THE FC Porto is the second team to qualify for the final four of the 2026/27 League Cup, after having managed to triumph against Académico de Viseu, 1-0, at Estádio do Dragão.
The quarter-final match was decided with a solitary goal from Santiago Giménez, which came after a penalty awarded in a somewhat controversial way, right on the brink of half-time, in the 45th minute of the game.
With a total revolution in the starting eleven, Francesco Farioli tested a new system in the FC Porto team, with a defensive line of five units, with Smalling and Souza joining the starting team for the blue and whites, as well as Gabriel Mec and Santiago Giménez leading the attack.
The Porto team entered their home stadium with the usual impetus, although it was somewhat ‘bare’ due to the sanction of the Disciplinary Council of the Portuguese Football Federation, with the ban on the stands where the supporters of the national champions usually are.
But Académico de Viseu was giving an air of grace, with some attacks to test FC Porto’s defense, but without success in the first half. That opening half ended with a moment of some controversy, as there was a penalty awarded against the Viriatos, which left doubts due to the way the ball appears to hit Gambor’s chest before going to his left arm.
However, in the 45th minute of the game, Mexican striker Santiago Giménez did not miss the 11-meter mark and made his debut at the Estádio do Dragão for FC Porto.
In the second half, Académico showed its ‘claws’ and went after the loss, with Bruno Pinheiro changing the team by bringing some of the names that started against Sporting, to the I League, with André Clóvis making Cláudio Ramos tremble, but without being able to shoot the ball into the back of the Porto net.
From then on, there was assertive management on the part of Francesco Farioli’s team, who ended up winning without much opposition, although the offensive performance was somewhat precarious, but enough to surpass last season’s participation, which ended at this stage against the eventual champion Vitória SC.
With this victory, FC Porto joins Sporting in the final four of this season’s League Cup, where Sporting already finds itself, now waiting for the winners of this Thursday’s matches, between Sporting de Braga and Famalicão, as well as Benfica-Gil Vicente, to find out the final table of teams that will compete for the competition’s trophy.
FC Porto and Académico de Viseu face each other on Wednesday night in the quarter-finals of the League Cup. The blue and white club is still looking for its first title in the competition that already has 20 editions.
News at the Minute | 06:00 – 10/28/2026
