Another frustrating year for Portimonense, who took a while to find their best side on the season. They were relatively safe early on, but the expectations in the beginning of the campaign were not just about staying in top flight.
Bruno Tabata left early on while Lucas Fernandes was injured for most part of the season. The squad was significantly weakened, but there was still enough talent for the team to aim for the top half of the table.
Alvinegros had a very poor start, accumulating several compromising defeats and reaching bottom of the table by round 13. Paulo Sérgio was expected to have a better knowledge of the team coming from last season, but took a while to put the machine in proper working.
February big home win over direct rivals Gil Vicente was perhaps the turning point of the season. Portimomense was finally able to feel confident in their attacking abilities and realised they had serious players in the squad after all.
It was also when striker Beto started to be a regular presence on the XI, later becoming the absolute reference of the team. Beto played so well in March and April that he was linked with a move to all Big-3.
Wyllian’s versatility in defending tasks, Maurício’s experience, Ewerthon’s skills and Dener’s all round quality were also determinant on the team’s improvement since February.
Paulo Sérgio is by now a trusted piece of the team’s structure and will be given enough freedom to build a strong side for next year. Having Lucas Fernandes fit would be a great thing as well, but he will hardly be at Portimão too long, anyway.
