Arouca might look like they are cruising right now, sitting comfortably in the league. They have gathered 9 valuable points, which puts them in a decent spot. But a quick glance at the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story. Beneath that calm surface, some worrying signs are popping up. If these issues aren’t fixed soon, things could get ugly.
The team, led by coach Vasco Seabra, has a real problem at the back. They are currently the second-worst defense in the entire competition. It’s like a leaky bucket, constantly letting goals in. And it’s not just the defense. Their attack, which seems to score enough goals, actually struggles to create clear chances. This is a bit of a puzzle.
Here’s the strange part: Arouca boasts the 8th best attack in the league. They’ve scored quite a few goals. How? It’s simple, but not normal: their players are incredibly good at finishing. They make the most of every tiny chance. In fact, Arouca has created the fewest big opportunities of any team in the first eight games, only nine in total. Their "expected goals" stat, which measures how many goals they should have scored based on their chances, is a mere 5.6. Yet, they have scored almost double that amount. This incredible efficiency has saved them so far. But relying on such perfect finishing week after week is a gamble that rarely pays off in the long run.