Arouca seeks personality against the champion

On Saturday, 22 August, Arouca coach Vasco Seabra stated that the team must show “personality” and “concentration” to face FC Porto in the third I Liga round. The match is scheduled for Sunday, 23 August, at 20:30, at the Dragão, with referee João Pinheiro of the Braga Association.

Seabra acknowledged the intensity and verticality of the champion but believes Arouca is ready to fight for points in the “invincible city.” He said: “The more personality and concentration we have, the better our chances. We must know when to activate pressure and look at the back of FC Porto, without conceding certain spaces.”

Confidence and humility

The coach highlighted the need for balance: “We are confident, but humble about what we are as a team and our identity. Therefore, we have all the prerequisites to play a good game.”

Arouca, like FC Porto, started the season with two wins and is in good form after the 4-0 rout of Moreirense. Seabra considered this context positive for facing one of Portugal’s “greats.”

Goal of three consecutive wins

“Winning is always better. If we can win all 34 rounds, we don’t want to win only 33. It brings confidence in actions, freshness in the players’ and coach’s minds. But what we did in the last two games will mean nothing when the game starts. We know what we have to do at the Dragão and I hope that next week we will be talking about three consecutive wins,” the coach said.

FC Porto’s wingers

When asked about FC Porto’s wingers, Seabra downplayed the idea that the opponent’s attack could be weakened. He recalled that “Farioli’s side has already shown it can find solutions in tougher moments.”

Seabra added: “If we stop focusing on the wingers, we will definitely lose. Last year, the focus was on FC Porto’s critical moments, with Samu’s injury and when Deniz Gül didn’t score. Even so, they were always winning, suffering very few defeats last season. They have excellent finishers.”

Upcoming clash

Arouca and FC Porto, who won the first two rounds and share the I Liga lead with Marítimo, will face each other at the Dragão in the third round. The match is set for Sunday, 23 August, at 20:30, with João Pinheiro as referee.