Underperforming star gets another chance in Nacional v Sporting clash | OneFootball

Pedro Gonçalves will once again be a starter in the Nacional - Sporting match, despite his performances falling short of expectations.

Pedro Gonçalves will be a starter again in the Nacional - Sporting match, valid for the third round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, which takes place this Saturday, August 23 (18:00). Despite not being in his best form, Rui Borges does not want to give up on the player.

According to information gathered by the newspaper A Bola, Pote maintains his untouchable status with the coach of the green and whites, which means that the starting position remains his, being part of the choices of the Mirandela coach for the upcoming match and, apparently, for the continuation of the season.

The same source reveals the two reasons for Rui Borges' decision: showing understanding after the player was sidelined for five months from competitions in 2024/25 due to injury; and the change of system - from the 3x4x3 in which Pote played for five seasons, to the current 4x2x3x1.

Furthermore, the Sporting management also considers the player's importance. The 'number 8' is another who may be about to renew with the Alvalade Club, in fact, his new contract is expected to be addressed right after the transfer window closes.

This season, wearing the Sporting jersey, Pedro Gonçalves – valued at 30 million euros – has played three matches. The Portuguese international was a starter in the first three official matches of the season and, in the 247 minutes he was on the field, he has already recorded one assist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.