FC Porto not making excuses, Mourinho playing for time | OneFootball

In high-level competition, one less day of rest between matches makes a difference. José Mourinho highlighted yesterday the advantage of Benfica being able to face Chelsea four days after hosting Gil Vicente, instead of the usual three-day interval. To the average fan, this may seem irrelevant, but it could be the difference between an unwanted injury or lost points. FC Porto's complaints about the postponement of the match with Arouca are understandable: besides the material impact - less recovery time before the clash with Red Star in the Europa League -, it exposes the shortcomings of those who organize the competition (League).

This Dragon, however, seems to be in a phase where it doesn't pay to bring politics onto the pitch. Once again Francesco Farioli did not resort to excuses, spared no effort and the players' response was clear: a communion of ideas and a 4-0 victory on a Monday night - a result that would justify having taken place on Sunday - even reduced to ten.

Among the three big ones, FC Porto is undoubtedly the team that currently presents the best football, and the classic at the Dragon against Benfica could mean, in case of victory, more than three points: the confirmation that it is the most solid candidate for the title, after defeating the champion Sporting in Alvalade.

It is also understood that Mourinho is not comfortable taking over Benfica without being able to fully implement his ideas, which may explain the absence of structural changes compared to what was seen with Bruno Lage. Only time will tell how long the coach's honeymoon period will last - European champion for FC Porto and Inter -, which depends first on the results and then on the style of play; ironically, this was the maxim of his predecessor after the start of the season. Mourinho's strategy has been discreet: using the word masterfully and maintaining a cordial tone, especially in the preview of the clash with the Londoners - but to what extent is this not just a way to buy time?

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