FC Porto is set to face Vitória de Guimarães on February 24, 2025, at 17:15 local time, during the 23rd round of the Liga Portugal 2024/25 season. The match will take place at Estádio do Dragão, located in Porto, Portugal. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN3 and Disney+.
This encounter holds significant importance for both teams as it completes the league round. Porto, sitting third on the league table with 46 points, is determined to keep pace at the top after suffering recent disappointment from their elimination in the Europa League. They are coming off a solid 1-0 victory against Farense, which maintained their undefeated streak of four games within the league.
On the other hand, Vitória de Guimarães, currently ranked eighth with 31 points, views this match as a chance to narrow the gap between them and European competition places. They recently played to back-to-back draws, both 0-0 against rivals Braga and Famalicão, which has hindered their push for Euro placements this season.
For the upcoming fixture, Porto is expected to field Diogo Costa; Pedro, Djaló, and Otávio; João Mário, Eustáquio, Varela, and Francisco Moura; and their attack led by Mora, Pepê, and Samu, under the guidance of coach Martin Anselmi. Unfortunately, the team will be without key players such as Nehuén Pérez and Marko Grujić due to injuries.
Vitória de Guimarães will likely lineup with Varela; Maga, Relvas, Borevkovic, and João Mendes; Handel, Tiago Silva and Samu; with Arcanjo, Nélson Oliveira, and Nuno Santos making up their forward line, led by coach Luis Freire. The team is facing the absence of Mikel Villanueva, who is suspended.
Historically, Porto has had the upper hand over Guimarães, boasting 120 victories out of 182 previous encounters, with Guimarães securing only 25 wins and 37 games having ended in draws. The Dragons have also scored 402 goals compared to Guimarães' 157, which emphasizes their dominance when both teams meet.
With both sides having different objectives, the match could be tightly contested. Porto's recent statistics indicate they average about six corner kicks per match, but they have struggled to exceed this number lately. Given Guimarães’ capable performance this season, both teams scoring seems plausible, adding edge to this clash.
“Vamos querer criar mais e concretizar. Merecemos uma alegria,” said Freire, reflecting on his team's recent performance and aspirations for the match. Porto's coach understands the pressure: “Sabemos que FC Porto queremos construir. Isso tem de ser feito dia a dia com tempo.” This quote captures the intensity of their current season and the club's longstanding commitment to excellence.
The upcoming match not only serves as another challenge for Porto as they chase the title but also presents Vitória de Guimarães with the opportunity to showcase their resilience and ambition. Will Porto emerge victorious, reaffirming their status as title challengers? Or will Guimarães disrupt their plans and reignite their European aspirations? Fans will soon find out when the two teams clash next week at the iconic Estádio do Dragão.