Friday, May 18th, 2012
Tonight Villarreal take on FC Porto in the semi final of g of the Europa League. Spanishfootball gets the lowdown on the Portuguese champions from Tom Kundert of PortuGOAL.net.
How have FC Porto looked this season?
In one word, imperious. After temporarily being dislodged by Benfica at the summit of Portuguese football last season, Porto president Pinto da Costa reacted decisively, replacing veteran Jesualdo Ferreira with the then 32-year-old coach Andre Villas-Boas.
The result has been spectacular. Playing an exciting brand of attacking football, the Dragons romped to the Portuguese title, are odds-on to win the Portuguese Cup and have their eyes firmly fixed on winning the Europa League to complete a memorable treble. An astonishing record of 44 victories and just 3 defeats from 51 matches in all competitions tells its own story.
How did they get here? Give us a quick guide of FC Porto’s European season so far.
Jose Mourinho last week said, “FC Porto have too much quality for the Europa League. They are a Champions League level team.” Given Porto’s almost blemishless European campaign to date, winning 12 of their 14 matches in the Europa League, it’s difficult to argue with that assessment. One chink of hope for Villarreal is that the only side that caused Porto difficulties was La Liga outfit Sevilla, with the Dragons scraping through on away goals. Other than that, it has been plain sailing.
Ones to watch – Who are FC Porto’s star players?
A combined total of 64 goals between them in 2010/11 explain why front two Hulk and Falcao have been constantly linked to big-money moves abroad. The explosiveness of the former is beautifully complemented by the selfless running and subtle touch of the latter. Falcao is the Europa League’s top scorer with 11 goals, and should he continue his rich vein of form (8 goals in his last 5 games), he has a chance of at least equalling Jurgen Klinsmann’s record for the most goals scored in a single season in the tournament, 15.
Strong points/weak points – what must Villarreal beware of and what can they exploit?
A previously watertight defence has been breached with surprising regularity of late. Porto have now gone eight games without keeping a clean sheet. The team’s strong point is without doubt their potent attack, and especially their double-barrelled goal machine. See above.
Formation and playing style – what system do they usually play? Would you describe FC Porto generically as an attacking or a defensive team?
Andre Villas-Boas has stuck to Porto’s habitual 4-3-3 system. Very much an attack-minded team, Porto have failed to score in just two matches this season.
Mood in camp – judging by player/coach quotes regarding this tie, do you think FC Porto will come into Thursday’s game in a confident frame of mind?
Morale will be sky-high after satisfying victories over Benfica, twice, and Sporting in recent weeks, which extended their winning run to 12 consecutive games. Many of the players’ comments in the Portuguese media have been about “wanting to make history”, so perhaps the biggest problem will be to temper possible over-confidence and make sure the side are not complacent.
Who will win the tie?
It is very difficult to see anyone stopping Porto at the moment. However, Villarreal are probably the strongest opposition Porto have faced this season, so it will be interesting to see how they react, especially from a defensive point of view given that the back four has looked less than secure of late. Porto will win but it will be closer than some are thinking – perhaps by a single goal difference.
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Tags: Europa League, FC Porto vs Villarreal
