FC Porto beat FC Arouca 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão and moved clear at the top of Liga Portugal, with a two-point lead over Sporting, Santa Clara and MarÃtimo. In the clash between the only two teams that had won their opening two matches, the national champions dominated from start to finish and had enough chances to build a more emphatic scoreline. Arruabarrena, however, saved 10 of Porto's 12 shots on target, only being beaten by Gabri Veiga in the 67th minute and Borja Sainz in the 86th.
Francesco Farioli brought Alberto Costa and André Silva into the side in place of Nehuén Pérez and Deniz Gül, who had started in Vila do Conde. Even so, the first chance fell to two players who kept their places in the XI: William Gomes found space, Pepê broke free, but the Arouca goalkeeper came quickly off his line and stopped the move. Vasco Seabra's side responded with better organization, and Porto did not threaten again until close to the half-hour mark, when a long-range effort from Gabri Veiga was turned behind for a corner by Arruabarrena.
In the 33rd minute, William Gomes won the ball back in the final third, drove through the middle and was again denied by an inspired Arruabarrena, who prevented the goal with an excellent save. Near half-time, in his 250th appearance for FC Porto's first team, Diogo Costa made a comfortable stop to gather a header straight at him. Then, in the closing moments of the first half, Victor Froholdt again forced the Arouca keeper into action, this time with a header from a Gabri Veiga cross.
Pepê then fired over right after the restart, before Alberto Costa put the ball in the net after getting the better of Arruabarrena in the air. João Pinheiro, however, called a foul by the Portuguese defender and the deadlock remained. Porto kept up the pressure and, in the 57th minute, the post denied Pepê the opening goal.
A minute later, William Gomes tested Arruabarrena again. In the 59th, Jakub Kiwior hit a powerful shot and even found the back of the net, but the referee once again ruled the play out, this time for offside. The 46,285 fans at the Estádio do Dragão only had to wait five more minutes: William Gomes burst down the left, set up Gabri Veiga, and the Spaniard, with a striker's finish, made it 1-0 to spark huge celebrations in the stands.
Arruabarrena then produced another top-class save to keep FC Arouca in the contest, after Deniz Gül, Borja Sainz and Inbeom Hwang had come on. Porto's second goal came close, but the visiting goalkeeper once again came out on top. Shortly afterwards, Borja Sainz made no mistake and doubled the lead, finishing off a Pepê assist. Before the end, Nehuén Pérez came on for Jan Bednarek, and Froholdt also came close to scoring, but Arruabarrena, Arouca's standout performer, denied him once more.
