and Terem Moffi 1—a total of 25 goals distributed among several players. Samu, on his own, has 20. The comparison is not meant to diminish those who have stepped up; it’s meant to highlight the scale of the loss. When a single player carries almost the entire offensive burden, his absence does not go without consequences.

This is where a serious analysis should begin. FC Porto needs to look for more solutions, greater dynamism, and a better collective response—that is clear. But it is also undeniable that losing a finisher of this caliber changes routines, affects movements, and disrupts the entire attacking structure. Is there anyone who thinks it’s normal to take away 20 goals from a team and expect nothing to change?

The noise surrounding the club intensifies quickly. When performance drops, categorical explanations, ready-made verdicts, and convenient diagnoses emerge. The facts, however, are these: FC Porto has been without its main striker for a month and, in that period, has played five matches. This is not an excuse; it’s context. Without context, analysis has little value.

Francesco Farioli and his coaching staff, with Lucho González among them, know that the challenge is to find alternatives and redistribute offensive responsibility. That collective response will be decisive. But it should not be glossed over: the offensive decline is explained, to a large extent, by the absence of Samu.

At FC Porto, the demand has never been lacking and never will. Recognizing the weight of a significant injury is not lowering the bar; it is facing reality. With a strong identity, the response will come—at the Dragão there are obstacles and less fortunate phases, but the obligation to fight until the end remains.

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