Santiago Gimenez adds points and complicates life to André Silva in FC Porto

André Silva was one of the great surprises of FC Porto for this season. Against all expectations, the international in Portugal returned to the city Invicta ten years later with the label of one of the great summer reinforcements of blue and white.

And, in benefit of the truth, the 31-year-old spearhead was a great stem at the start of the season. At a time when the Spanish Samu Aghehowa still sought the best physical form, the result of recovering from the injury suffered at the transatlantic time, and when the Mexican Santiago Gimenez had not yet reached Invicta, André Silva was the goal man of Francesco Farioli in the first games.

The 19th blue and white sweater responded to this confidence given to him by the Italian coach with goals. In the first eight games he held this season – the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, six I Liga journey and a Champions League game – the Portuguese advanced answered with goals against Alverca, Academic Viseu and Casa Pia.

However, and with the arrival of October, André Silva began to lose some space in the elected. With Samu Aghehowa in full physical form, the Spanish advance has been the most regular option in the attack of FC Porto, adding more titularities than the Portuguese. Alongside this, there is another aspect that complicates life for Portuguese.

Hired to fight Samu and André Silva for the earliest place of the attack of FC Porto, Santiago Gimenez has taken advantage of the opportunities that have been given to him by Francesco Farioli and responded positively... even in the right wing of the attack of the blues and whites.

Gimenez, who needed eight dragon games to the chest and only 207 minutes to return to the Mexico team, has been shown to have good numbers and has different ideas for the attack of the porters. After having scored in front of the Casa Pia and Académico de Viseu – curiously the same clubs that André Silva also scored – for the I League and for the League Cup, the 25-year-old Mexican player was in evidence in Europe.

In front of Napoli, which marked FC Porto's first victory in this year's Champions League, the Mexican surrendered Borja Sainz at 67 minutes and did not need much time to be noticed. First he watched for the 2-1 pointed by Gabri Veiga and later watched at Samu Aghehowa before the Spanish was caught missing within the area and mark the great penalty that closed the Dragon count (4–2).

André Silva is, moreover, who needs more time to score or watch among the three forwards of FC Porto, approximately 158 minutes by direct participation in goal, behind the 133 minutes of Spanish Samu and the 69 minutes of Gimenez.

With Samu with almost captive place in the initial eleven and Santiago Gimenez showing service from the bank, André Silva runs the risk of seeing the space reduce to holder. If the Mexican continues to show credentials, the Portuguese, which terminates the contract at the end of the season, may descend to the third position of the hierarchy of the advanced.