On March 1, 2025, Arouca and FC Porto will face off at the Estádio Municipal de Arouca for the 24th round of the Campeonato Português 2024/2025. The match, scheduled to kick off at 15:00 (Brasília time), brings together two teams with vastly different aspirations this season. Arouca is fighting to avoid relegation, currently positioned 12th with 25 points, coming off three consecutive draws. Meanwhile, FC Porto is aiming to maintain their chase for the league title, sitting 3rd with 47 points.
Arouca's recent form has seen them total six victories, seven draws, and ten defeats. They have struggled at home, achieving only 39% of points available at their venue. Over the last few matches, they have struggled to secure wins but are still motivated to take advantage of their home ground. The team is under the management of Vasco Seabra, who is optimistic about their chances against the traditional powerhouse from Porto.
Prior to this matchup, Arouca's latest games were:
- Arouca 2 - 2 Farense (February 23)
- Sporting 2 - 2 Arouca (February 15)
- Arouca 1 - 1 Rio Ave (February 10)
On the other hand, FC Porto recently endured elimination from the UEFA Europa League after losing to Roma 3-2, which means they can now focus exclusively on domestic competitions. Their goal remains to secure the championship and narrow the gap behind league leaders Sporting and Benfica. The Dragões encountered mixed results recently, with four draws and one win over their last five matches:
- Porto 1 - 1 Vitória SC (February 24)
- Roma 3 - 2 Porto (February 20)
- Farense 0 - 1 Porto (February 16)
Porto’s current standing places them under pressure to perform well this weekend to keep their title hopes alive. The absence of key players such as Grujić, Pepê, and Vasco Sousa will pose challenges for head coach Martín Anselmi.
Both teams will line up as follows:
Probable line-up for Arouca:
Mantl; Alex Pinto, Chico Lamba, Fontán, Weverson; Fukui, David Simão; Trezza, Sylla, Gozálbez; Henrique Araújo. Coach: Vasco Seabra.
Probable line-up for Porto:
Diogo Costa; Pérez, Djaló, Tiago; João Mário, Eustáquio, Varela, Francisco Moura; Mora, Fábio Vieira, Samu. Coach: Martín Anselmi.
With the atmosphere expected to be electric, fans will be able to watch the match live. Broadcasting options include:
- Brazil: ESPN 3 and streaming on Disney+
- Portugal: Sport TV1
This match has significant historical weight, as Arouca will seek to improve their previously poor record against FC Porto, which features 12 victories for Porto, two for Arouca, and one draw across their last 15 official encounters. The previous season's double-header ended with Arouca snatching an unexpected victory 3-2 at home, marking their first win against Porto on their turf.
Entering this upcoming clash, both teams are aware of the challenges and stakes involved. While Arouca needs to capitalize on any momentum they can gather against the league's elite, Porto must shake off recent inconsistencies to reclaim their position as serious title contenders. Given these factors, the match is poised to be thrilling, with potential scoring from notable players like Samu for Porto and Henrique Araújo for Arouca.
Expectations are high not just for the match outcome, but for the quality of play, with both sides ready to put their best foot forward as the season continues its intense battle. Football fans can anticipate a match filled with passion and determination, qualities implicit to both clubs’ histories.