Porto left Madeira with another narrow victory on Saturday, turning a difficult evening against Marítimo into an 86th-minute 2-1 success that preserved their perfect start to Portugal’s Primeira Liga season. Francesco Farioli’s side have now won all eight league matches and carry a seven-point advantage over Sporting before travelling to Seville for Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Betis.
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The Portuguese champions began assertively, though Marítimo struck first in the 16th minute. Hungary’s Gábor Szalai drove a low effort from outside the box, catching Diogo Costa during a moment of uncertainty and putting the home side ahead.
Porto responded by increasing the pressure, but Marítimo goalkeeper Fran Vieites, the Spanish former Betis player, held them off for much of the first half. He was eventually beaten three minutes before the interval after stopping Francisco Moura’s header. Victor Froholdt reacted quickest to the loose ball and converted the rebound to level the match.
Vieites remained central to the contest after the break. Within a minute, he denied Froholdt a second goal before producing a close-range save at the far post to prevent Alberto Costa from scoring.
Porto finally found their winner late on. Polish forward Oskar Pietuszewski finished in the 86th minute, although the strike was initially ruled out for offside. The decision was overturned after review, with the margin measured at a centimetre, and the visitors completed their comeback.
Seville awaits in midweek
Gabri Veiga was kept among the substitutes as Porto managed their squad with the forthcoming European trip in mind. The league leaders will face Betis in Seville on Wednesday in the Champions League, taking with them an unbeaten domestic record and a growing cushion at the top of the Portuguese table.
