Porto had a chance to pull away from Benfica at the top of the table in their last game, but a very unlikely draw at home against Olhanense did not allow that. The Dragoes continue even with Benfica on 46 points, but Vitor Pereira's side will get a chance to put some pressure on their rivals, as they take the field on Friday night.
Not only was the draw uncharacteristic, but Porto fell behind to Olhanense at home. Tiago Targino's goal was only the second goal allowed by Helton at the Estadio do Dragao in the league this season.
As if battling from behind for the first time at home was not bad enough, Vitor Pereira had to watch Jackson Martinez miss a penalty kick. The Colombian appeared to be slightly over confident and ended up lobbing it over the cross-bar.
With that result behind them, Vitor Pereira says his team is ready to focus on their next challenge, which will be Beira Mar.
"We do not expect an easy match," said Pereira.
"We are used to winning as well as reacting in difficult times, and I believe we will do just that against Beira Mar. It is our obligation to play each match to win, which is what we did last match. It was a match that would happen once in every ten. Every team has days where they are less inspired, and that is what happened to us."
Vitor Pereira will be delighted at the fact that he will have James Rodriguez available on Friday after a prolonged absence with a hamstring injury.
The Colombian has been a fundamental piece for Porto since the departure of Hulk at the beginning of the season, so having him back in the squad will be a big lift for Porto.
Winless in their last six, Beira Mar will be facing an up hill battle on Friday. Manager Ulisses Morais is well aware of that stat as he hopes his side can end that streak against Porto.
"When a team wins, they try to repeat that result in the next match. When a team loses, they expect to get back on the right track in their next match. For that reason, we look to this match as our next opportunity to change things," said Ulisses Morais.
Previous Matches
09-22-12 Porto 4-0 Beira Mar
04-21-12 Porto 3-0 Beira Mar
12-10-11 Beira Mar 1-2 Porto
01-22-11 Beira Mar 0-1 Porto
01-19-11 Porto 3-0 Beira Mar (League Cup)
08-22-10 Porto 3-0 Beira Mar
Prediction
This could either be another frustrating match for Porto, or it could be a very long night for Beira Mar and their fans. Porto has a total of four draws in the current campaign, three of which came away from home.
So while that may sound somewhat exciting and motivating for Beira Mar, what does not look good is the fact that Porto has won every match coming off a draw, and they did it by scoring eight goals and they did not concede any.
An opening scoreless draw against Gil Vicente made it a tough 90 minutes for Guimaraes as Porto routed them with a 4-0 victory. Porto's next draw would be away to Rio Ave, but they followed that up with a 2-0 victory over Sporting at the Estadio do Dragao.
A third draw, this time against Benfica at the Estadio da Luz, then saw Porto bounce back in their next match with a 2-0 victory over Pacos de Ferreira.
As you can see, Porto does not lose points very often, and when they do, they tend to get back on the right track quickly.
Beira Mar's losing streak has them one point from last place, so even a point against Porto would go a long way. Getting that point could be much harder than one could imagine.
Having conceded 35 goals already, Beira Mar has the second worst defensive record in the league. Only Vitoria de Setubal is worst than them with 36 goals conceded, and they are two points up on Beira Mar.
Dealing with the league's second best offensive line and the league's leading scorer could be a nightmare. Jackson Martinez has enjoyed success in Portugal, netting 19 goals in the league. He will likely have a number of chances on Friday to add to that tally.
Looking into Porto's draw against Olhanense too much is useless. The chances of them losing points two weeks in a row is not impossible, but it is very unlikely. The players did not need to hear anything from manager Vitor Pereira, to know that they had under achieved in their match against Olhanense.
The Porto players will want to come out on Friday and set the record straight, as they try to put some pressure on Benfica. A victory will put them three points clear, with their rivals only playing on Sunday.
Could Beira Mar take a similar approach to the match as Olhanense did? With their last match ending in a draw, the longer Porto goes without scoring, the more anxious the players will get. Getting the first goal will be very important for Porto, but if Beira Mar gets on the board first, Porto could find themselves in some desperate moments at the Municipal de Aveiro.
Beira Mar 1-3 Porto
