Martín Anselmi, Argentinian, 39 years old. The new FC Porto coach arrived at the Invicta City surrounded with controversy from Mexican side Cruz Azul. People would be lying if they say they already knew him (except from that one clip where the goalkeeper from Cruz Azul is actively participating in construction of play).

José Ricardo Leite looks at what the tactician has brought to the table thus far and how it may affect tomorrow’s Clássico. 

The Segunda Liga is a strange place where you can have no expectations at all for a team and all of a sudden, they are on the verge of getting promoted. Or the other way around, where a team has years of investment in order to get promoted and still fails to perform well enough.

This week, Tondela regained the lead of the championship after beating Penafiel 2-0. It was a very one-sided game, but it was more of a massacre for Penafiel than a Saturday afternoon match. Penafiel got dominated by the Beirões and lost the leadership of the division. 

Let me guess. No-one was expecting this one, especially in the late months of 2024.

In 2025, however, Ian Cathro’s Estoril have amassed more victories than in the first five months of the season. In fact, the team from the Lisbon coast only know how to win in the current calendar year. Four matches, four wins with ten goals scored and one clean sheet, including closing the gap between themselves and high-fliers Vitória SC and Santa Clara while sizably distancing themselves from any relegation concerns. 

Primeira Liga winter transfer window roundup

It has been a busy January transfer window in Portugal, especially for FC Porto and Benfica who have made significant alterations to their squad for the second half of the 2024/25 season.

Porto’s well-publicised financial malaise has been eased by two huge sales, the departures of Wenderson Galeno and Nico González generating a €110 million windfall in transfer fees, before commissions.

Benfica have boosted their options by buying midfielder Manu Silva and winger Bruma from Vitória and Braga respectively, as well as bringing in experienced Italian striker Andrea Belotti.  

Sporting contracted goalkeeper Rui Silva and have swapped wingers, loaning out Englishman Marcus Edwards to Burnley and bringing in Brazilian Gabriel Teixeira, known in the football world as Biel.

PortuGOAL rounds up the major winter transfers involving Portugal’s clubs.