Farias at the double for merciless FC Porto

Sertanense 0-4 FC Porto

FC Porto brushed aside the challenge of third division Sertanense to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup.

With the Champions League soon to resume, Jesualdo Ferreira used the match to rest first-teamers Helton, Bosingwa, Bruno Alves, Lucho Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez and Ricardo Quaresma, but the Portuguese champions always had too much for the regional side.

And the Porto boss is now facing the sort of dilemma that every coach enjoys – how to conciliate an embarrassment of riches.

Moroccan winger Tarik Sektioui enjoyed a sensational first half of the season to make himself an undisputed starter before he jetted off to Ghana to represent his country in the Africa Cup of nations.

Argentine striker Ernesto Farias was given the chance to show what he could do in the Moroccan’s absence, and could not possibly have responded in a more positive manner.

Conundrum

A brace yesterday made it six goals in five matches and Ferreira now has a difficult decision on his hands to decide who out of Sektioui and Farias will play alongside Quaresma and Lisandro in his 3-man attack.

It was Sektioui, playing his first match since returning from the African tournament, who got the ball rolling yesterday with a shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the box after just 8 minutes.

Sertanense fought gamely but were no match for their illustrious opponents and strikes from Farias and Kazmierczak made the scoreline 3-0 before the interval. The Argentine scored his second on 49 minutes before making way for Rabiola to get his first taste of first-team action.

Porto move smoothly into the quarter-finals, although a sterner test awaits them whoever they land in Tuesday’s draw.

Sertanense:
Leo Flores, David Facucho (Bruno Xavier, 46), Pedro Miguel, Anderson, Americo; Filipe Avelar (Daniel, 67), Brito, Leandro, Zambia, Vicente, Hygor (Marco Farinha, 55)

FC Porto:
Nuno, Joao Paulo, Pedro Emanuel (Castro, 60), Stepanov, Lino, Paulo Assuncao, Raul Meireles (Helder Barbosa, 67), Mariano Gonzalez, Kazmierczak, Tarik Sektioui, Ernesto Farias (Rabiola, 74)

Goals:
[0-1] Tarik Sektioui, 8
[0-2] Farias, 36
[0-3] Kazmierczak, 45
[0-4] Farias, 49