It is third against first in the Primeira Liga in gameweek 21 on Friday as out-of-sorts Porto aim to revive fading title prospects against Sporting Lisbon at Estadio do Dragao.
The Dragons have had a miserable start to 2025, seeing them slide eight points adrift of Sporting, now in decent-to-good form under Rui Borges's management as they seek to move on from their post-Ruben Amorim hangover.
Match preview
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After a 4-0 hammering of second-bottom Boavista to end 2024, Porto were second in the Liga, albeit level on 40 points with Sporting, with Benfica two points behind at the conclusion of gameweek 16.
Fast forward to round 21, and the Dragons are eight points behind the league-leading Lisbon giants on 50 and two behind Benfica after dropping 10 points from an available 12 at the start of 2025.
The wretched start to the new year has cost Vitor Bruno his job, with Martin Anselmi now in situ since late January, managing the Blue and Whites to a 1-0 Europa League win at Maccabi Tel Aviv before playing out a Liga draw in last week's 2-2 tie with Rio Ave.
That saw Porto register consecutive Portuguese top-flight draws, following defeats by Nacional (2-0) and Gil Vicente (3-1) to start the year, and the Dragons aim to avoid failing to win five straight league matches for the first time this century, having matched their four-match winless run from January to February 2001 — defeats to Boavista (1-0), Benfica (2-1) and Pacos de Ferreira (1-0) and a goalless encounter with Belenenses.
That miserable sequence was followed by a 3-1 home success in February 2001 against Campomaiorense, which began an undefeated 14-game run (12 wins) that lasted until the next season, and Portistas will welcome a repeat victory against their Lisbon foes.
The Dragons have reason for optimism, given their impressive home form at the Dragao, where they have let two points slip all season, although that sole draw came in their most recent fixture on home turf — a 1-1 tie with Santa Clara.
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Contrarily, Sporting will back themselves to be the first club since Vitoria de Guimaraes in April 2024 to beat Porto on home soil, ending the Dragons' 13-match unbeaten run at the Dragao, given their steady improvement under Borges after post-Amorim woes.
Having secured one victory in four Liga fixtures (two defeats) before the Lions jettisoned Joao Pereira on Christmas Day, Borges's men have claimed four wins and one draw in the recent five top-flight matches, including a 1-0 success over Benfica on December 29.
The league-leading outfit have clinched three consecutive league victories heading into Friday's contest, keeping two clean sheets during the ongoing run, and seek a fourth success on the trot at Porto's expense.
Borges has already notched a win over Friday's opponents at the start of January — a 1-0 League Cup semi-final triumph — to follow Sporting's 2-0 success over the Dragons in August's reverse fixture, and aim to record three straight wins against their rivals.
However, the Lions have not tasted league success at the Dragao since a 3-1 win in April 2016; it will be fascinating to see if Sportinguistas will have some cheer in Oporto after eight disappointments, including five defeats during that winless run.
Team News
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Anselmi has switched to a back three since replacing Bruno, and Porto are expected to retain that approach for the third straight match under the former Cruz Azul boss.
Ivan Marcano is absent due to a severe knee injury, while Marko Grujic and Martim Fernandes are expected to miss out because of muscle complaints; the hosts can no longer call upon Nico Gonzalez after the midfielder's move to Manchester City on deadline day.
Samu Aghehowa has not scored in his last three league appearances and five overall since notching a brace against Boavista in late December and the 13-goal forward aims to break his duck against the Lisbon visitors.
Viktor Gyokeres (thigh) has missed consecutive games for Sporting, and the centre-forward will be assessed before Friday; if the striker misses out, Sporting must find attacking solutions for the 22-goal man, who has netted seven game-opening goals and four match-winning strikes this term.
Absent for the Lions are Pedro Goncalves and Nuno Santos due to severe knee injuries, while Hidemasa Morita (muscle) will be checked before the round 21 contest.
Sporting are a back four side these days under Borges, utilising a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 depending on the opposition, and the Lions are not expected to change tack this weekend.
Porto possible starting lineup:
Costa; Djalo, Perez, Otavio; Mario, Eustaquio, Varela, Moura; Borges, Mora; Aghehowa
Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo; Hjulmand, Simoes; Trincao, Braganca, Quenda; Harder
We say: Porto 2-2 Sporting Lisbon
While Sporting may have been backed for success if the match were in Lisbon, Porto's undefeated run at the Dragao since last year and Gyokeres's possible absence mean the Blue and Whites should avoid losing against the table-topping side on their ground for the ninth straight time in Liga encounters.
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