‘Young, Hungry and Flourishing’: Analysing Matheus’ Porto After 18 Months in Charge
This time last Christmas, Matheus was in a pensive mood.
Despite the relatively good start that his FC Porto side had made under his tenure, it was obvious to him that there were some vulnerabilities. And by the end of the season, he was proved correct. The Dragões won the Taça de Portugal, but lost (or bottled, dependent on who you ask) the Primeira Liga and bowed out of the Europa League in the quarter finals.
A year on, the mood in the Matheus house is as jovial as before. But there is one key difference between then and now: the maestro has a smile on his face.
The headlines — how are things going in the second year?
Despite a few key departures, this is a largely unchanged squad from last year. And, they have built upon the good progress they made under Matheus:
- They are top of the Primeira Liga. They are seven points clear of Benfica, whereas this time last year, they were just two points clear
- Another Taça de Portugal semi final against SC Braga is scheduled for February
- But, perhaps, the biggest sign of progress is in the Champions League, as FC Porto topped a group that also included Arsenal and Juventus
“Confidence, growth and absolute belief in one another”
Much has been made on the trust that Matheus is willing to place in youth. Going into his third season at FC Seoul, he, and the club themselves, were criticised for not replacing a number of key players, instead choosing to stick with what he had. Similar comparisons can be drawn here in Porto, as David Carmo (27, CB, now at Atletico Madrid); Rodrigo Conceição (26, RB, now at Newcastle); and, Toni Martinez (31, ST, now at Juventus) all left the club in the summer.
While some acquisitions were made; the biggest of which was 29-year-old Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth for nine million Euros, a conscious decision was made to stick with players who were either already part of the squad or performing well in the Porto B team. For instance, Tomás Esteves (2G, 4A) is finally enjoying his role as the starting right back, while Oscar Pedro, 22, has claimed his spot as Senesi’s central defensive partner. (And keep an eye on 18-year-old attacking midfielder Joao Alves, whose brief appearances in the first team have been quite impressive.)
The end result is a young, hungry team that are flourishing together under Matheus’ guidance. This is a cohesive squad whose collective effort; understanding of the Matheus way of playing football; and, shared experiences have been key to their success.
Winning big games on Europe’s biggest stages
A microcosm of the team and their manager’s growth can be seen in FC Porto’s six games in the Champions League this year. They were placed into a difficult group with Arsenal, Juventus and Dynamo Kiev. Progression through to the knockout rounds of the competition was deemed unlikely; a third-placed finish and a potential run in the Europa League seemed fair. However, when all was said and done, it was Porto who stood tall. They defied the odds and emerged as group winners.
It was a series of resolute defensive displays away from home that gave Porto the edge in Group E. Their travels to London and Turin resulted in two separate 2–1 wins, as the likes of Victor Osimhen and Bakayo Saka of Arsenal and Giacomo Raspadori and Federico Chiesa of Juventus, were kept at bay by the Portuguese defence.
At the other end of the pitch, the clinical attacking prowess of now-permanent Porto talisman Jhon Durán (21G, 8A in all competitions) pushed the team to top their group. The Colombian has become one of the most exciting strikers in world football, scoring nine goals in the group stage. This is by no means a one-man team: Luquinha (6G, 6A), Matchoi Djalo and Chen Daniel have all played their part, but Duran is undoubtedly the standout name in this side.
Parallels to be drawn, as the season progresses
What objectives will Porto have in mind from January onwards?
Porto have been given a relatively kind draw against Marseille in the round of 16 in the Champions League. On paper, you would expect them to win across two legs — at which point, they could be matched up against any one of the true European elite. Regardless of what happens at this point, their continential campaign has surpassed all expectations. Anything can happen — you only have to ask Matheus about that run in 2004, as a young manager by the name of José Mourinho led Porto to an unlikely Champions League victory.
Realistically, the focus is on their domestic exploits, as they have their best opportunity to win the Primeira Liga for five years. They have a bigger gap over Benfica than they did this time last year.
But, once again, the circumstances are eerily similar. Porto fighting on three fronts; Benfica with only the league to focus on; a packed calendar and a winter transfer window with watchful eyes on some of Porto’s hottest prospects.
The same couldn’t happen again, could it?
“These players have fully embraced their roles and their responsibilities,” he said in his last interview before the brief respite of the festive break. “We are unified. The determination within this team, to do what we couldn’t quite do last season, is driving us forward. I have full confidence in their ability to rise to the occasion and achieve our goals.”
Cut back to Matheus; grin etched upon his face as he sits down for Christmas dinner. He believes. Truly.
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