FC Porto chase victory in Rio Maior to stay top and keep up the pace | OneFootball

After securing direct qualification for the Europa League Round of 16 by defeating Rangers FC 3-1 at Estádio do Dragão, FC Porto shifts its focus back to the league with a trip to Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior to face Casa Pia, in the match that closes the 20th round (8:45 pm, Sport TV).

With first place secured and a record of 18 wins and one draw, the blue and whites are looking to extend their away winning streak—they are seeking their 11th win in 11 away games—against the 16th-placed team, which comes into this round with 15 points, the result of three wins, six draws, and ten defeats. In the previous round, Casa Pia drew 3-3 at home with AFC, after having led 3-0.

The clubs have met 12 times, with 11 wins for FC Porto and one draw, which occurred in January 2023 in the league (0-0). Last season, the Dragons won in Rio Maior 1-0, thanks to a solitary goal by Rodrigo Mora. Tickets for today’s match are sold out.

FC PortoIn the pre-match press conference, considered a “very difficult” encounter to be played “on a tricky pitch,” Francesco Farioli made clear the aim to “maintain intensity and unity,” reminding everyone that “there are still many games to go.” He added that “the most important thing is the present, and all our focus is on Casa Pia,” warning about the opponent, “a team with a lot of speed, strong in transition, and very physical.”

The Italian coach downplayed the impact of the pitch’s condition, considering that “it won’t be a problem compared to everything else happening right now” in the country, and emphasized that “set pieces will be an important topic, as well as how we start the game and the energy we show throughout,” assuring that the team is ready “for the nuances” they will encounter in Rio Maior.

Except for Nehuén Pérez and Luuk de Jong, the squad is almost entirely available to Farioli, including the new signing Terem Moffi, a player the coach managed at OGC Nice: “He’s a player I know very well, who recently played against us in the Europa League and who can add different characteristics to the team. He’s similar to Samu in some aspects, but also brings a lot of variety to our game.”

Farioli pointed out that February will be less demanding in terms of the schedule and even “strange,” since “we haven’t had just one game per week since August.” In his view, this change offers more time to work and manage individual cases, but requires attention to avoid a drop in pace: “It will be a change in routines; on paper it sounds great because it gives more time to work and the opportunity to manage individual cases more specifically, but at the same time we have to be alert because when the pace drops, adrenaline can drop too.”

The classic against Sporting, scheduled for February 9 (8:45 pm) at Estádio do Dragão, is on the horizon, but Francesco Farioli stressed that “the most important thing is to maintain our rhythm and keep moving forward.” He reinforced that, despite the external attention on the classic, “the big step will be taken on the 2nd because the game against Casa Pia will be very difficult, on a tricky pitch and against a team that will play all their cards. This is where our attention is focused. Our philosophy of taking it game by game has brought good results, so we won’t change that.”

Casa PiaCasa Pia is in 16th place and, just over two weeks ago, handed the reins to Álvaro Pacheco, who succeeded Gonçalo Brandão—who had in turn replaced João Pereira. Over the season, the Lisbon side has already had three coaches and has yet to win at home in the league.

As hosts in the main competition, Casa Pia has five draws and four defeats in nine games, and overall, has the third worst defense, with 38 goals conceded (an average of two per match), only behind AFS (47) and FC Arouca (44). It was also away from home that the club was eliminated from the Portuguese Cup, losing to Torreense 1-2 in the round of 16.

The eleven most used players include goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira, defenders André Geraldes, Gaizka Larrazabal, José Fonte, João Goulart, David Sousa, and Abdu Conté, midfielders Sebastián Pérez and Renato Nhaga, and forwards Cassiano and Jérémy Livolant. Livolant (5 goals and 5 assists) and Gaizka Larrazabal (4 goals and 3 assists) are the main attacking references, while Miguel Sousa, Tiago Morais, and Dailon Livramento frequently appear as options on the bench.

Refereeing teamThe Refereeing Council of the Portuguese Football Federation has appointed Pedro Ramalho, from the Évora Football Association, to officiate the match. He will be assisted by Diogo Pereira and Hugo Ribeiro, with Hélder Carvalho as the fourth official. The VAR will be Manuel Oliveira, assisted by Jorge Fernandes.

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