FC Porto score just 4 in 4 games, but Farioli unfazed by lack of goals | OneFootball

The players of Francesco Farioli defeated Rio Ave last Sunday by 1-0 and strengthened their isolated lead in the Primeira Liga, but once again showed weaknesses in the final third of the field. The offensive production, however, has been acceptable: FC Porto always makes more shots than their opponents and has controlled the matches defensively.

However, the Dragons risk finishing February among the worst teams in the league offensively: in the four games played, they scored only four goals, resulting in two victories (over Nacional and Rio Ave), one draw (with Sporting), and one defeat (against Casa Pia).

The team led by Francesco Farioli scored as many goals as, for example, the two last-ranked teams, Santa Clara and AVS, and one less than the third-last, Santa Clara, besides having achieved less than half the records of the two most effective teams in this period, Sporting de Braga and Arouca (both with 11).

Curiously, none of those goals were scored by a striker. Instead, midfielders Pablo Rosario, Seko Fofana, and Victor Froholdt, and central defender Jan Bednarek stepped up, which also raises doubts about the productivity of the most advanced sector of the field (a topic that will be analyzed later).

For now, this "drought" has not yet had a decisive impact on the table – FC Porto remains in first place, with a four-point advantage over Sporting and seven over Benfica – but the cushion was more comfortable: the team collected seven points out of a possible 12, while the rivals reached ten.

The offensive setback coincides with the wave of injuries that hit the squad, sidelining Thiago Silva, Jakub Kiwior, Martim Fernandes, and Samu Aghehowa, after Nehuén Pérez and Luuk de Jong had already seen the 2025/26 season ended due to physical problems.

The absence of Francesco Farioli from Samu Aghehowa partly explains the offensive decline of the Dragons, as he is the team's offensive reference, with 20 goals in 32 games this season. Still, it is not the sole cause of the problem.

Before being halted by a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, during the Clássico on February 9, the Spanish international was already experiencing a less fruitful period, having only one accurate shot (in the 3-0 victory over Gil Vicente) over seven games.

In that cycle of matches, only on two occasions did FC Porto manage to win by more than the minimum margin (in the home games against Gil Vicente and also Rangers, by 3-1), with the former Atlético de Madrid player starting all those matches, including the derby with Sporting, where he was substituted by Deniz Gul at halftime.

The Turk still cannot effectively replace his position mate (hasn't scored since the 1-1 draw with Viktoria Plzen on January 22) and the winter signing Terem Moffi has had few opportunities to show his worth, having 17 minutes in the visit to Nacional and six in the home game against Rio Ave.

If among the forwards the production is low, among the wingers it is even scarcer. Pepê hasn't scored since December 18 (victory over Famalicão, by 4-1), Borja Sainz since December 22 (win over Alverca, by 0-3), and William Gomes since January 26 (triumph over Gil Vicente, by 3-0). Oskar Pietuszewski remains goalless, although with much fewer minutes.

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