FC Porto beat Arouca 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão on Sunday to take sole possession of first place in the Primeira Liga. Gabri Veiga and Borja Sainz scored in the second half to secure the three points in the third round of the season.
Francesco Farioli made two changes to the starting lineup from the match against Rio Ave. Alberto Costa and André Silva came in for Nehuén Pérez and Deniz Gul. The team maintained the intensity shown at the start of the campaign, creating the best chances in the first half. In the sixth minute, Pepê capitalised on a misplaced pass, dribbled past almost the entire defence and rounded the goalkeeper, but his shot was blocked. Just before the break, William Gomes found himself one-on-one with Ignacio de Arruabarrena, but the Uruguayan keeper made the save.
The goal came in the 63rd minute, after two disallowed attempts. William Gomes led a counter-attack and set up Gabri Veiga, who fired a low shot through Arruabarrena's legs. The Spaniard secured the first goal of the match. "It was a relief to score after so much effort," Veiga said after the game.
Confirmation arrived in the 84th minute. Borja Sainz, who had been denied by Arruabarrena moments earlier, turned the ball in from close range. The winger scored for the second game in a row, sealing the 2-0 final score. The visiting team offered little threat, with Diogo Costa making a comfortable save from a Barbero header in the first half.
With this result, the Dragons have three wins from three matches, nine points and zero goals conceded. Sporting, Santa Clara and Marítimo follow with seven points each. Farioli's team now prepares for its next challenge, which can be seen on the fixtures page.
The full list of players available to the manager is on the squad page.
