Bednarek opens the scoring (0-1, 9')

A corner from the left is lifted by Gabri Veiga into the center of the six-yard box, Gonçalo Luís comes out of goal poorly, punches the ball into the air, and, in the air, Bednarek takes advantage to head it into the empty net.

Following a corner, the ball falls to Borja Sainz who, at the edge of the area, shoots first time, with the ball going just wide of the right post.

The ball is rolling in a very well-composed Cidade de Barcelos! The home team is out on loan.

Carlos Macedo, of the Braga Football Association, is the referee for this match. It's worth noting that this tie doesn't yet have VAR.

"We won't play the same way we do in the Championship. It's not our goal to 'park the bus,' just as I believe it wouldn't be the goal of Nacional, Arouca, Benfica, or Salzburg. The quality of the opponent forces us to drop our lines. But we have a strategy for the game, not too pressing, and we'll try to be competent within that plan. This is a showcase for everyone: players, coaching staff, and the club," Seixas stated.

"It's a new competition for us, a new chapter. We want to explore it until the very end and go all the way. I saw some of their interviews and I understand their feelings. My coaching career began at an amateur level, and I know what this means. They're going to give their all. It's an excellent opportunity to show their worth. When we look at other countries and Portugal, we've seen other surprises. We want to be better," said Farioli.

Up ahead, FC Porto faces a Celoricense team experiencing the best chapter of its history, as the Braga team had never faced a major Portuguese football team. Winners of the Braga Football Association's last Pro-National Championship, Celoricenses began the season by winning the district Super Cup.

Diogo Fernandes, Pedro Lima, Gabriel Brás and Ángel Alarcón are not options for this game, as they have been dropped to the B team to face Marítimo this Sunday.

Celoricense's starting eleven: Gonçalo Luis; Carlos Mendes, Diogo Miguel, Pedro Pinto, João Padi; Didi, Diogo Alves, Matchu; Juninho, Jhon Rentería and Andrezinho

Celoricense's substitutes: Juninho; João André, João André, Lucas, Gustavo Pereira, Whalysson Amon, Nuno Pinto, Freider Sanchez, Gonçalo Borges and Rafa Silva

Coach: Rafael Seixas

Almost two weeks after the draw against rivals Benfica (home, 0-0), in what was the first game that Francesco Farioli's team did not win this season, Porto have suffered a squad shake-up in recent weeks, due to international commitments.

Still, as has been the case in recent years, the football celebration didn't travel to the home of the visiting team, Celoricense, who hosted FC Porto at the Cidade de Barcelos Stadium, over 80 kilometers from Celorico de Basto Municipal Stadium, which wouldn't have been able to host this match. Despite this limitation, the day was a celebration, and the Dragons were willing to donate their share of the proceeds, as is customary under these circumstances.

Despite having begun in late August, it's these days that the Portuguese Cup gains media attention. The Primeira Liga teams are in action, and, as usual, the draw pitted the top Portuguese football teams against teams playing in lower divisions, and in some cases, aren't even professional. This is a reality that only the premier competition can challenge.

Compared to the last match, the derby against Benfica, Francesco Farioli makes only two changes and won't make things easy against the Campeonato de Portugal team. As he promised at the match's launch press conference, the chosen goalkeeper is Cláudio Ramos, replacing Diogo Costa, while in attack, Deniz Gül replaces Samu Aghehowa.

FC Porto's starting eleven: Claudio Ramos; Alberto Costa, Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior, Francisco Moura; Alan Varela, Victor Froholdt, Alan Varela; Pepê, Borja Sainz and Deniz Gül

FC Porto substitutes: João Costa; Dominik Prpic, Martim Fernandes, Pablo Rosario, Stephen Eustáquio, Rodrigo Mora, Yann Karamoh, William Gomes and Samu Aghehowa

Coach: Francesco Farioli

⚽𝕆 ℕ𝕆𝕊𝕊𝕆 𝟙𝟙 𝕀ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕀𝔸𝕃 ⚽ #TaçaDePortugal #SeguimosJuntos pic.twitter.com/Jx7oCQQvxG

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) October 18, 2025

Good afternoon! Welcome to another Observador liveblog, where we'll be covering the Celoricense-FC Porto match in the third round of the Portuguese Cup. The match kicks off at 6 p.m. in Barcelos. We're counting on you!