After the draw for the Portuguese Cup final, FC Porto went 'full steam ahead' into the I League and returned to championship victories this Sunday, by defeating Casa Pia (1-2), in Rio Maior, in a game where the goals by Wenderson Galeno and Nico González served to overcome the scare of Nuno Moreira's accurate shot, in the return to the podium.

Gonçalo Santos and Sérgio Conceição decided to use the same starting elevens from each team's last game and, despite the 'peck' from the geese (with threats of a comeback), the 'fire' from the dragons was enough for the three points to travel to the emblem of the Invicta city.

The blue and white team gained the advantage through Galeno (31'), at a time when they were on top of the game and were already starting to justify the match, but the Pina Manique emblem reacted before half-time, by equalizing through Nuno Moreira (37'). Until the whistle for half-time, Soma had three practically consecutive opportunities to hurt Cláudio Ramos, but despair 'took hold' of the Pina Manique emblem.

Within the first minutes of the second half, Nico González - who had already threatened to change the scoreboard - put FC Porto back in front, at 56 minutes, followed by a free kick attempt by Mehdi Taremi.

With some substitutions in between, the game entered a phase of indecision in the final stretch, but the truth is that FC Porto managed to control, within their possibilities, the minimum advantage, guaranteeing the conquest of three important points, more than a month after the last time, after three consecutive games without winning in the championship.

The accounts are clear. FC Porto is holding on to the last place on the podium, with 62 points, 'hand in hand' with Sporting de Braga, with both clubs having five more points than Vitória SC. Further ahead are Sporting (80) and Benfica (70, with one less game), which are already distant goals from the ambitions of the blue and white team. Casa Pia has 32 points in ninth place, still seeking to guarantee their permanence.

Let's go to the notes of the game.

Figure

Nico González has been one of the positive revelations of FC Porto's (somewhat negative) season and, in the game against Casa Pia, he once again showed why he is a very regular option in Sérgio Conceição's starting eleven, from defensive stability to offensive fluidity. At 56 minutes, the midfielder who trained at Barcelona scored the decisive goal of the game and, among other highly remarkable moments near the opponent's penalty area, he ends up being the man of the match in FC Porto's return to the victories of the I League.

Surprise

Cláudio Ramos is not exactly a surprise, because, in general terms, he always delivers when he takes the place usually occupied by Diogo Costa. And the truth is that the 32-year-old goalkeeper once again took advantage of the Portuguese international's injury to stand out between the posts of the blue and white goal, with a handful of remarkable saves. It is true that he once again closed another game without the much-desired 'clean sheet', but he showed that he was essential for his team to stamp their return to the conquest of the three points, despite the scare at 90+5'.

Disappointment

Felippe Cardoso added his third consecutive game without scoring for Casa Pia and much of it is due to the lack of opportunities he had in Sunday's game, since he was the most neutralized offensive arrow by FC Porto's defense, both in the open play and in set pieces. The Brazilian forward would end up being replaced only in the final stretch, at 82 minutes, but the truth is that he practically did not make his presence felt in his team's offensive processes, also counting several lost duels.

Coaches

Gonçalo Santos wanted to use exactly the same starting eleven that he had presented against Portimonense (2-2) and it cannot be said that he did not put his team playing eye to eye against FC Porto. After finishing the first half on top of their opponent, Casa Pia kept the same players on the field until 73 minutes, when they were trying to react to the disadvantage in the game, but they lacked a firm pulse when it came to giving the blue and white team another scare.

Sérgio Conceição also repeated the 'recipe' from the last game, against Vitória SC (3-1), despite having faced some doubts about using the same starting team, especially in the case of Pepe and Francisco Conceição. The Dragons' coach was 'forced' to make a change at half-time, with João Mário (with complaints) being replaced by Romário Baró, and the midfielder's good start even 'boosted' FC Porto into the attack and for another goal in the game. Only in the final stretch, at 85 minutes, was there room for more changes, refreshing the offensive sector and controlling the result.

Referee

Manuel Oliveira did not have an exactly easy afternoon, from the disciplinary criteria to the moment of putting the whistle to his mouth, highlighting, above all, the moment when he whistled a foul before Pepê scored what would be the 0-2 in the match, given the doubts about the foul on Neto. In the final stretch, Casa Pia asked for a penalty from Cláudio Ramos, at 90+5', for an alleged foul on André when he was 'shaking off' the danger, but the referee ordered play to continue, without any indication from the VAR.

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