In the role of the hunter

21 out of a possible 24 points sounds like an excellent start to the season, but this record is still not enough to earn the coveted first position in the table. FC Porto are only in second spot, behind a Sporting Lisbon side that have won all eight games this term. Last season's champions won the head-to-head clash on Matchday 4 2-0 and in doing so have kept FC Porto at bay for now.

The standout performer in the FCP ranks thus far has been the Brazilian Galeno, who moved to FC Porto back in 2016, but he only truly arrived in Porto in a sporting sense in January 2022 following various loan spells and a three-year stint with Sporting Braga. The wing forward, who also made his debut for the Brazil national team in March 2024, has already scored six goals in eight league appearances.

However, the 26-year-old is yet to find the net in the Europa League, even though his club have already scored five goals. But the Portuguese outfit only have one point on the board. Their surprising 3-2 defeat away to Bodö/Glimt was followed by a dramatic 3-3 draw with Manchester United in which Harry Maguire scored the equaliser for the Red Devils in stoppage time. That puts Porto under pressure and in need of points if they are to survive the league phase of the Europa League.

Coach Vitor Bruno, who had been gaining experienced as Sergio Conceicao's assistant since 2012, took over the head coach position at the 30-time Portuguese champions in the summer. He has laid out the line of approach for the clash with TSG: "All matches are decisive; there is no room for anything other than wins in this stadium. We like this challenge and we love winning."