Porto edge Birmingham in pre-season clash with two goals and return to Portugal
FC Porto beat Birmingham - from England’s second tier - 2-1 in a closed-doors friendly on Saturday, 18 July, in Burton upon Trent. The Dragons wrapped up their training camp in England, having worked at the English FA’s St. George’s Park since the previous Monday.
Porto started slowly. August Priske put Birmingham ahead in the eighth minute. But the Blues fought back. André Silva, the club’s new signing, equalised in the 38th minute after a pass from Victor Froholdt. Pepê sealed the win in the 82nd minute, converting a penalty.
What happened in the friendly?
Francesco Farioli fielded a deep rotation squad. Cláudio Ramos; João Costa, Alberto Costa, Luís Gomes; Jakub Kiwior, Nehuén Pérez, Bednarek, Dominik Prpić, Francisco Moura, Zaidu, Pablo Rosario, Alan Varela, Victor Froholdt, Rodrigo Mora, Gabri Veiga, João Teixeira, Tiago Silva, Oskar Pietuszewski, Borja Sainz, André Silva, Deniz Gül, William Gomes and Pepê all featured.
The team now heads back to Portugal after the camp. Training resumes on Monday at the CTFD Jorge Costa in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Absences and workload management
André Miranda, Vasco Sousa and Samu were unavailable. Miranda and Sousa due to injury, while Samu attended the 2026 World Cup final in the USA at the invitation of Spain’s RFEF. Martim Fernandes also missed the match as part of workload management.
What’s next for Porto
Porto open their league title defence on 9 August. With pre-season ending in victory, the Dragons turn their focus to the new domestic campaign. League standing: 8th in Primeira Liga, 0 pts.
The club remains alert to possible signings for the 2026/27 season while awaiting Diogo Costa’s decision on his future.
