League leaders Porto look to open up a seven-point gap at the Primeira Liga summit, at least temporarily, as they welcome Arouca to the Estadio do Dragao for the first of Friday’s two matchday 24 fixtures.
The Dragons have the honour of opening this round’s action and will be eager to secure victory in order to extend their advantage over second-placed Sporting Lisbon, who face Estoril Praia later that evening.
Match preview
Not for the first time this season, Porto responded perfectly to Sporting’s victory earlier in the gameweek, as Victor Froholdt’s 22nd-minute strike proved sufficient in the Dragons’s 1–0 success over an out-of-sorts Rio Ave at the Dragao last Sunday.
While the result saw Francesco Farioli’s side secure back-to-back wins — having beaten Nacional by the same scoreline in their previous outing — and maintain their four-point lead at the summit, it also means the 30-time Primeira Liga champions have not scored more than once in any of their last four matches.
That run includes Porto’s first and only defeat in 23 league games this season (W20, D2), which came at Casa Pia on matchday 20 and was followed by a hard-fought 1–1 draw with their closest title challengers, Sporting.
Currently competing for the two remaining pieces of domestic silverware, the Dragons and the Lions will also meet next Tuesday in the first leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final, following their respective fixtures on Friday.
Looking to build momentum ahead of that contest, as well as potentially widen their lead at the summit, Porto can be confident of victory against Arouca, having won nine of their last 10 matches at the Dragao across all competitions (D1), while Farioli’s side boast the best home record in the division with 29 points from a possible 33.
The Blue and Whites have also been second to none defensively, conceding a league-low seven goals and keeping a staggering 17 clean sheets, and that resilience at the back could prove decisive once again, considering all seven of the Dragons’s victories in their last nine top-flight outings (D2) have come without conceding.
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Interestingly, Arouca’s most positive recent memories in this fixture have come when they managed to breach Porto’s defence, with a 1–1 draw away and a 3–2 home victory during the 2023–24 campaign representing their only successes across a six-match league sequence.
That run also includes a 4–0 defeat in the reverse earlier this season, meaning the Wolves have conceded a combined 10 goals across their last three meetings with the Dragons without scoring, although their recent form offers some encouragement ahead of Friday’s clash.
Vasco Seabra’s side have won five of their eight matches in 2026 (L3), scoring exactly three times in each of their last three victories, including a 3–0 thrashing of Nacional last weekend courtesy of second-half strikes from Alfonso Trezza, Hyunju Lee and Dylan Nandin.
Having managed just two victories from their opening 15 league fixtures (D5, L8) of the season — including a five-match losing streak between late October and early December — Arouca’s resurgence has lifted them from the relegation zone into a more secure position.
Currently 11th in the Primeira Liga table and eight points clear of the playoff spot, the Wolves will aim to put further distance between themselves and the drop with a positive result on Friday, even though six of their 11 away games of the top-flight campaign (W3, D2) have ended in defeat.
Porto Primeira Liga form:
Porto form (all competitions):
Arouca Primeira Liga form:
Team News
© Imago / Sportimage
Porto are currently contending with injuries in both attacking and defensive areas, with strikers Samu Aghehowa and Luuk de Jong ruled out for the season due to knee problems.
Centre-back Nehuen Perez, who has been sidelined with an Achilles tendon issue since September, could, however, return in time to feature before the end of the campaign.
Meanwhile, defenders Martim Fernandes, Jakub Kiwior and Thiago Silva are all expected to miss Friday’s clash as they continue their respective recoveries.
Farioli’s options in midfield are also limited by the suspension of Alan Varela, who collected his fifth booking of the campaign in last weekend’s victory over Rio Ave.
Arouca are dealing with disciplinary setbacks of their own, as Tiago Esgaio and Espen van Ee will both serve suspensions for an accumulation of yellow cards.
The previous outing was also bittersweet for Lee, who was sent off late on after scoring and providing an assist, so he will play no part here,
Arouca will also be without midfield duo Mateo Flores and Pedro Santos, who have missed the last four and six matches, respectively, through injury.
Porto possible starting lineup:
D Costa; A Costa, Rosario, Bednarek, Sanusi; R Mora, Froholdt, Veiga; Pepe, Gul, Pietuszewski
Arouca possible starting lineup:
Arruabarrena; J Silva, Sanchez, Fontan, Kuipers; Santiago, Fukui; Trezza, Gozalbez, Djouahra; Barbero
We say: Porto 1-0 Arouca
Both sides are missing key players, but Arouca may feel those absences more keenly, with three starters from last weekend’s victory over Nacional unavailable.
Porto, meanwhile, possess greater squad depth, and despite the personnel issues, their defensive unit has remained resolute, meaning a single goal could once again prove sufficient to secure maximum points on Friday.
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