FC Porto reached the League Cup final four with a 1-0 win over Academico Viseu, and Francesco Farioli did it after changing the entire XI that faced Gil Vicente on Saturday. He also switched the shape from the usual 4x3x3 to a 3x4x1x2, a bold enough reshuffle for a cup tie that still needed one clean finish to settle it.
The numbers behind the rotation
The result fits Porto's domestic form. They arrived having won four of their previous five matches, they are top of the Primeira Liga with 27 points from 9 matches, and their goal difference there is +17. Farioli's 50th victory in 67 official matches at FC Porto came with that wider momentum behind it, even with a heavily changed team.
The match itself came down to one moment. Santiago Giménez scored from the penalty spot at 45', after having already hit the post at 25'. It was also his first notable response to a bigger role, after playing only 18 minutes at Gil Vicente. Against Academico Viseu, he took the chance and left the rest of the rotation to do its work.
Gimenez's role in the win
The penalty does not turn this into a one-man story, because Porto's shape change and full lineup overhaul were part of the performance from the start. But Gimenez's finish was the detail that made the night pay off, and it should help him keep pushing for more minutes.
FC Porto vs Academico Viseu was never going to be a routine cup-night stroll after that much change. Porto still got the only goal, still advanced, and still did it with the kind of control that has kept them moving on several fronts this season.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
