FC Porto reclaimed the Champions League title by defeating Barcelona 3-1 in a thrilling final, where the Dragons stormed out of the gates and never let their European dream slip away. Two years after their 2023 triumph, Porto once again sits atop European roller hockey.
From the very first second, the atmosphere at the Dr. Mário Mexia Pavilion was electric—and FC Porto sensed it before anyone else. In the opening minute, Marc Grau received a blue card, giving Carlo Di Benedetto a chance to open the scoring from a direct free hit, but he missed. It was just a warning.
Two minutes in, Rafa fired home to make it 1-0, igniting the blue-and-white stands. Barcelona struggled to breathe under the suffocating pressure applied by Paulo Freitas’ side. In the 8th minute, Gonçalo Alves doubled the lead with a goal worthy of a European final, pushing the Dragons even closer to glory.
Ricardo Ares’ team took time to respond. Even power-play opportunities failed to provide Barcelona with answers against an aggressive, focused Porto defense anchored by a towering Malián in goal. Only just before halftime did the Catalans truly threaten, but Marc Grau and Alabart were repeatedly denied by the Porto netminder.
Barcelona found new life early in the second half when Benedetto conceded a penalty, and Alabart pulled one back to make it 2-1 in the 28th minute. For a few moments, the weight of uncertainty typical of big finals was palpable.
But this FC Porto never stopped believing. Even after wasting two numerical advantages, the Dragons remained solid, calm, and competitive. With about six minutes left, the moment that essentially sealed the title arrived: Telmo Pinto stepped up to make it 3-1, triggering an explosion of joy in the arena. The European dream was turning ever more blue.
In the final minutes, Barcelona threw everything forward. But they found a Porto side transformed into a stone wall, unyielding under the Catalan pressure.
When the final buzzer sounded, Coimbra was painted blue and white. FC Porto was once again champion of Europe.
