FC Porto has already suffered 12 goals in 17 games, this time more than double those who had suffered at the same height as the previous. There's a break for international engagements that leaves Francesco Farioli virtually without players to improve his defense.
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11/11/2026
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Costuma it is said that the attacks win games, but the defenses win championships, a theory that sat like a glove, in FC Porto, last sports season of 2025/26, but that is proving to be an authentic ‘headache’ for Francesco Farioli, at the start of 2026/27, given the exponential increase that has been occurring at the level of the goals suffered.
After the accounts, so far, the national champions in title have included 12 tries in 17 official games, on all fronts, which translates into an average of 0.706 per each. In the last season, at the start of the second break for international commitments, there had been 16 matches and five ‘shoots’, which meant an average of 0.313, i.e. less than half.
Theoretically, the competitive interruption would give the Italian coach time to work on this issue... if it were not for the fact that it leaves him practically without any player for the earlier sector of the terrain, which further amplifies the feeling that this will not be as easy to solve as he himself would certainly intend.
Olival selections took Diogo Costa, Alberto Costa (Portugal), João Afonso, Martim Fernandes (sub-21 Portugal), Jakub Kiwior, Jan Bednarek (Poland) and Dominik Prpic (sub-21 Croatia). This, not to forget Chris Smalling continues to recover from an injury to the internal collateral ligament of the right knee, which will, at the start, keep it up from the lawns until the end of the calendar year 2026.
There's nothing left, Nehuén Pérez, Zaidu Sanusi, Francisco Moura and João Souza, that is, a central defense and three lateral lefts. The polyvalence of a player like Pablo Rosario it would always be a way around this problem, but the call from the Dominican Republic means that neither will it be an option to mend this area of the land.
The only solution will be to resort to the blue and white formation echelons, where young promises like Luís Gomes, Hjalte Froholdt or Dinis Rodrigues they may deserve an opportunity to show themselves alongside the ‘big ones’. This, without forgetting Tiago Ferreira, 33-year-old ‘veteran’ who may contribute to the stabilisation of the defense during this period.
Post-selection period will be a ‘madness’
The defensive problems of FC Porto gain another dimension if we take into account the catadupa of ‘fire tests’ that the team will have ahead, after the pause for international commitments, starting this cycle with the clash of the fourth elimination of the Cup of Portugal, before the Paredes, which has initial whistle scheduled for 8:45 p.m. (Hour of Continental Portugal) of 20 November, at the Stadium of the Dragon.
The trip to De Kuip will follow, for the fifth round of the Champions League League league, before Feyenoord, on the 24th of the same month. Just five days later, the national champions in title will return to the ‘home’, for the long-awaited Classic of the 12th round of the I League, before Sporting, in which he will be able to once and for all take away the eternal rivals of the trophy fight.
The calendar until the end of the calendar year 2026 also includes games with Santa Clara (for the I League, in the Stadium of São Miguel), Liverpool (for the League of Champions, in Anfield), Amadora Star (for the I League, in the Stadium of the Dragon), Famalicão (for the I League, in the Municipal Stadium of Famalicão) and National (for the I League, in the Stadium of Madeira). Already 2027, will open with a new Classic, this time, with Benfica (for the League Cup, at Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Stadium).