The FC Porto intensity

Last Sunday FC Porto battled up against Boavista – an old famous club relegated with corruption charges, and

admitted this year in the secretary and not because of what it did in the pitch last year. Everybody knows the result, but

first let’s check some FC Porto’s game statistics:

82% Ball possession;

21 shots;

19 crosses;

9 corners;

Yes, you guessed – it ended 0-0.

In the flash interview, Julen Lopetegui claimed that Maicon’s red card at 25’ was crucial, and it was unfair. But

looking at the statistics do you really believe it was crucial? What happened was really the referee’s fault?

Analyzing the red card fault, it was in fact, unfair. The game was 45 minutes delayed due to bad weather

conditions. Some parts of the field looked like small lakes. It was imprudent, but given a red card was pushing the

criteria too high for the game conditions.

But it wasn’t the problem at all. Intensity was the problem. They had the ball all the time, so they controlled the

game all the time. The VideObserver analysis software shows us exactly that:

How can you complaint about the referee, when you play with 2 open wingers, make 19 crosses, and only two

are successful? There’s something to think about.

And if you look to shot statistics you can take some conclusions too:

They shot 21 times (10 outside the box and 11 inside), with a 24% precision. That’s not a bad production

offensively speaking.

If we look at the weather conditions, the lake-like pitch, the feeling that Porto was really superior to their

opponent and the (great) Wednesday victory we can understand why there was lack of intensity. Porto got a lot of

offensive production, but it was consent domination by Boavista and with no velocity in the last third of the pitch. As a

result, in the last 30 minutes Porto shot 5 times and only 1 was on target. Were they tired because of Maicon’s red

card? Doubtfully. They played most of the time in opponent’s midfield. Were they exhausted because of the weather

and the pitch condition? Maybe, but so was Boavista, running all the time only smelling the 82% ball possession of

Porto.

The FC Porto’s problem nowadays is called Brahimi. He is the team star, the engine, the motor, the pilot of this

renewed team. When he shows is talent (like against BATE Borisov), Porto looks like a big, mature and deadly team.

When he is out of the game, the team is slow and lacks creativity and objectiveness. The other players who could model

the team like Brahimi is doing are Tello, whose heart and head never left Barcelona, Adrián, who doesn’t have half of

the intensity he usually showed in Madrid, and Casemiro, that has been progressively getting better but it’s not ready

yet to have a major role.

Quaresma is out of Lopetegui choices, and Rúben Neves is a 17-year-old wonder kid with a lot to give, but also

with a lot to prove (especially if we think of his position and the difference between him and Fernando).

A Portuguese Classic is coming against a big old rival – Sporting CP. The game will be different and the intensity

and quality that every single player will show will also be different from the last 2 draws in their domestic competition.

But it’s against clubs like Vitória de Guimarães and Boavista, teams you expect to win and you know you can’t lose

points that this new FC Porto needs to show us, the Portuguese and fans abroad, that they are ready to win the title

again.

Mauro Saraiva msaraiva1987@gmail.com facebook.com/SaraivaScouter