FC Porto beat FC Arouca (3-1) on Friday at Estádio do Dragão, in the match that opened the 24th matchday of the championship, and remains firmly in the lead of the competition. After a match in which the blue and whites played “a fantastic first half,” Francesco Farioli believes that the 1-0 score at half time did not reflect the “several opportunities” created by the team. The Italian coach dedicated the victory to Borja Sainz, who lost his mother this week, and did not forget the “fantastic” support of the fans: “Estádio do Dragão helped us until the last minute, and today's victory showed once again what the blue and white family means. Today, the family sent a strong message in the most difficult moments. I am happy with this victory and now we have to start preparing for the next game, but the truth is that our fans are very connected to the team,” he said.

Victory with a special dedication
“First of all, I want to leave a message on behalf of the group: this victory is for Borja Sainz and his family, who are going through a difficult time. Borja Sainz is a fantastic person, and we hope to have him back in the coming days.”

1-0 at half time was too close
“We had a fantastic first half and could have scored more goals before the break. I must also highlight the team's reaction to the goal we conceded, as we had seven or eight shots and created several chances to score. At half time, we deserved to be two or three goals ahead, but we had a very strong offensive performance. We reached halftime with a high expected goals index. We did everything in our power and, in terms of productivity, we did a lot.”

Good response from FC Arouca
“When we put so much effort into creating opportunities and then fail to close out the game early, we can let our guard down or lose concentration at times. That happened today, but also because of the quality of FC Arouca. They are a team that plays very well and is very courageous, with and without the ball. We have to give them credit for what they did, but we also have to give credit to our team for our ability to get the game back on track. It's a very important result. It's always important to win, that's the reality. Winning always brings good energy, and that's how we have to continue. We don't have time to celebrate because in a few days we have another competition to play.”

The decisive support of playing at home
“The support of our fans was fantastic, they helped us overcome the difficulties. It was a good result and now we have to move forward. Being at home helped us until the last minute, and today's victory showed once again what the blue and white family means. Today, the family sent a strong message in the most difficult moments. I'm happy with this victory, and now we have to start preparing for the next game, but the truth is that our fans are very connected to the team.”

The entry of Seko Fofana and more
“We felt we needed to add some impact to the midfield, and our choice was to bring on Seko [Fofana], but today all the players who came on had a very big and very positive impact on the game. It's very important for this to happen, especially at this stage of the season. When we bring players on during the game, we want them to have an impact, and that's what happened. Today they were fantastic.”

Oskar Pietuszewski's flair
“He's a player who really likes to go one-on-one, and we know that he can be successful or lose the ball. There were two or three situations where a different decision could have allowed us to keep possession, but the truth is that, if I'm not mistaken, we are the team in Portugal that has used the most players under the age of 21. With so many young players, we have energy and good vibes in many things, but sometimes decision-making may not be very mature. It's part of the process, but we are aware of who we are, our strengths, and the things we need to improve.”

The penalty that made it 2-1
“I haven’t seen the footage yet, but I think it was a clear penalty. We shouldn’t take the focus away from our performance, because there are many good things to talk about and appreciate. Our feeling is that it was a penalty.”

William Gomes' composure
“He took responsibility for taking the penalty and scored, before providing a fantastic assist for Terem [Moffi]. Everyone has a decisive role in the team and, given the number of games we still want to play this season, everyone will have an important role to play.”

André Miranda's debut
“André Miranda is a young player who started training with us a few weeks ago and who never dreamed of the opportunity to make his debut today, especially when the score was tied and at a decisive moment in the game and the season. He had a big impact, adding a lot of energy, a lot of fight, and a lot of desire to win. I really believe in him, and time shows us that everyone plays an important role within the group. We see the example of Zaidu, who was injured, was in the national team, and in the last three games played very well, with incredible commitment. Everyone will have their chance to help the team.”

This time it wasn't a one goal win
“We love to be able to close games early, but sometimes you forget the context. It's February and we have two top strikers with serious injuries, and that's not something we can underestimate or ignore. At this stage, that's a factor, but I have complete confidence in Deniz Gül, and today Terem [Moffi] gave us the right boost when he came on. He works very well, and I'm happy with his progress.”

Ready to compete in all competitions
“We have a squad that allows us to compete in different competitions and play several games in a short space of time. With today's game, we have now played 37 games this season and 37 times we have outrun our opponents. We have reached this point in the season in very good physical condition, but we know that this is not enough to win games. Today, we saw the importance of the whole group, as all the players who came on had a strong impact on the game. Within the team, we will find the strength and energy to compete in all competitions until the end.”

Yann Karamoh
“He is still with us, but he is discussing the possibility of a transfer with some clubs.”