FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 1
FC Porto v Sporting CP
Monday February 9th, 2026
Matchday 21
Estadio do Dragão
The warm up
At the time of writing it would be fair to suggest that this season is going rather well for FC Porto. Ahead of their fixture away to strugglers Casa Pia tomorrow tonight they’ve dropped a grand total of 2 points of the 57 on offer after 19 rounds of the league, that coming in their 0-0 bore draw against Benfica. Otherwise everyone else has been conquered once including of course Sporting and in the case of Vitória and Gil Vicente, twice over already. Only a fool would suggest that the title was heading anywhere but north come May. Yet then again only a fool would have suggested that the Eredivisie title was heading anywhere but Amsterdam last season and for once the fools had their day. PSV Eindhoven were crowned title winners by virtue of a solitary point as Ajax first lost to Utrecht 4-0 away, drew 1-1 with Sparta Rotterdam at home, lost 3-0 to NEC Nijmegen at home and drew 2-2 away to FC Groningen. The 9 point lead they had over PSV going into the end of the month of April had vanished and by the 2-2 draw had turned into a one point deficit. We all know the old adage that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but the mister Francesco Farioli, formerly of Ajax Amsterdam and latterly of FC Porto has moved countries and lightning as we know will strike wherever it jolly well pleases. Yet still, only a fool …
A win for the lions in this fixture would give them hope at this stage, narrow the gap, put pressure on the dragons but by no means is it a title decider in the month of February. However a home win in the Clássico and Porto can probably at least begin to think about putting the champagne on ice. Farioli might suggest they wait a lot longer until the fat lady has at least warmed her voice up.
A recap of where Porto had been before the two sides met on Matchday 4 of the 2025/26 season. They had begun with a 3-0 win over Vitoria, a 2-0 win away to Gil Vicente and a 4-0 home win over Casa Pia. Goals for 9, goals against 0. The signs were looking positive for the dragons despite a lack of a proper pre-season and having played in the Club World Cup Finals in the US.
Second half goals from de Jong and Gomes had given the visitors a 2-0 lead at the José Alvalade and a Pérez own goal whilst giving the lions hope, still wasn't enough as Porto consigned Rui Borges to his one and only league defeat as the mister of Sporting. Porto's goal had finally been breached, but still it was by their own player and no opposition player was yet to find the back of the net. The dragons maintaining their 100% start to the campaign and already the signs were looking ominous for the Lisboa sides of Portugals mythical Os Três Grandes.
Porto's campaign following on -
Matchday 5 – Nacional (H) An Aghehowa penalty on the half hour mark enough to secure all 3 points in a 1-0 win. XG 2.18 to 0.09. Porto missed 2 of their 3 big chances whilst the islanders, unsurprisingly given their XG had failed to create a single one.
Matchday 6 – Rio Ave (A)
Rosario put the visitors ahead with just 3 minutes gone. Aghehowa had made it 2 after 12 minutes and a 3rd from Veiga early in the second half sealed a 3-0 win. XG 0.23 to 2.03. Porto missed 4 of 6 big chances, the home side failing to create a single one.
Europa League Round 1 – RB Salzburg (A) A Gomes goal would finally unlock the Austrians resistance to give Porto a winning start to their European campaign. XG 1.36 to 1.23, the hosts missed two big chances and Porto failed to convert their solitary one.
Matchday 7 – Arouca (A) Porto had far less difficulty back on Portuguese soil as Aghehowa opened the scoring. Further goals from Güi, Moura and Sanusi secured their biggest win to date with a comfortable 4-0 win. XG 0.67 to 2.97. No big chances for the home side, Porto scoring from 3 of their 4.
Europa League Round 2 – FK Crvena Zvezda (H) The Serbians cancelled out an early Gomes penalty just after the half hour mark. The two sides looked to be about to walk away with a point apiece before Mora had other ideas and scored the winner 2 minutes from time. XG 2.65 to 0.53. Some woeful finishing from both sides on the night, The visitors missed all 3 of their big chances and Porto 3 of 5.
Matchday 8 – Benfica (H) By all accounts for those unfortunate enough to have watched, a dire 0-0 draw ensued as both misters demonstrated an overly pragmatic approach and probably a forewarning of what Sporting could face against Porto on Monday week where a point would suit Porto equally as well as all 3. XG 0.68 to 0.12. Farioli quite happy to park the Porto bus. They missed 1 big chance, the eagles with their wings clipped creating 0.
Taça de Portugal Round 3 – Celoricense (A) Porto took advantage of lower league opposition to run up a 4-0 win. Bednarek with the opener and Aghehowa with a hat-trick booking their place in Round 4.
Europa League Round 3 – Nottingham Forest (A) Two former European Cup winners met and the struggling Premier League side already onto their third coach of their season converted both their big chances in a 2-0 win and condemned athe dragons to their first loss in all competitions. XG 2.09 to 0.60, Porto failing to create a single big chance for the first time this campaign in the matches where that data is recorded.
Matchday 9 – Moreirense (A) Alan became the first opposition player to score against Porto with 17 minutes gone. This the dragons first test coming nine games in. They equalised three minutes into added on time at the end of the first half from an Aghehowa penalty as the sides went in level at 1-1. Güi breaking Moreirense hearts 3 minutes before full time to snatch all 3 points. XG 0.27 to 1.87. No big chances for the home side, Porto converted both of theirs.
Matchday 10 – Sporting Braga (H) Another big test of their title credentials came and was passed. Mora opened the scoring in the 44th minute. Porto uncharacteristically conceded for their 3rd straight game as Gomez equalised 5 minutes after the restart. Sainz secured all 3 points 12 minutes from time to leave the scoreline 2-1. XG 0.93 to 0.91. Porto scored their only big chance, Braga one of their 2. The biggest takeaway apart from the scoreline, the passes completed - 218 to 597 as Porto more than happy at the Dragão to concede possession of the ball.
Europa League Round 4 – FC Utrecht (A) Echoes of his Dutch disaster left ringing in the ears of Farioli as his side fell behind soon after the start of the second half and his once seemingly impregnable defence now had leaked in four straight games. The boys running out of fingers to stick in the dyke. Sainz converted their sole big chance to make it 1-1 which is how it finished. XG 0.54 to 1.22. Utrecht missed 1 of their 2 big chances and you imagine the Italian mister couldn't wait to get out of the Nederland's once more.
Matchday 11 - Famalicão (A) After their exertions in Europe, a narrow 1-0 win enough for all 3 points from a first half goal from Froholdt. XG 0.27 to 1.27. Porto wasted 3 of 4 big chances where the home side created none.
Taça de Portugal Round 4 – Sintrense (H) The draw for the cup kind once more for Porto ahead of their next European tie against lower league opposition. Goals from Sainz, Güi and Mora secured a comfortable 3-0 win and their place in Round 5.
Europa League Round 5 – Nice (H) Seconds on the clock when Veiga scored the first of his two goals before the halftime interval. An Aghehowa penalty added the gloss on a 3-0 win. XG 1.47 to 0.95. The Ligue 1 side missed their sole big chance, Porto took advantage of both of theirs.
Matchday 12 – Estoril (H) A Gomes goal after 7 minutes enough for all 3 points in a 1-0 victory. XG 1.35 to 1.05. Estoril missed their only big chance, Porto 2 of 3.
Taça da Liga Quarter Final – Vitória SC (H) Despite opening the scoring for the second successive game in the 7th minute, this time through Veiga, the side from Guimarães became the first to inflict a domestic defeat in all competitions as goals from Oliveira, Samu and Camara secured a shock 3-1 win and a place in the semi finals. No recollection of what they did in that game mind. XG 1.20 to 2.23. Porto with 4 chances to every 1 by the visitors. Porto missed 1 of 2 big chances. Vitória importantly despite only having 5 attempts, scored all 3 of their big chances.
Matchday 13 – Tondela (A) It took the league leaders until after half time to find the opener against one of the two newly promoted sides in the summer. Aghehowa opened the scoring 2 minutes into the second half and Tondela capitulated when Gomes made it 2-0 inside a minute. XG 0.48 to 1.94, Porto scored both their big chances, Tondela having failed to create a single one.
Europa League Round 6 – Malmö FF (H) A brace from Aghehowa gave Porto a 2-0 lead at half time. A Moura own goal came too late to change the result deep in additional time at the end of the 90. XG 2.81 to 0.81. Porto missed 5 of their 7 big chances, the visitors both of theirs.
Matchday 14 – Estrela (H) Aghehowa opened the scoring from a penalty after 16 minutes to give Porto a 1-0 lead at half time. Just before the hour mark Estrela levelled however it only took the home side the best part of 2 minutes to regain the lead with a goal from Moura and a Sidny Cabral own goal secured all 3 points in a 3-1 win. XG 2.95 to 0.21, Porto scored both their big chances whereas the visitors created 0. Whilst maybe only a moral victory, Estrela could at least claim to have scored only the 4th goal the league leaders had conceded all campaign.
Taca de Portugal Round 5 – Famalicão (H) A 5th minute Gomes goal gave Porto the lead, De Haas equalised 7 minutes later to give the visitors hope. Froholdt made it 2-1 before goals in the last 10 minutes from Aghehowa and Pepe put the tie out of reach as Porto booked their place in the quarter finals with a comfortable 4-1 win.
Matchday 15 – Alverca (A) Three points secured against the second of the two promoted sides. A brace from Sainz and a goal from Varela secured a 3-0 away win. XG 0.78 to 1.16. Alverca missed their 1 big chance, Porto scored both of theirs.
Matchday 16 – AVS (H) Top versus bottom and yet the home side only managed to record a 2-0 win. Aghehowa with a brace, the second coming from the penalty spot. XG 2.58 to 0.23, Porto missed 2 of 4 big chances, AVS failed to create a single one.
Matchday 17 – Santa Clara (A) Aghehowa with the only goal of the game in the 49th minute, XG 0.26 to 1.08. Porto missed their only big chance whereas the islanders failed to create a single one over the course of the 90.
Taça de Portugal Quarter Final – Benfica (H) Porto booked a place in the semi-finals to face either Sporting or AVS with a 1-0 win. Jan Bednarek with the game's only goal coming after 14 minutes. Each side missed their 1 solitary big chance. XG 0.76 to 1.65.
Matchday 18 – Vitória (A) A Varela penalty 6 minutes from time gave the league leaders all 3 points in a 1-0 win. Aghehowa missed a 26th minute penalty and the home side were reduced to ten men when Telmo Arcanjo was shown his marching orders 8 minutes into additional time at the end of the 90 though it would have no additional bearing on the result by that late stage in proceedings. XG 1.35 to 2.31, VSC missed both their big chances, Porto 2 of 3. Revenge served for their defeat in the Taça da Liga.
Europa League Round 7 - Viktoria Plzen (A) The home side went ahead after just 5 minutes. Reduced to ten men just before half time, Porto were left to rue a missed penalty from Aghehowa as they went in trailing 1-0 at the break. They claimed a point when Gül scored in the 89th minute. XG 0.34 to 2.14. The home side failed to create a single chance, Porto missed 4 of 4.
Matchday 19 – Gil Vicente (H) An Aghehowa penalty gives Porto a 1-0 lead at half time. Goals from Fernandes and Gomes completed a 3-0 win after the break. XG 2.25 to 0.59. Both sides missed 2 big chances, however Porto created an additional two which were both converted.
Europa League Round 8 – Glasgow Rangers (H) Despite falling behind to another 5th minute goal as they'd done in the previous round, Porto responded first with a strike from the highly rated youngster Mora and by half time had turned around to lead 3-1 with goals from Moura and an own goal which was how the match finished. The 3 points were enough for a 5th place finish and qualification for the knockout stages. XG 1.60 to 0.43. Porto scored both their big chances, Rangers scored with their 1.
Porto's record in first place reads played 19, won 18, drawn 1, GF 40 GA 4. Their record at the Dragão played 9, won 8, drawn 1, GF 19, GA 2. Of those 40 scored 24 have been from open play, 10 from set pieces and 6 penalties. They're outperforming their XG of 35.7. Top scorer Samuel Aghehowa with 13, Sainz and Gomes with 5 apiece. 12 other scorers making up the remaining 17 goals.
Martim Fernandes the only player to have seen red to date. They average 2.7 goals per game and have the league's best defensive record conceding on average 0.2 goals per game and have kept 15 clean sheets. They average 5.6 shots on target per match and have missed 27 big chances. Beneficiaries of 7 penalties awarded in the league and several more besides in all competitions as the game breakdowns above allude to. They're outperforming their XG conceded by some distance in addition to their offensive number which stands at 10.3. Saves per match the lowest in the division at 1.7 with an overall total of 33 made. 43 bookings to go with the 1 red, the third lowest total in the league.
Porto will go into the fixture with an additional 3 days rest with the lions playing Thursday night at home to AVS in the Taça de Portugal. Rui Borges you imagine will risk playing a second string XI against the top flights bottom side and hope to get the job done without the need for sending on the big guns, an additional time winner or indeed without extra time being required as it was already in that competition against both Paços de Ferreira and Santa Clara and again in the Taça da Liga against Vitória.
Let's not kid ourselves here we've gotten away with it in four straight games with late winners. Yet Bayer Leverkusen in their title winning run did the same time and time again. At some point we have to be good enough to put games to bed and finally Rui Borges is close to a full squad for the first time since he took charge in December of 2024. We've had another appalling run of misfortune this campaign injury wise and maybe, just maybe we'll have a run of better fortune in the that department.
There's a chance by the time we kick off in the Clássico that we're two Brazilians lighter and you have to hope that doesn't come back to haunt us come May if Alisson leaves for Napoli and Reis to CSKA Moscow. I for one will miss both greatly and you'd think I'd learn at my age not to get emotionally attached to players, especially in Portugal where no one stays for long, but as always I’ll never learn.
When it comes to Porto I'm wary of the dark arts. Under Vítor Bruno to his credit I thought they'd moved away from that but I'm still haunted by some of the past Clássico’s where Sporting haven't been savvy enough. Problem is when they step off you see goals like the one scored by Pavlidis in the Dérbi where they all backed off for fear he'd take a tumble. Yet when they do go in their players throw themselves to the floor under the slightest touch and con the match officials. It's a balancing act knowing your opponents now, despite will do anything in their power to gain an advantage. We saw it tonight with Nacional. The keeper goes down for treatment and I'm pretty sure the referee told him to get up but what can he do in that situation? The guy that shoves Suárez off the ball and then clutches his own calf like Cantona had come from over the hoardings and studded him. The guy who goes down holding his chest in the box claiming Morita has struck him. Why can't VAR intervene and book players for simulation in those instances? Utterly ridiculous. Hopefully Sporting punch them in the mouth like they did in the Supertaça when they raced into a 3-0 lead. Offense the better choice over defence so many times but we so rarely see it in either the Dérbi or the Clássico. The one criticism of Borges is his team's sit back in these games and try defend a lead like a game of shit or bust. They need to win the game simple as. Conceding 4 times in 19 counts for nothing when the first whistle blows.
If we can kick one of their wheels off, maybe Benfica kick another and Braga another. To go unbeaten an entire season, one where you've had no pre-season, played a summer tournament, is it realistically going to happen? I don't think so. Sporting need to keep in touching distance and like the lions they are, be ready to pounce.
Incoming transfers
Since the two sides last met they strengthened their squad with the following signings;
Summer Window
Pedro Lima from Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan
Jakub Kiwior from Arsenal for £1.7m
Yann Karamoh from Torino for free
Winter window
Thiago Silva free agent. Joins the over 40s club with José Fonte baby and Nene.
Oscar Pietuszewski from Jagiellonia Bialystok for £8.3m.
Someone is officially having a fucking laugh with me I swear. Is that one real?
Terem Moffi on loan from Nice
Monday update - Casa Pia doing the unthinkable and beating the league leaders 2-1 at home after Sporting cut Porto's lead at the top to just 4 points and a win next Monday would leave them just a point behind. XG 0.97 to 2.02. Attempts on goal 6 to 15. Casa Pia taking one of their 2 big chances, Porto missed 3 of their 4. Larrazabal opened the scoring on 11 minutes, Thiago Silva scored an own goal on the stroke of half time. Porto scored straight after the restart but unable to find an equaliser. William Gomes was shown a straight red for an appalling challenge in the 75th minute that left a boot in the face of the Casa Pia defender and had his name been Matheus Reis it would have been a minimum five game ban so we'll see what punishment is muted out to him by the disciplinary commission.
Suddenly though it appears we may have a title race on our hands once more. I was reading through last February's match reports earlier tonight and took comfort for the fact we had a shockingly bad month this time last year and thought it could happen to Porto. Then I remembered we rallied and won the title and thought of cock, so could they. Still an exciting end to the day.
In the markets
FC Porto 13/10
Draw 11/5
Sporting CP 2/1
Team News
Starting XI
Silva, Araújo, Inácio, Diomande, Fresneda, Hjulmand, Morita, Trincão, Gonçalves, Geny and Suárez
Substitutes
Virgínia, Vagiannidis, Quaresma, Mangas, Bragança, Simões, Faye, Guilherme and Nel
Given a change of competition and the comparative level of opponents (from playing the bottom side to top) Rui Borges unsurprisingly makes a raft of changes. Silva, Fresneda, Diomande and Mangas replace Virgínia, Vagiannidis, Quaresma and Mangas. Kochorashvili is replaced by Morita, Guilherme for Geny and Bragança for Gonçalves. I believe Reis is already in Moscow. Gutted doesn’t quite cover it. We seem to have left the pace on the bench so you wonder if the game plan is to keep it tight for 70 minutes and utilise it at the end of the game. No Nuno Santos in addition with Nel the back up striker.
Porto Starting XI
99 Costa
74 Moura
5 Bednarek
4 Kiwior
52 Fernandes
10 Veiga
8 Froholdt
22 Varela
17 Sainz
9 Aghehowa
11 Pepe
Two changes from the defeat at Casa Pia as Silva and Rosario are replaced by Kiwior and Froholdt
First Half
Last week's defeat to strugglers Casa Pia clearly has some of the home fans nervous to the extent that fireworks were set off outside the Sporting hotel twice last night. You imagine the club probably make the players sleep with noise cancelling headphones and the only people that suffered were the poor locals. Luis Godhino the man in the middle. He being Mateus Reis' best buddy from the Taça de Portugal final so we can only hope for a similar performance unmoved by Porto's inevitable theatrics. Perhaps he can use their players as a test case for bookings for simulation in the middle of the park. Pornhub football where you've eleven men that will go down at any opportunity.
The lions in their traditional green and white horizontal stripes get us underway. They attack left to right.
1 Porto have started with a high defensive line. The lions happy in possession, presumably looking for the pass over the top for the forwards to run onto
3 Suárez penalised as Froholdt had his arm locked. The Colombian a little rightly aggrieved by the decision there
4 Diomande with a little welcome to Aghehowa from behind penalised
5 Geny sent flying on the wing. At least players are going down under actual contact for now. That'll change with Porto's players
8 Corner far side to the lions. Note the arm into Gonçalves face which he doesn't go down under from Bednarek
9 Flying challenge from Morita in the centre. Appeals from the Porto player and the referee makes the shape of the ball
11 Cheating started already as Costa feigns an injury and all the Porto players rush for instructions to the side. Imagine them telling their kids not to lie. But you do it daddy
13 Good defending from Sporting as they clear their likes in combination between Inácio and Fresneda
14 Again good defending as Diomande in the right place to cut out a cross from the right and Araújo wraps his boot around the second ball
15 Araújo heads clear. Lions defending well
16 Sporting with a huge chance to break and the final ball cut out at the last moment inside the Porto half. See my comment from the first minute
16 Pepe throws himself to the floor. Fucking book the cheating cunt. Fucking pathetic. Pornhub football can't wait to get on their knees. Right under the nose of Godhino as well
17 Aghehowa smashes Fresneda off the ball. How is that not a booking?
18 The rain is tipping it down now
19 First chance falls to the visitors as Varela shanks it wide of the left post inside the D
20 Another hefty challenge on Fresneda. They don't like the Spanish in the north clearly
23 Geny loses his man on the right. Tries a shot from 16 yards that ended up not far short of the corner flag on the far side
24 Sporting with a man down receiving treatment. Suárez it was. Unhelpfully we're treated to a replay of the missed chance for Porto and not why the Colombian was down
25 Froholdt smashes into Morita. At some point someone has to see yellow for one of these challenges
26 Another Porto player down. I think Geny stood on a loose shoelace. Jesus wept cracking atmosphere but you wouldn't pay to watch this shit every week. Go to the cinema and watch some decent acting
28 Morita tidies up in midfield he's having a good game
29 Gonçalves finds Fresneda wide right inside the box and not sure what he was trying to do there but the ball goes out of play for a goal kick
30 Calm from Rui Silva takes the ball on his knee and brings it down, touch with the outside of the boot and clears. Why didn't he do that with St Juste’s back pass last season which he put into his own net? Perhaps he's been practicing
32 Firecrackers going off and Costa is lost somewhere in the smoke at the far end of the pitch.
32 Unsurprisingly the game brought to a halt
33 An ironic sign on the scoreboard of a rocket with a line through it
34 Justice will be a Sporting opening goal in additional time at the end of the first half
35 Can you abandon the game and award a 3-0 win to the lions?
35 You've got idiots letting off more flares from behind Costa's goal. This is farcical
36 Godhino has had enough and restarts the game
37 Alberto from 23 yards with a shot that made Geny's look half decent. I lie they were both fucking atrocious
39 Hjulmand down with the knee of Bednarek onto his face. Aghehowa down … because he's a cheating cunt. The superbowl had less stoppages in it
42 Oh what a fucking surprise Aghehowa back on his feet and running like nothing happened
43 Araújo cross deflected for a corner far side
44 Close up of Trincão being knocked over. I'd forgotten he was playing
Plus seven shown
+1 Froholdt booked for a hand into the face of Gonçalves which wasn't a yellow and Pote made a meal of it
+2 Araújo's cross from the left somehow evaded the head of Suárez and then the foot of Geny as he gets done by the bounce of the ball in front of him
+2 Diomande shown a yellow as throws Aghehowa to the floor
+3 Pepe buys a free kick as he plants his feet with Araújo behind him as the guy did for the second AVS penalty on Thursday night
+4 Karma as the free kick sent straight out for a goal kick. Cheats never prosper
+5 Sainz catches Hjulmand and the Dane was not a happy camper although he did show a smile when back on his feet
+6 Trincão fails to keep a ball in far side and that sums up his contribution to the half
Half time
FC Porto 0 Sporting CP 0
Well there's 52 minutes of my life that I will never get back. I know tickets are reasonably priced in Portugal but whatever people have paid to go tonight was too much. I thought the gamesmanship had gotten better under Vítor Bruno but it reappeared under Anselmi and there's no difference between a Farioli side and a Conçeicão one. If my dog's face looked like Porto's football I'd shave its arse and make it walk around backwards. Literally nothing of note happened in that half other than players feigning injury and a bunch of morons setting off some flares. XG 0.09 to 0.04. Someone tell the players that you need to put the Clássic into a Clássico.
Second half
Porto get us back underway. No changes from the lions. ➡️⬅️ Gül on for Aghehowa
46 Sporting win a corner far side
46 Not sure who got the last touch from a header which went behind. Possibly Diomande
47 Suárez wins a corner far side
48 Third corner far side as bad as the first two as it evades everyone and out the far side
49 Pepe swings for the ball on the edge of the area and connects instead with Hjulmand. Surprised he didn't try claim for a penalty
50 Hjulmand wins the ball back in the centre and again as the break looked on the final pass cut out
51 This game will be a test for Costa and Silva to see how's least surprised if either team get a shot on target
52 Sporting have two men down in the box. Hjulmand ends up a sandwich and then Geny clipped. To be fair both challenges outside the box and neither you could claim warranted anything. Kiwior got the ball and Geny on the follow through
54 Alberto somehow escapes a booking as he wrestled Araújo to the floor
54 Trincão opts to send a ball to the back post from 20 yards cut out by Costa
55 The lions certainly the brighter of the two sides but with no end product
55 I'm assuming it's the Sporting fans making all the noise
56 Morita with a great interception. He's been wonderful at times tonight
56 Fresneda fires a shot from 19 yards that flicks up off a defender's foot but unfortunately into the hands of Costa. Games first shot on target
58 Morita wins a goal kick off Froholdt. He's currently my man of the match
59 Porto corner nearside as Trincão sticks a boot out to stop a cross
60 Mora set to be introduced for Porto
60 Alberto flings himself to the floor inside the Porto box. Jesus fucking wept
61 ➡️ ⬅️ Triple change. Silva, Mora and Fofana on. Sainz, Kiwior and Veiga off
64 Shake of the head as Pepe puts a cross into the hands of Rui Silva
65 We need one moment of magic from any Sporting player. I don't care which one.
65 Whistles from the home fans as Sporting playing keep ball
66 Rui Silva down on his backside. Locals don't like it when it happens to them
67 Virgínia out on the touchline warming up
68 Farioli self comforting as he holds the back of his head
69 Game back underway and no change in goal. I assume that was gamesmanship but none of our players rushed to the bench for instructions so maybe not
70 This isn't the worst game I've ever seen but it would make the top 50
71 Shot from inside the area from Fofana from 17 yards blocked by Hjulmand
72 Flying tackle from Araújo dispossessed Froholdt. Great stuff from the Uruguayan
74 Yellow to Morita for a foul on Fofana
74 Free kick 32 yards out headed away and the ball ends up back with Costa midway inside the Porto half
75 For the first time this half Porto actually looking the more potent or the two
76 GOAL FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 0. I think Porto had five attempts to get that in as Fofana finally broke the deadlock. Froholdt 20 yards. Alberto blocked shot from 6 yards, Fofana shot blocked from 10 yards, Gül shot blocked from 8 yards and then finally the Fofana chance from 12 yards which deflected in. Sporting are claiming a foul against Hjulmand outside the area
78 VAR checking. Sporting have two men lined up ready to come on.
78 Yellow shown to Hjulmand. Goal stands
79 ➡️ ⬅️ Morita for Guilherme
81 Trincão bends one half a foot past the left post from 17 yards
82 Sporting have scored in every game this season let's not forget
82 Silva got a hand to that chance but couldn't keep it out. He was claiming an obscured view but it would have been because of a crowd of Sporting shirts
83 ➡️ ⬅️ Faye and Bragança for Geny and Gonçalves
84 ➡️ ⬅️ Fernandes for Moura
84 Geny head down with shirt over his head. Wouldn't like to say he's not in tears
85 Yellow to Suárez. Fuck knows what that was for. Can't be for kicking the ball away because he gave it to a Porto player
87 Guilherme shanks one into the stand from 18 yards
88 The lions are going to throw everything they have now. Will it be enough
89 Miss control from Hjulmand in the area and that allowed Porto to clear for a corner far side
89 Sporting appeal for a penalty. Godhino has his hand to the ear. It does strike the hand but Bednarek has his hands to his chest
+1 it's been a season of late goals. Can the lions find one more
+1 Lions appeal for another handball as Trincão shot inside the D is blocked…by the hand of Hjulmand
Plus eight finally shown on the screen some two minutes into additional time
+2 Araújo shown a yellow as tempers flare nearside. Pepe went down like a sack of shit. The Porto bench trying to wind the Uruguayan up
+3 Gül also show a yellow
+5 Corner far side to the lions
+6 Hjulmand shot from 11 yards blocked inside the six yard box and out for a corner. That was the chance
+7 Penalty Sporting. Fresneda cross strikes a hand. Can't see that being overturned
+8 VAR check ongoing. Penalty stands
+9 Suárez with the ball. Costa saves. GOAL FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 1. Tucks on the rebound from 7 yards. My heart is up about 180 BPM
+10’20 Game restarts and the whistle blows
Full time
FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 1
The final word
The shows not over till the fat lady sings. Draw would seem a fair result on the balance of play which is to suggest neither side deserved to win the game on the balance of what we saw. Amazingly Sporting finished with eleven men on the pitch which for a Clássico in the Dragão is a minor miracle.
Second half
Porto get us back underway. No changes from the lions. ➡️⬅️ Gül on for Aghehowa
46 Sporting win a corner far side
46 Not sure who got the last touch from a header which went behind. Possibly Diomande
47 Suárez wins a corner far side
48 Third corner far side as bad as the first two as it evades everyone and out the far side
49 Pepe swings for the ball on the edge of the area and connects instead with Hjulmand. Surprised he didn't try claim for a penalty
50 Hjulmand wins the ball back in the centre and again as the break looked on the final pass cut out
51 This game will be a test for Costa and Silva to see who's least surprised and can react best if either team get a shot on target
52 Sporting have two men down in the box. Hjulmand ends up a sandwich and then Geny clipped. To be fair both challenges outside the box and the lions fell into the area and neither you could claim warranted anything. Kiwior got the ball and Geny on the follow through in the second of the two challenges
54 Alberto somehow escapes a booking as he wrestled Araújo to the floor
54 Trincão opts to send a ball to the back post from 20 yards cut out by Costa rather than shoot. Had that been on the right and not the left you imagine he'd have shot
55 The lions certainly the brighter of the two sides but with no end product
55 I'm assuming it's the Sporting fans making all the noise
56 Morita with a great interception. He's been wonderful at times tonight
56 Fresneda fires a shot from 19 yards that flicks up off a defender's foot but unfortunately into the hands of Costa. Games first shot on target
58 Morita wins a goal kick off Froholdt. He's currently my man of the match. Clever work there
59 Porto corner nearside as Trincão sticks a boot out to stop a cross
60 Mora set to be introduced for Porto
60 Alberto flings himself to the floor inside the Porto box. Jesus fucking wept. Kick him Geny whilst he's down and do us all a favour
61 ➡️ ⬅️ Triple change. Silva, Mora and Fofana on. Sainz, Kiwior and Veiga off
64 Shake of the head as Pepe puts a cross into the hands of Rui Silva
65 We need one moment of magic from any Sporting player. I don't care which one.
65 Whistles from the home fans as Sporting playing keep ball
66 Rui Silva down on his backside. Locals don't like it when it happens to them
67 Virgínia out on the touchline warming up
68 Farioli self comforting as he holds the back of his head
69 Game back underway and no change in goal. I assume that was gamesmanship but none of our players rushed to the bench for instructions so maybe not
70 This isn't the worst game I've ever seen but it would make the top 50
71 Shot from inside the area from Fofana from 17 yards blocked by Hjulmand
72 Flying tackle from Araújo dispossessed Froholdt. Great stuff from the Uruguayan
74 Yellow to Morita for a foul on Fofana
74 Free kick 32 yards out headed away and the ball ends up back with Costa midway inside the Porto half
75 For the first time this half Porto actually looking the more potent or the two
76 GOAL FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 0. I think Porto had five attempts to get that in as Fofana finally broke the deadlock. Froholdt from 20 yards, Alberto blocked shot from 6 yards, Fofana shot blocked from 10 yards, Gül shot blocked from 8 yards and then finally the Fofana chance from 12 yards which deflected in. Sporting are claiming a foul against Hjulmand outside the area
78 VAR checking. Sporting have two men lined up ready to come on.
78 Yellow shown to Hjulmand. Goal stands
79 ➡️ ⬅️ Morita for Guilherme
81 Trincão bends one half a foot past the left post from 17 yards
82 Sporting have scored in every game this season let's not forget
82 Silva got a hand to that Fofana chance but couldn't keep it out. He was claiming an obscured view but it would have been because of a crowd of Sporting shirts
83 ➡️ ⬅️ Faye and Bragança for Geny and Gonçalves
84 ➡️ ⬅️ Fernandes for Moura
84 Geny head down with shirt over his head. Wouldn't like to say he's not in tears. Mangas gives him a rub of the back and a kiss on the head
85 Yellow to Suárez. Fuck knows what that was for. Can't be for kicking the ball away because he gave it to a Porto player
87 Guilherme shanks wide from 18 yards
88 The lions are going to throw everything they have now. Will it be enough
89 Miss control from Hjulmand in the area and that allowed Porto to clear for a corner far side
89 Sporting appeal for a penalty. Godhino has his hand to the ear. It does strike the hand but Bednarek has his hands to his chest
+1 It's been a season of late goals. Can the lions find one more?
+1 Lions appeal for another handball as Trincão shot inside the D is blocked…by the hand of Hjulmand
Plus eight finally shown on the screen some two minutes into additional time
+2 Araújo shown a yellow as tempers flare nearside. Pepe went down like a sack of shit. The Porto bench trying to wind the Uruguayan up
+3 Gül also show a yellow
+5 Corner far side to the lions
+6 Hjulmand shot from 11 yards blocked inside the six yard box and out for a corner. That was the chance
+7 Penalty Sporting. Fresneda cross strikes a hand. Can't see that being overturned
+8 VAR check ongoing. Penalty stands
+9 Suárez with the ball. Costa saves. GOAL FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 1. Tucks in the rebound from 7 yards. My heart is up about 180 BPM. Suárez went low to the keepers left, he's guessed perfectly but none of us defenders were following up and the ball fell perfectly for the Colombian to guide it home at the second time of asking
+10’20 Game restarts and the whistle blows
Full time
FC Porto 1 Sporting CP 1
The final word
The shows not over till the fat lady sings. The draw would seem a fair result on the balance of play which is to suggest neither side deserved to win the game on the evidence of what we saw. Amazingly Sporting finished with eleven men on the pitch which for a Clássico in the Dragão is a minor miracle.
So then...
Santa Clara, PSG, Arouca, Nacional, Athletic Club and now FC Porto. Sporting should come with a warning label about the danger to your heart when it comes to late goals.
Good old Luis Godhino to Sporting's rescue again. He does it in the Dérbi, and does it now in the Clássico. They'll build a statue of him outside the José Alvalade one day it we win the title for a third season on the trot. Porto one minute away from a seven point lead. It's an awful penalty and I should know because I was awful at taking them. A point won for the lions, how valuable it will be we won't find out until May. I have no problems losing games of football to a side who deserved their win. However when you come up against a side like Porto who cheat their way through 90 minutes it feels like they got their just desserts with that decision.
You can't dress that game up any other way than to say it was poor on the eye. Typically I wrote a minute before the goal that Porto were in the ascendency for the first time and a minute later I'm sat thinking well done dickhead you've done it again. Yet the hope remained that a side who has scored in every game since failing to find the net in the Supertaça could do just that if only they could fashion a decent opportunity. If I was in Suárez’s boots I'd have wanted to be anywhere else. The pressure to score there was too much for any man although that being said I'd have put my house on Gyökeres having smashed it in so maybe I'll rephrase that to any man unless you're Gyökeres.
As skewed data goes that game will be right up there without a much needed explanation. 8 attempts for Porto but 5 of those were in the same move that resulted in their goal going in. They mustered the one shot on target in 117 minutes of football. Not that the lions were any better in fairness. Eleven attempts, 3 on target, 1 big chance created and missed. Their XG of 1.29 to Porto's 0.77 was made up of 0.79 for the penalty and 0.24 for the goal. So 0.28 from the other 9 efforts. As I say sometimes these things need contextualising.
There's really not much I can say about that game that I didn't already say in the buildup with a warning that they'd try cheat their way to victory and they did exactly that. Farioli saw his Nice side throw away second place in Ligue 1, his Ajax side throw away the title the season after and he'll be thinking these things happen in threes which if it is true means that for us it would be the three-peat. There's a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season. A semi final of the Taça de Portugal to follow between the two sides. Let me know if you want to volunteer to do my minute by minute on that one because I don't want to have to sit through that nonsense again.
If nothing else both sides did show some attacking intent after the break. The lions looked the better for the opening 20 minutes of the second half but it came as no surprise that both sets of defenders ultimately came up trumps until they managed to force home the opening goal. It was hard on the lions who had thrown their bodies in the way of the first four shots but when you can't get it out of the 18 yard box the law of averages states it's bound to go in at some point. Was it a foul on Hjulmand? I don't think so. No complaints from me on that one.
So was it a penalty? His hand goes up like he's hailing a taxi to take him out the Dragão and celebrate three points. Don't think Moura could complain about that anymore than Hjulmand could for not being awarded a free kick in the buildup to their goal. We both live to fight another day. Also karma going thanks for waking me up with fireworks twice last night you utter dickheads.
There were two opportunities in both halves where Sporting could have hit Porto on the break. That was the game plan. It didn't work. Will it cost them to have let Alisson go to Napoli? Could well do. Again time will tell. Guilherme may have scored against AVS, but there's 18 places between Porto and AVS and his one chance was poor.
At the end of it all Rui Borges has still only lost one game in the league as the mister of Sporting, that being the Porto game in the José Alvalade. I've always said titles in Portugal are built on not losing the Dérbi or the Clássico. All three of Os Três Grandes are more than capable of losing to the dregs at the bottom as we saw last week when Porto lost to Casa Pia. It could have been worse. People will throw it at him that he doesn't win the big games in the same way they'll say Simões should have played instead of Morita. Which was my roundabout way of getting to the Japanese midfielder as my first choice for man of the match. Completed 88% of his passes, made 4 of 5 accurate long balls, 1 block, 4 clearances, 5 recoveries. In short he was great and looked like the old Morita and he looks like he's finally getting back to his old self just in time for the title run in.
The forward line were all disappointing if I'm totally honest. I'd forgotten Trincão was on the pitch until the 44th minute. Gonçalves had the pass that found Fresneda in space before the Spaniard got it all wrong midway through the first half. Suárez had a nice move out on the right to win a corner. Geny got his shot all wrong but had the beating of his marker at one point to get away into the box. Basically very little adding up to fuck all. So none of them will get my vote and I'm not fickle in this instance to add Suárez just because he scored the equaliser.
I thought the two wing backs played well again. Araújo is a wind up merchant and had Pepe spitting feathers so that's worth a vote alone. I'm kidding. Or am I? When you see the whole Porto bench off their feet trying to wind him up to get him sent off you know he's doing something right. Fresneda completed 88% of his 49 attempted passes and the most critical one not completed led to the penalty. He has the first shot on target in the entire game. Defensively both looked sound over the course of the 90. Votes two and three sorted. Which leaves Inácio, Hjulmand and Diomande vying for the fourth place. I don't know if Hjulmand had a good game or not. It was all a bit chaotic from him at times but that might have been a good chaotic. I just don't know. He was kind of at the centre of everything which suggests he had a large effect on the game. I'd offer to watch it back and focus on him but I'd rather let you all take a shit in my bed and have to sleep in it than watch that back. Let's go Inácio for my fourth vote. I rarely if ever include him, he was better than Diomande and seems unfair to pick him over Hjulmand if I can't make my mind up. Yet in fairness I'd made my mind up about an hour in that I'd give it to Morita unless someone jumped out and did something really noteworthy in the last half hour.
So onto Famalicão at the José Alvalade we all go. They made lighter work of AVS than we did last Thursday tonight winning 3-1. Clearly softened them up. Didn't do ourselves any favours having to play 120 minutes before a Clássico but there you go.
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