In Barcelos, Porto found little room and even less fluency, but left with the result that mattered. A 1-0 win over Gil Vicente kept the Dragons moving in the Primeira Liga, with Borja Sainz supplying the decisive finish after the interval.
Quick facts
- Porto won 1-0 away to Gil Vicente in the Primeira Liga.
- Borja Sainz scored the only goal in the 63rd minute.
- Gil Vicente’s Gilbert was sent off in the 85th minute.
- Santiago Giménez had a quiet match and did not create a dangerous attempt.
- Jonathan Buatu had a late Gil Vicente move stopped for offside in the 94th minute.
The match was short on clear chances, particularly before half-time, when midfield congestion prevented either side from establishing sustained control. Porto had to be patient in a contest that offered little space around the penalty areas.
Giménez was largely detached from Porto’s attacking moves. The Mexican forward struggled to find openings against the home defence and was unable to test the Gil Vicente goalkeeper.
His most noticeable involvement came deep into stoppage time, in the 96th minute, when he won a free-kick in Porto’s own half. By then, the visitors were focused on running down the clock and protecting their narrow advantage.
Sainz breaks the deadlock
Porto’s breakthrough arrived in the 63rd minute. Sainz met the ball centrally inside the box and struck a right-footed effort low into the left corner, giving the away side the lead.
Gil Vicente’s route back became steeper 22 minutes later when Gilbert received a red card. Reduced to 10 players, the hosts continued to push forward but could not force an equaliser.
Buatu briefly offered the home crowd a late moment of hope in the fourth minute of added time, only for the move to be ruled out for offside. Porto then managed the remaining minutes to secure three important points on the road.
