Portimonense and Farense will face each other on the night of this Friday, January 12th, in an Algarve derby in the I League that has not been held for three years. The history of the matches in Portimão works in favor of the black and white team who, if they win, will finish the first round above the water line. Farense, who is calmer in the standings, wants to make history.
This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams in games at the top level of Portuguese football played in Portimão.
The advantage is clearly on the side of the home team: in the six games played so far, Farense has never won at their rival's home. Portimonense has four wins and two draws.
The first game has a curiosity. In that 1983/1984 season, the opening day dictated that there would be a Portimonense-Farense match to start the championship.
The match ended in a 14-34 draw – Portimonense scored first through Nélsinho (75′), Farense even turned things around with a brace from Portuguese international José Rafael (83′ and XNUMX′), but Cadorin – a big name in the history of the Black and Whites – would equalize in the XNUMXrd minute.
This decade of the 80s was the most fruitful in Algarve Portimonense-Farense derbies in the top echelon of Portuguese football.
In addition to the 1983/1984 match, four more followed in that decade: the following one, on December 23, 1984, brought the first victory for the black and white team.
Portimonense beat Farense 3-1, with goals from Luís Reina (9′), Cadorin (26′) and João Reina (80′).
Farense's goal was scored by Gil, a Brazilian international who ended his career in the Algarve after having played, years before, in the 78 World Cup, where Brazil came in 3rd place.
In those 80s, Portimonense even achieved three consecutive victories against Farense: after that, on December 23, 1984, there were two more.
In 1986/1987, the black and white team beat the lions of Faro by 3-2. The goalscorers were Luís Reina (22′), Nivaldo (23′) and Luciano (66′), for Portimonense, and Jorge Andrade (13′ and 46′) for Farense.
In that match, Portimonense's coach was already Vítor Oliveira, a historic coach of the Algarve, and on the side, still as a player, was… Paco Fortes who, shortly after, would also be Farense's helmsman, marking an era.
The most uneven result, in games in Portimão, happened on August 22, 1987, when the home team beat Farense by a clear 3-0: goals from Karim (16′) and Zé Tó (43′ and 70′) .
After that game, the only recorded nil followed: it was on August 27, 1988. From then on, until there was a Portimonense-Farense again, for the I League, almost 33 years passed.
On January 4, 2021, the two Algarve clubs met again in Portimão. At the time, both teams were fighting to escape the relegation places – Portimonense entered the field in last place in the championship, with just 8 points; Farense only had one more, but was in 15th place.
Even without fans in the stands, due to the pandemic, the home team prevailed and beat Farense 2-0. Striker Beto, now playing in the Premier League for Everton, was the hero of the match.
The forward scored in the 71st and 91st minutes and gave Portimonense an important victory that would, at the end of the season, ensure the maintenance that eluded Farense.
From the initial teams in that game, there are few players left. On Portimonense's side, only Dener should be a starter; at Farense, Fabrício and Cláudio Falcão also remain regular choices.
The current situation of the two clubs is also different: Farense is calmer, in 7th place, with 21 points, while Portimonense occupies the maintenance play-off place with 15 points.
And if history smiles at Portimonense when it comes to I Liga games played in Portimão, the scenario does not change if we analyze all the matches that the two clubs have played in this Barlavento city.
In 34 games for all competitions (I League, II League, Taça de Portugal and II Division), the black and white team won 18, the lions of Faro 9 and there were seven draws.
As people say, a derby is a derby and the coaches know that this is a special game.
In the preview, José Mota, coach of Farense, recognized the «importance» that the match has «for the people of the Algarve».
“We cannot have more responsibility in some games than in others. I understand that this game attracts the crowds, the members, but it is also up to us to stay away from these factors».
The coach also made a point of highlighting the importance of this derby as it is a «sign that the Algarve is well represented with two teams in the I Liga».
Paulo Sérgio, coach of Portimonense, stressed that those who “live the most” the derbies “are the people and the fans”.
«I think it's a game like the others. Professionals have to focus on their tasks, on what their profession requires and not on the emotional part. It's a game like the others, we wish Farense all the best except in the games against us», he added.
The match starts at 20:15.
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