A major triumph without lavish display and any emotional outburst by Sérgio Conceição and associates. For example, FC Porto traveled to Madeira, where it took three points on Wednesday after a win over Marítimo (2-0). Wendell’s and Galeno’s goals gave the champions their sixth straight win, not conceding a goal in four games and not losing in 18 games.
The first stretch at Caldeirão dos Barreiros was hot. Playing four reds in less than 42 minutes is a masterpiece! The dragons Bernardo Folha – the new addition to the selection -, Sérgio Conceição and the assistant coach Vítor Bruno and the insular Pablo Moreno did not even make it to the break.
Yet another exclusion for the blue and white coach’s personal accounts – Fábio Veríssimo showed him the red card seconds after the yellow card – left the team to assistant Siramana Dembélé and goalkeeping coach Diamantino Figueiredo.
In terms of the football played, FC Porto had more possession and dominated, although it reached the end of the first half without creating any scoring opportunities. Marítimo came close to scoring, through Bruno Xadas (at 27″ and 36″) and Val Soares on 32 minutes, but Diogo Costa was up to the task.
The difference was in the intensity and pressure on the ball carrier. Of the 26 fouls in the first half, 17 were by Marítimo and 9 by FC Porto. The Islanders are at the bottom of the I Liga rankings, but since José Gomes took charge of the Islanders, the performance shows that the positive results will be a matter of time and the name of the opponent, also because the disparities are great .
With the score at zero and both teams with ten players, some balance was expected for the second half. Pure deceit. With two goals in five minutes, the blue and white team solved the game. There was nothing Giorgi Makaridze could do to stop Wendell’s effort on his way back from the break. If the first half had been peaceful for the island’s fourth goalkeeper to take over in goal this season – a reflection of the 33 goals conceded in 18 rounds – the second half was a stepmother.
The Islanders’ competitive level dropped (and in what way) with the three half-time substitutions and the Dragons took advantage of the second goal, from Galeno. A gift from Pepê that helped the No. 13 dragons reach 14 goals at the time, in what is his best career record.
The second goal brought FC Porto comfortably into the match. Unnecessary was the ridiculous scene the islanders played. Makaridze appeared injured and asked for assistance, but as soon as the referee sent the doctor to assist him, all the Marítimo players rushed to the bench for a kind of instant sermon with José Gomes. The plan was futile and the Islanders remain in the table with 13 points after 18 games – the worst record in the I Liga since 1989-90.
Source: DN
