FC Porto invite Arouca to Estádio do Dragão in their Portuguese Primeira Liga matchday four fixture on Saturday.
Arouca are based out of the Porto metropolitan area and will be making the 40 mile trip downtown, hoping to build on their first win of the 2021-22 campaign. They came back from behind against Famalicao to record a 2-1 win, with Leandro Silva scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute.
The hosts dropped points for the first time this season in their previous outing as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Maritimo. Luis Diaz scored his second goal of the campaign in that game.
FC Porto vs Arouca Head-to-Head
The two rivals have squared off eight times so far with all of their meetings coming in the Portuguese top-flight. All of their encounters have produced decisive results, with seven wins for Dragões just the one for Arouca.
The hosts have kept a clean sheet in their last two meetings with the visiting side. They last met in the 2016-17 campaign of the Primeira Liga at Estádio Municipal Arouca. Porto made quick work of Arouquenses, scoring twice in either half to record a comfortable 4-0 win.
FC Porto form guide (Primeria Liga): D-W-W
Arouca form guide (Primeria Liga): W-L-L
FC Porto vs Arouca Team News
FC Porto
As per the club's latest press release, manager Sérgio Conceição won't be able to call upon the services of Marko Grujic and Agustín Marchesín for this home game.
Marchesin recently underwent knee surgery and is expected to be ruled out for a substantial period of time.
Injured: Agustin Marchesin, Marko Grujic
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Arouca
There are no known injury or suspension concerns for the visiting side here. After serving a one-game suspension goalkeeper Victor Braga should return to the starting XI here.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
FC Porto vs Arouca Predicted XI
Porto Predicted XI (4-4-2): Diogo Costa; Joao Mário, Pepe, Chancel Mbemba, Wilson Manafá; Mateus Uribe, Sérgio Oliveira, Otavio, Luis Diaz; Toni Martínez, Mehdi Taremi
Arouca Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Victor Braga; João Basso, Jose Velazquez, Baptiste Aloe, Thales; Pedro Moreira, Leandro Silva; Eugeni, Arsenio, Andre Bukia; Andre Silva
FC Porto vs Arouca Prediction
Arouca only opened their scoring in the league last week. A trip to the Estádio do Dragão could be a daunting task for any team and we expect the hosts to return to winning ways with a triumph here.
Prediction: FC Porto 2-0 Arouca.
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