FC Porto - Arouca
FC Porto host Arouca in Liga Portugal matchday three
On 23 August 2026, FC Porto welcome Arouca to Estadio do Dragao for their third match of the Liga Portugal season. Both sides enter the contest with momentum, having navigated their opening fixtures without dropping points. Porto arrive following a controlled 2-0 victory against Rio Ave, while Arouca demonstrated their attacking potential by putting four goals past Moreirense in their previous outing. While the hosts will be missing Alan Varela and Oskar Pietuszewski due to injury, they remain the side to beat given their consistent defensive record in recent weeks.
The expected XI for Porto features a robust defensive line anchored by Diogo Costa, tasked with neutralizing an Arouca attack led by Ivan Barbero. Arouca will look to replicate the resilience they showed in their narrow 1-0 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes earlier this month. Historically, this fixture has favoured the home side, though Arouca famously claimed a 3-2 victory at this venue in February 2024. With both teams showing early-season tactical discipline, the midfield battle between Gabriel Veiga and Taichi Fukui will likely dictate the tempo of this encounter.
