Pietuszewski in Porto's starting line-up, but the club lose again in the Champions League

FC Porto lost 1-0 to PSV Eindhoven in a Champions League match. Oskar Pietuszewski, a Poland international, appeared in the Portuguese side's starting line-up for the first time this season.

Active on the left

The 18-year-old winger is being gradually reintroduced to the team after an injury that kept him out at the start of the season. From the first minutes he was very noticeable: team-mates often looked for him with passes, and the left side of the pitch, where he played, was clearly more active than the rest. Pietuszewski ran boldly at the opposition goal and quickly took three shots, though none of them was on target.

Portuguese media opinions

The website "Bola na Rede" described the Pole as one of Porto's few positives in the first half. According to the site, he brought the most energy and determination, trying one-on-one duels against the Dutch champions' defence. The newspaper "A Bola" in turn praised his courage in one-on-one situations.

Substitution in the 58th minute

In the second half Pietuszewski did not play even a quarter of an hour. Coach Francesco Farioli took him off in the 58th minute, as one of three players substituted at that moment. As Sportowe Fakty notes, one reason may have been caution in managing the player's workload after his recent injury. The Pole ran a lot, including being the first of the Porto players to press.

Difficult situation in the table

For Porto, who have three Poles in their squad – Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior and Pietuszewski – this was their third match in this year's Champions League and their third defeat. The team are currently 33rd in the table of 36 teams.