PARIS
vs
FC Porto Safarma
FC Porto Handball is the handball section of Futebol Clube do Porto, located in Porto, Portugal. Like its football section, the club has a sporting rivalry with SL Benfica and Sporting CP. In the 2013/14 season, the club participated for the first time in its history in the Champions League group stage.
FC Porto were placed in Group B of the 2019/20 Champions League, and despite a tough group including Montpellier Handball, THW Kiel and Veszprem KSE, they did not disappoint, finishing 5th. The team is currently coached by Swedish Magnus Andersson, a former professional player who won three Olympic medals with Sweden. The club has 21 Portuguese Championship titles to date, including 7 consecutive titles between 2009 and 2014, as well as 8 Portuguese Cups.
At the end of the 2019/20 season of Liga LPA, the club finished at the 1st position with 77 points, above Sporting CP Lisbonne.
Following the 2021/22 Champions League group stage, the club finished 5th in its groupe behind Veszprem and Paris Saint-Germain. During the play-off against Montpellier to reach the Round of 8, the club was defeated on teh second leg, after the first leg draw.
The Parisians against Porto
Opponents within the 2020/21 Champions League group stage, this double-encounter will be the first one between the two clubs. On November 18, 2020, the Parisians went to Porto as part group stage matchday 5. Thanks to an exceptional match of Mikkel Hansen, with 9 goals and 9 assists, the Red and Blue won 34 - 31. On November 26, 2020, at Coubertin, the Red and Blue had defeated them once again 29 - 28, thanks to a good defensive performance.
On November 28, 2021, the Red and Blue were hosting FC Porto at Coubertin, on Champions League matchday 7. The Parisians showed a high level of defensive performance, symbolized by the 4 goals conceded in the first half, and finally won 33 - 19. On November 25, 2021, Nedim Remili's teammates went victorious in Porto 39 - 30.
Consecutive to the 2022-23 Champions League group stage draw, FC Porto is part of Group A, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Veszprem, Zagreb, Gog Handbold, Dinamo Bucaresti, Wilsa Plock and SC Magdeburg.
Players to follow Duel
Born on October 6, 1991, in Paris, Mathieu Grébille is a French player who plays at the back or left winger. Trained at Montpellier Handball, he made his professional debut in the 2010/11 season, with whom he played more than 700 matches in 10 seasons at the club. He played for Montpellier Handball in the 2019/20 season and crossed paths with FC Porto during the group phase of the Champions League. The Hérault club had lost at home in their first meeting, before a draw at Porto.
Born on July 25, 1994, in Coimbra, Portugal, Diogo Branquinho is a Portuguese player playing as a left winger. After playing for ABC Braga between 2013 and 2017, he joined FC Porto in the summer of 2017, where he won the Championship and Cup with the Blue and White the following season. In the 2019/20 edition of the Champions League, he was FC Porto's top scorer in the group stage with 55 goals, including 8 in the opening match against HC Meshkov Brest.
Pavilhao Dragao Arena
Via Futebol Clube do Porto - 4350419 Porto
The Dragao Arena is the official stadium of FC Porto, hosting handball, basketball and roller field hockey matches. With a total capacity of almost 2,200 seats, the arena was designed by Manuel Salgado, the architect responsible for the Estadio do Dragao, among other things.
Located next to the Estadio do Dragao, FC Porto's soccer stadium, the Dragao Arena is accessible by metro via line F, getting off at the Contumil station.
