Porto came very close to winning the Primeira Liga last season, finishing in second place, just two points behind Benfica after winning their final nine games of the league season, but a slow start to the campaign ultimately ended up costing them.
That said, the Dragons did still experience some success last season, winning the Taca de Portugal in June, defeating Braga 2-0 in the final at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon.
Having already won three league titles as manager of the Estadio do Dragao outfit, Sergio Conceicao knows what it takes to win major silverware, and he will be hoping his side can continue their solid form from the back end of the previous campaign.
Porto have only played one pre-season game up to this point, recording a 2-0 victory against Portimonense, and they are now set for another test, taking on Cardiff City for the first time since 1968.
Indeed, it has been a long time since Cardiff came up against Saturday’s opponents, losing 2-1 in the UEFA European Cup Winners Cup way back in October 1968 in the last meeting, but their pre-season tour of Portugal means they are set to lock horns again.
The Bluebirds have already taken on Braga at the Estadio Municipal de Lagos, losing 1-0 against the Taca de Portugal finalists in what was a closely-fought encounter, with Simon Banza scoring the only goal of the game.
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Erol Bulut’s side have otherwise gone undefeated in their pre-season matches, recording victories against Penybont and The New Saints, while also playing out draws with Cambridge United and Bristol Rovers.
Having only avoided relegation by one point last season, as a result of Reading getting docked six points for breaching financial rules, Bulut will be hoping he can challenge at the top end of the table next season, in his first campaign in charge of the Welsh club.
Cardiff have been in the second tier since being relegated from the Premier League in the 2019-19 season, and they will be looking to build momentum ahead of a difficult start to the season, taking on recently-relegated Leeds United and Leicester City in two of their first three games.
