Portal dos Dragões
·24 August 2025
De Jong makes starting debut, new faces in FC Porto squad

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Yahoo sportsPortal dos Dragões
·24 August 2025
FC Porto faces Casa Pia with the intention of repeating the achievement of the last two seasons: winning the first three matches of the league. This goal takes on particular importance, as there is a classic against Sporting in the 4th round. In the 2024/25 season, the 4th round ended with a 2-0 defeat for the team then managed by Vítor Bruno, with goals from Gyokeres and Geny Catamo.
Before discussing the likely starting eleven, two notes: Grujic is among the called-up players, as is Brayan Caicedo, a 19-year-old Colombian from the B team, called up by Farioli as a precaution in case Rodrigo Mora leaves.
Francesco Farioli valued the collective productivity in Barcelos, where Zaidu started and assisted Pepê for the goal. The Nigerian is going through a good moment, but with Francisco Moura fully recovered after his injury during the training camp in Austria, there remains the question of whether the coach will choose the Portuguese full-back for the starting eleven, already thinking about the classic against Sporting, or if he will continue to bet on Zaidu.
In midfield, the trio that has shown solidity in the league remains: Alan Varela playing deeper, with Gabri Veiga and Victor Froholdt enjoying more freedom. The young Dane, who scored one of the goals in the 0-2 victory in Barcelos against Gil Vicente, has stood out in this new stage of FC Porto under Farioli’s command, with performances that have captivated the fans.
The main novelty in attack is Luuk De Jong: signed on a free transfer after three seasons at PSV, he will replace Samu, who is injured. The other absence for medical reasons is right-back Martim Fernandes. The Dutchman was used as a substitute against Vitória and Gil Vicente – in the last game he played 71 minutes, boosting his physical levels. On the wings, Pepê and Borja Sainz will be in charge of supplying the striker.
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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.