Chiquinho has become the player driving Alverca’s sharp rise, with a goal, two assists and an 8.13 rating in the win at Famalicao as the club moved from two points in five rounds to three straight league wins. He is 26, was trained at Sporting, and has gone from a two-match suspension to a decisive run of form in a very short space of time.
Chiquinho’s return after the suspension
His suspension covered the 3rd and 4th rounds after a sending-off in the 2nd round against Estrela da Amadora. When he came back, the impact was immediate. Across the last four rounds, he scored against SC Braga, assisted against Nacional and Rio Ave, and then scored again against Famalicao.
The season line is already tidy enough: 2 goals and 2 assists in 6 appearances, plus 467 minutes in all competitions. His average rating sits at 7.26, which fits the eye test here. Alverca are not just getting end product from him, they are getting consistent influence in the final third.
Alverca’s attack has started to click
The 4-1 win at Famalicao was Alverca’s first four-goal game of Liga 2026/27, and it came after a slow opening spell. Three consecutive league wins and nine points from a run that started with only two points in the first five rounds have changed the mood around the side.
That leaves Alverca eighth in the Primeira Liga with 11 points from eight matches. The improvement is still recent, so it does not deserve any grand claims yet, but Chiquinho’s return has clearly helped turn a sluggish start into something more convincing. The Portuguese Cup third round away to Tondela is next on Sunday at 15:00.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
