FC Porto beat Académica 2-1 in a friendly held this Sunday morning at the CTFD Jorge Costa, following the emphatic 4-1 victory over Casa Pia. The preparation match was played in two halves of 30 minutes each, allowing coach Francesco Farioli to test operational solutions for the team.
Borja Sainz opened the scoring at 15 minutes of play, but Amadou Condoul restored equality for the visitors at 40 minutes of the match. The score remained tied until half-time.
The big surprise came in the second half with the entry of Samu, who set the final score at 2-1 at 58 minutes. The Spanish striker played only 15 minutes, strictly following the protocol established for the gradual return after a prolonged stoppage due to injury.
This performance from Samu appears as a potential unexpected 'trump card' for Farioli in the next fixture in the Liga Portugal, when Porto host Benfica at the Estádio do Dragão. The evolution demonstrated on the pitch suggests the player may be available for the important derby.
