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FC Porto coach Rui Borges addressed a controversial penalty decision in his team’s 3-1 victory over Arouca on February 27th, a result that keeps the Dragons on track in Liga Portugal. “For me, it might not have been a penalty, but the referee decided that way. I won’t be talking about refereeing and incidents from other games,” Borges said in a press conference previewing their upcoming Taça de Portugal semi-final clash.
The late penalty, awarded after Seko Fofana was brought down by Yellu inside the Arouca penalty area, proved decisive in securing the win for Porto.
Borges also looked ahead to the “first part” of a challenging tie against Sporting, acknowledging them as a “good team.” He remained uncertain about the availability of forward Fotis Ioannidis for the match, stating, “He is in doubt. It’s been a little bit and continues, it’s day by day, it’s about seeing how he feels.”
Ioannidis has seen limited action recently, playing just 13 minutes in the February 21st match against Moreirense after being sidelined for the past two months.
Porto now faces a busy March schedule, including two trips to Lisbon to face Sporting CP in the Taça de Portugal semi-final first leg and Benfica in Liga Portugal, as well as a Europa League round of 16 first leg match against Stuttgart in Germany. The win over Arouca provides a positive momentum heading into these crucial contests.
