Borja Sainz leads FC Porto's ratings in Barcelos

FC Porto left Barcelos with a narrow 1-0 win over GIL Vicente, and Borja Sainz was the decisive player. He was initially expected to start on the bench before Oskar Pietuszewski's muscle discomfort in the warm-up changed the plan. He then missed a superb chance with only Lucão in front of him before scoring the second-half winner from a cross by Victor Froholdt.

Sainz and Froholdt made the decisive moment

A Bola's ratings piece put Sainz at 7.87, the highest attacking mark on the night, and the goal was the only one of the match. The finish came after Froholdt had sent in the cross that created it, even though his own overall rating was 6.31. Porto will not care about the numbers next to the two men involved in the move, but the contrast is still clear: one player supplied the ball, the other supplied the finish.

The report also gave Jan Bednarek 7.9, the highest overall rating in the game, which fits the idea that Porto's win was built on more than one attack. Diogo Costa made two saves to protect the clean sheet, including a late stop from a Gil Vicente winger in the 80th minute. Jakub Kiwior and Bednarek were again described as a true Polish wall, and that defensive spine mattered on a night when Porto were pushed harder than the scoreline suggests.

Porto's perfect league start stays intact

The result left FC Porto with a perfect record in the Primeira Liga, 9 wins from 9 and 27 points from 9 matches. They have conceded only 4 league goals, which helps explain why a tight game in Barcelos still ended with Porto holding firm.

Borja Sainz was not the only standout, but he was the one who settled it. Porto have the points, the clean sheet and the narrow win, and they take all of that into their next league match.