No title this time. Dragões were outperformed by a much more consistent rival. Dragões dropped points in matches they should have won easily on paper. Conceição’s men found it difficult to play against tight defences.
Porto picked only 2 defeats during the entire season, but those were in the first 6 rounds, which affected the rest of the season.
A good series of 7 consecutive wins before hosting their arch-rivals Benfica seemed to have raised the fans’ hopes, but that home draw against Eagles took away their confidence, and Dragões headed for a poor February during which they lost 8 crucial points in 4 draws.
Porto seemed to have had a poor preparation for this season, signing with many players way too close from the season beginning. It seemed that the club was affected by Benfica’s wealthy approach to the market in the summer.
Conceição struggled to find the ideal XI for quite a while and, when the team was finally settled in the 4-4-2 with Taremi and Marega up front, Sporting was already far away on the leadership.
Otávio in the beginning of the season, Sérgio Oliveira in the middle and Taremi in the end were the main men for Porto in segmented periods. Corona was the biggest, constant talent throughout the season as expected.
Marega will leave, which necessarily forces Conceição to change the ideas and mentality for next season. Looking at the current talents on the squad, that seems very good news for the fans.
