FC Porto are in disarray. The post-Conceição era has been a janiform beast—on one side, nostalgia for past dominance; on the other, a grim present of rudderless uncertainty. Vítor Bruno is gone. Sporting CP have long vanished over the horizon in the Primeira Liga title race. But in the ecocide of their domestic campaign, the Europa League still flickers—a lifeline to salvage something from the wreckage that is the FC Porto standings.
That lifeline, however, has come with a familiar adversary. AS Roma. A club whose walls—like the city itself—were built to endure, but when Porto come knocking, they tend to crumble into dust.
History Backs the Dragons
This will be the seventh time these two sides clash, and history leans decisively in Porto’s favor. Three wins, two draws, and just one defeat. Rome may be eternal, but its teams have never proven immortal against the Azuis e Brancos.
Just ask any Roman who remembers August 2016. Back then, Porto stormed into the Stadio Olimpico for a 3-0 demolition job in the Champions League qualifiers—an act of imperial conquest that left Roma banished from Europe’s elite and Porto marching proudly into the group stage. The last meeting, in 2019, followed a similar script: Roma took the first leg 2-1, but Porto bewitched them in the Dragão, matching the scoreline before Alex Telles buried a 117th-minute penalty to send the Portuguese through.
And here’s the dagger: Roma have never won away to Porto. Their record on Portuguese soil is a bleak tale of failure, and the Estádio do Dragão is not in the habit of showing mercy.
Marcano’s Roman Holiday (and Quick Return)
One man knows the weight of both these shirts: Iván Marcano. The Spaniard was a stalwart for Porto, anchoring their backline across 100+ league appearances before Roma came calling in 2018. It was supposed to be a step up, a taste of calcio grandeur. Instead, it was a bewrayment of his career.
The grass at the Stadio Olimpico was not greener—it was barren. One miserable season, barely any game time, and Marcano was packing his bags for a swift return to Porto… making AS Roma news in the process.
Now, sidelined since September 2023 with a brutal injury, he can only watch as his old and brief employers collide once more. He’s got a long road ahead of him, where he’ll probably have to get his fitness back with FC Porto B.
Ranieri’s Porto Past
At 73 years old, Claudio Ranieri is back in charge of Roma, overseeing yet another chapter of his storied career. He has never faced Porto while managing the Giallorossi, but he’s crossed swords with the Dragons before—three times, to be exact.
The first was the 2004 Super Cup, when his Valencia side edged Porto 2-1 to lift the trophy. But his next experience was far less enjoyable. In 2016/17, he took his fairytale Leicester City into the Champions League group stage, where they met Porto. A 1-0 home win, courtesy of Islam Slimani (a man who tormented Porto during his Sporting CP days), was a bright start. But in Portugal, the Dragons roared. A 5-0 massacre, the kind that lingers in a manager’s memory, a night where FC Porto players played like emperors and left Ranieri’s Foxes looking like prey.
The Samu Show
Despite the crisis, one bright spark has emerged in Porto’s storm: Samu Aghehowa. The young Spanish forward has been a revelation, bustling onion bags in both domestic and European play. Alongside Galeno, he has been one of the few attacking forces preventing Porto from outright collapse. If the Dragons are to burn down Rome again, expect Samu to be the torchbearer.
What’s at Stake?
The first leg kicks off in Porto on February 13, with the decider at the Olimpico on February 20. The winner moves on to face Lazio or Athletic Club, adding a delicious layer of intrigue—could we see a Derby della Capitale in the next round? Italian fans are already dreaming. Porto fans? They know dreams are dangerous. They’ve seen too many of them shattered under the weight of history…a congested FC Porto schedule.
And history, for now, still wears blue and white.
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