Almost a year later, Santiago Gimenez celebrated a goal again. The Mexican won the penalty in Rio Maior and, knowing the importance of the moment, received permission from the bench and his teammates to take it. With a lot of pressure on his shoulders, Santi struck hard into the middle of the goal and released all his adrenaline afterwards, kneeling and pointing to the sky, knowing he had ended a 354-day drought. The last time he had found the net was on 23 September 2025, against Lecce. It was his only goal for Milan last season, marked by injuries that kept him off the pitch for several months.

Furthermore, that 11-metre shot, which sealed FC Porto's rout at Casa Pia's borrowed home (4-1), had another special meaning: it allowed the Mexican to reach a round milestone in his career, his 100th goal. At Farioli's third call, it finally happened and the forward rediscovered scoring, hoping this is the tonic for the rest of the season at the Dragão.

This week the forward will find out if he is called up to the national team, but the ideal scenario for Farioli would be to keep him at Olival for a 'true pre-season'. Porto's attack is gaining options.

Gimenez's hundred goals as a professional, it should be noted, are divided as follows: 21 for Cruz Azul (the first ever was against Toluca, in February 2020), 65 for Feyenoord, seven for Milan, six for the Mexican national team and, now, the first with the Dragon on his chest.

Gimenez has been giving good signs

Even without the fitness to last 90 minutes, Gimenez has been giving good signs and, soon, Francesco Farioli will be able to manage the attack better. Especially because Samu is also getting closer and closer to returning to action. FC Porto will then have three internationals for their respective countries as options, something that will be fundamental to face a calendar that is going to get much tighter. There are four competitions that the blue and whites are competing in, and all with ambitions.

The upcoming international break will be very important for Santi, especially if he does not go to the national team. 'If he stayed here with us, in a way, it would be even better, because this period would serve as a real boost for him to start the season in the best possible shape,' admitted the coach. In the coming days it will be known whether the 'Bebote' is called up. But even if he is, there is always the possibility of asking to be excused, given that he is not in ideal condition.