Farioli keeps Porto fighting on all fronts with skill | OneFootball

FC Porto is going through one of the most demanding phases of the season in terms of matches, but this does not translate into evident fatigue among the players of Francesco Farioli, who has managed the squad in an exemplary manner in recent games.

After a series of intense commitments in March – with two Clássicos, European challenges, and a match against Sporting de Braga, among others, counting for the I Liga – the Italian coach chose to trust the entire squad and executed an almost total and very effective rotation in the starting eleven of the blues and whites.

However, not everything was 'rosy', as two disappointing results emerged: the defeat to Sporting in the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals and the draw against Benfica in the league.

Even so, with a more compressed schedule than the main rivals – Benfica is free from European football and the Portuguese Cup, and Sporting, despite being in the Champions League, had their game against Tondela postponed – the team led by Francesco Farioli shows that intensity is the best remedy to keep the team healthy and committed.

Cases like Zaidu illustrate this commitment: once considered by some as a transient element in the squad, he has now established himself as the owner of the left flank of Porto's defense, surpassing Francisco Moura in the team's rotation.

The last two games were a clear example of Farioli's management: from the match with Benfica at Estádio da Luz to the trip to Stuttgart for the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, the Italian made eight changes to the starting eleven; and from the game in Germany to the reception of Moreirense, he again shuffled eight pieces in the 'puzzle'.

A new change in FC Porto's lineup is expected for the reception of Stuttgart, with the aim of fielding the strongest eleven for a crucial tie for the team's ambitions in the competitions they participate in.

Despite the successive rotations, FC Porto remains at the top of the I Liga and continues to fight for a place in Jamor, with only a one-goal disadvantage to Sporting in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals. The team of Francesco Farioli is also still in the Europa League, with a 1-2 advantage gained in the first leg, which they will have to defend this Thursday at Estádio do Dragão – a match you can follow live with the .

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