Primeira Liga heavyweights Porto have an opportunity to ascend to the league summit on Saturday when they welcome struggling Boavista to the Estádio do Dragão as part of gameweek 16 action.
With league leaders Benfica clashing with Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Sunday, the Dragons aim to capitalize and end 2024 on a high note in what has become an intense three-way title race.
Porto have bounced back from a turbulent November to reignite their pursuit of a 31st league title and their first since 2022. Vitor Bruno's side endured a rough patch last month, losing three consecutive matches across all competitions, though only one of those—a 4-1 rout by title rivals Benfica—came in the league.
That setback was followed by an unexpected Taca de Portugal exit at the hands of Moreirense, but since then, the Dragons have been resolute, going unbeaten in their last six matches with four wins and two draws. Sitting on 37 points, Porto head into this fixture knowing that a victory over Boavista would temporarily leapfrog them above Benfica (38) and defending champions Sporting (37) ahead of their head-to-head encounter on Sunday.
In stark contrast, Cristiano Bacci's Boavista find themselves embroiled in a relegation scrap, having amassed just three points from their last five league outings. The Chequered Ones' struggles are evident, though there have been moments of promise.
Away fans may cling to the fact that Boavista have suffered only one defeat in their last four league matches (three draws), narrowly falling 3-2 to Sporting Lisbon despite twice levelling the score. While Boavista remain winless at home this season, with three draws and four losses, their performances on the road have been commendable. Accumulating nine points in away fixtures, they rank joint-fifth for points earned on the road, trailing only the likes of Sporting, Braga, Benfica, and Porto.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch FC Porto vs Boavista online - TV channels & live streams
In the United States (US), the Liga Portugal match between Porto and Boavista will be available to watch and stream online live through Fubo (sign up for a free-trial now), Fanatiz and GolTV.
Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for updates.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
FC Porto vs Boavista kick-off time
The Liga Portugal match between Porto and Boavista will be played at Estadio Do Dragao in Porto, Portugal.
It will kick off at 3:30 pm ET on Saturday, December 28, in the US.
Team news & squads
FC Porto vs Boavista lineups
4-2-3-1
Formation
4-2-3-1
BOAPOR-Line up
POR- 99
D. Costa (C)
- 4
Otavio
61’
- 24
N. Perez
41’
88’
- 13
W. Galeno
68’
- 52
M. Fernandes
31’
41’
- 20
A. Franco
80’
- 11
Pepe
- 16
N. Gonzalez
45’ + 2’
55’
59’
80’
- 86
R. Mora
55’
59’
80’
- 6
S. Eustaquio
68’
- 9
S. Aghehowa
31’, 88’
Substitutes
- 3
T. Djalo
- 14
C. Ramos
- 27
D. Guel
- 70
G. Borges
80’
- 17
I. Jaime
68’
- 23
Joao Mario
- 15
V. Sousa
80’
- 19
D. Namaso
80’
- 22
A. Varela
68’
Manager
V. Bruno
BOA-Line up
BOA- 1
Cesar
- 15
P. Gomes
71’
- 20
Filipe Ferreira
- 25
J. Dabo
61’
- 26
R. Abascal
81’
- 18
I. Vukotic
83’
- 24
S. Perez (C)
- 7
S. Agra
- 10
M. Reisinho
29’
- 70
S. Onyemaechi
- 9
R. Bozenik
Substitutes
- 75
T. Silva
- 88
M. Ribeiro
71’
- 23
T. Machado
- 76
T. de Castro Sousa
- 17
M. Namora
- 35
G. Miguel
61’
- 73
A. Marques
- 71
J. Barros
83’
- 74
D. Llorente
Manager
C. Bacci
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- 8
M. Grujic
- 5
I. Marcano
- 18
Wendell
- 74
F. Moura
Injuries and Suspensions
- 12
L. Pires
- 99
J. Goncalves
FC Porto team news
Francisco Moura is ruled out for Porto with a sprained ankle, likely paving the way for Galeno to feature at left-back again. Ivan Marcano, Joao Mario, Marko Grujic, and Wendell are sidelined for Porto until January, while the hosts will monitor the status of rising star Rodrigo Mora, who limped off with a suspected injury during his impressive debut against Moreirense.
Among this season's most clutch performers, Samu Aghehowa has tallied four match-winning goals, matching the feats of Santa Clara's Vinícius Lopes, Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis, and Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres. With 11 goals to his name, Aghehowa could prove pivotal once again this weekend.
Boavista team news
For Boavista, long-term absentees Joao Goncalves and Luis Pires remain out with knee injuries. The visitors are also sweating over the fitness of striker Robert Bozenik and Augusto Dabo, both of whom left the pitch with apparent knocks in the goalless stalemate against AVS.
A lack of dependable scorers has hindered the Chequered Ones this season. Only Miguel Reisinho (four goals) and teammates Ilija Vukotic and Bruno Onyemaechi (two each) have managed to find the net more than once in the campaign, underlining their struggle for match-winning firepower.
Form
POR-Form
PORMoreirense
0
-
3
FC Porto
W
FC Porto
2
-
0
Estrela da Amadora
W
FC Porto
2
-
0
FC Midtjylland
W
Famalicao
1
-
1
FC Porto
D
FC Porto
2
-
0
Casa Pia AC
W
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 10/1
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 1/5
BOA-Form
BOABoavista
0
-
0
AVS Futebol SAD
D
Sporting CP
3
-
2
Boavista
L
Boavista
1
-
1
Farense
D
Nacional
0
-
0
Boavista
D
Boavista
0
-
2
Rio Ave
L
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 3/6
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 2/5
Head-to-Head Record
PORLast 5 matches
BOA4
Wins
1
Draw
0
Wins
Goals scored
3- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5