FC Porto and Vitória de Guimarães will play Sporting in the Portuguese Cup final on Wednesday at the Estádio do Dragão, after the ‘blue and white’ triumphed in the first leg (1-0).
The win at home to Vimaranenses in the Cup, with a goal from Pepê in the 52nd minute, was the last one achieved by the Portistas, who are going through a crisis of results in the I Liga, where they haven’t won for three games.
In order to reach their 34th Cup final, which they have won 19 times and are the holders of, FC Porto will have to reverse a negative cycle against a Vitória side on the up, given their recent results and the fact that they are approaching third place in the I Liga.
After winning the first leg at home to Vitória, FC Porto met the Vimaranense team again in the league, but this time they lost 2-1 at home on April 7, their second consecutive defeat after the loss at Estoril Praia (1-0).
Just one point from the last three games in the I Liga – achieved on Saturday at home to Famalicão (2-2) – has left the club in third place on 59 points, level with Sporting de Braga, 15 behind leaders Sporting and 11 behind Benfica.
FC Porto and Vitória de Guimarães are meeting for the third time in a short space of time and the balance shows a win for each team, with the third game on Wednesday being worth a place in the Cup final at the Estadio Nacional in Oeiras with Sporting.
Beaten into third place by Sporting de Braga on Sunday, FC Porto are looking for the serenity they need to seal their place in the final so they can still lift a trophy this season.
Sérgio Conceição, who has been critical of refereeing errors lately, will not be able to count on Brazilian striker Evanilson for this game, who was sent off with a straight red card in stoppage time of the game with Famalicão for a headbutt on Mihaj.
Evanilson, who is the top scorer in the Cup with seven goals, will miss out on a decisive match and brings to nine the number of times the red card has been shown to the ‘dragons’ this season in the I Liga.
FC Porto are also looking to make amends against Vitória for their results in recent games and make peace with their fans, who greeted the players and coach with a chorus of whistles last Saturday against Famalicão (2-2).
On the other hand, Vitória are in high spirits, still fighting to get closer to third place in the I Liga, which is only two points away, and they return to the Dragão, where they won 2-1 two days ago, further exacerbating the crisis for the Portistas.
The 1-1 draw at home to Farense last time out, after a run of five consecutive wins in the I Liga, prevented Álvaro Pacheco’s side from joining FC Porto and Sporting de Braga in third place, but it doesn’t dent the Minho side’s good momentum.
FC Porto and Vitória meet on Wednesday at 20:15 at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, refereed by Artur Soares Dias, from the Porto association, in the second leg of the ‘semi-finals’, after the Portistas won 1-0 in Guimarães.
